The leaving Book

The Kind of Light that Shines On Texas is a collection of short stories by Reginald McKnight. The stories are about middle class African Americans characters in the United States, mostly during the 60s and 70s (although one story takes place in a fairy tale land and one story takes place in the near future). The stories deal with themes of identity and ethics. The stories are often raw with characters using bad language, drugs, and alcohol. My favorite story was the title story about being one of only a few African American students in a sixth grade class in Texas during the 60s. The reader not only feels the tension between the white and black students, but also the main characters struggle with what he feels about himself in relation to his other African American classmates. The characters were not always likable, but they were realistic and each one revealed something about growing up during this time in America. I would definitely recommend others check out Mr. McKnight's work.