King Comus

In this posthumous semiautobiographical novel by William Demby, past and present intertwine as D., a Black American expat in Rome, reconnects with former Army friends to organize a gospel summit for singer Little Antioch. The narrative spans from D.'s contemporary life to the 1940s with Tillman's vibrant family stories, culminating in the early nineteenth century with master musician King Comus's quest for freedom from enslavement. Blending neo-slave narrative and Afrofuturism, this work explores themes of survival, kinship, and the complexities of empire, race, gender, and religion, reflecting over two decades of literary craft.