▁York ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁The ▁collection ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁receive ▁wide ▁critical ▁pra ise . ▁It ▁won ▁the ▁author ▁a ▁P EN ▁Open ▁Book ▁Award ▁and ▁the ▁Key ▁to ▁J ama ica , ▁Queens . ▁ ▁The ▁E c static ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁by ▁Crown ▁Publishing ▁Group . ▁The ▁novel ▁continues ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Anthony ▁James , ▁a ▁character ▁from ▁La Val le ' s ▁collection ▁of ▁stories . ▁Anthony ▁is ▁a ▁mor bid ly ▁ob ese ▁college ▁drop out ▁who ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁experien cing ▁the ▁first ▁signs ▁of ▁sch iz op hren ia . ▁The ▁novel ▁follows ▁the ▁explo its ▁of ▁his ▁family , ▁who ▁are ▁trying ▁their ▁best ▁to ▁save ▁Anthony , ▁but ▁who ▁might ▁be ▁in ▁need ▁of ▁a ▁little ▁saving ▁themselves . ▁The ▁subject ▁matter ▁is ▁dark , ▁and ▁even ▁shock ing , ▁but ▁a ▁gall ows ▁humor ▁runs ▁throughout . ▁This ▁book ▁received ▁even ▁wider ▁critical ▁acc laim , ▁ear ning ▁compar isons ▁to ▁writers ▁such ▁as ▁Ken ▁K ese y , ▁Ch ester ▁H imes , ▁and ▁John ▁Kennedy ▁To ole . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁the ▁novel ▁was ▁a ▁final ist ▁for ▁both ▁the ▁P EN / Fa ulk ner ▁Award ▁for ▁F iction ▁and ▁the ▁Hur ston - W right ▁Leg acy ▁Award . ▁It ▁became ▁a ▁favorite ▁novel ▁for ▁ra pper ▁Mos ▁Def , ▁who ▁later ▁titled ▁his ▁ 2 0 0 9