T. Geronimo Johnson's 'Occidental Book of the Dead' Explores Race, Policing, and Media in the U.S.
T. Geronimo Johnson's third novel, 'The Occidental Book of the Dead,' is a complex narrative that delves into themes of race, politics, media, and policing in the United States. The story centers on George Washington Jonson, a Black police officer in the fictional city of Atlantis, state of Gorgeous. The novel opens with Jonson training a white rookie, Lukas Utner, who makes a racially insensitive comment, highlighting the ingrained racism Jonson faces. The narrative introduces Jonson as a rookie in 1992, learning the unwritten rules of a police department where white officers prioritize certain demographics. A pivotal event occurs when Utner shoots a white teenager, Anthony Montana, and another officer plants a gun at the scene. The novel then shifts to Jonson's first-person account, decades after the shooting, detailing how the incident has impacted his life, marriage, and career. Johnson employs tone shifts, moving from noir elements to Jonson's darkly humorous confessions, to paint a multifaceted portr...
