The Day and Night Books of Mardou Fox

“A novel full of art and magic; sex, murder and love, The Day and Night Books of Mardou Fox casts a spell on the reader. Nisi Shawl tells the moving tale of a writer’s life, rich with insight and meaning, pain and pleasure. A short book, but not a small book.”

—Victor LaValle, author of Lone Women 

“Step back, Kerouac! I loved this fabulist reckoning with the legacy of the Beats from the perspective of an overlooked member of their circle: a singular black writer who is no one’s muse. Shawl’s generous gifts bring ‘Marlene Todd,’ a.k.a. ‘Mardou Fox,’  to complex vibrancy in a brilliant act of literary comeuppance.” 

—Alaya Dawn Johnson, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Trouble the Saints

"Shawl (Everfair) wows in this alternate history of the Beat generation told through the diaries of an overlooked Black poet. … This concise novel packs a powerful punch."

—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Whether she’s writing immersive and imaginative fiction or tracing the history of a genre, Nisi Shawl’s work is never less than compelling. Her new novel The Day and Night Books of Mardou Fox combines these aspects of her work, drawing on the life of Beat poet Alene Lee to tell a story of literary dynamism and otherworldly visitations."  

—Reactor Magazine