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AFTER THE LIGHTS GO OUT

John Vercher

A harrowing and spellbinding story about family, the complications of mixed-race relationships, misplaced loyalties, and the price athletes pay to entertain - from the critically acclaimed author of Three-Fifths.

Xavier "Scarecrow" Wallace, a mixed-race MMA fighter on the wrong side of thirty, is facing the fight of his life. Xavier can no longer deny he is losing his battle with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), or pugilistic dementia. Through the fog of memory loss, migraines, and paranoia, Xavier does his best to stay in shape while he waits for the call that will reinstate him after a year-long suspension. He watches his diet and trains every day at the Philadelphia gym owned by his cousin-cum-manager, Shot, a retired champion boxer to whom Xavier owes an unpayable debt. Xavier makes ends meet by teaching youth classes at Shot's gym and by living rent-free in the house of his white father, whom Xavier has been forced to commit to a nursing home because of the progress of his end-stage Alzheimer's. Dementia has revealed his father's latent racism and Xavier finally gains insight into why his Black mother left the family when Xavier was young. Then Xavier is offered a chance at redemption: a last-minute comeback fight in the largest MMA promotion. If he can get himself back in the game, he'll be able to clear his name and begin to pay off Shot. But with his memory in shreds and his life crumbling around him, can Xavier hold onto the focus he needs to survive? John Vercher lives in the Philadelphia area with his wife and two sons. He has a Bachelor's in English from the University of Pittsburgh and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Mountainview Master of Fine Arts program. He is a contributing writer for WBUR Boston's Cognoscenti, and NPR features his essays on race, identity, and parenting. His debut novel, Three-Fifths, was named one of the best books of the year by the Chicago Tribune, CrimeReads, and Booklist. It was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, Lefty, and Strand Magazine Critics' Awards for Best First Novel.

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Book Published 2022-06-07 by Soho Press

Comments

Written in deft and visceral prose - Vercher's trademark - After the Lights Go Out is one of the best books I've read this year. I loved every moment of it, even the ones that broke my heart.

There is a deep and satisfying humanity at the core of Vercher's tragic tale of mixed-race MMA fighter Xavier Wallace. A compelling look at a brutal and crime-ridden sport and an unflinching portrait of the ravages of dementia. Read more...

John Vercher shares this gripping, tragic tale with great compassion, deftly guiding the reader through the MMA world, the nuances of mixed-race identity, and the questionable allegiances that form when the world forces people to prove their own humanity. Never has winning seemed so bittersweet, and never have I felt so much for such a complicated character.

UK: Pushkin Press ; French: Les Arenes

One person's entertainment is another's extraordinary trauma of the mind, body, and soul in John Vercher's stunning, stone-cold knockout, After the Lights Go Out. Heart-wrenching in its portrayal of anger, betrayal, and the value placed on the bodies of combat athletes, Vercher's novel is as relentless as it is unforgettable. Brutally elegant prose, jet fuel-like propulsiveness, and Vercher's powerhouse voice force us to confront a profound and tragic question: How do you save yourself when you're the person you trust least? Dear reader, brace yourself.

After the Lights Go Out is a heartbreaking look at Xavier Wallace's fight inside the cage and out. John Vercher gives us an unraveling understanding of Xavier's tumultuous relationship with his white father and Black mother, and the seedy underbelly of fighting. It's a riveting story where the drama propels you from page to page. All these threads kept me reading, but what kept me most engrossed is that although Xavier is involved in many battles, his most formidable opponent might just be himself. Vercher is a master of interior tension. This book grabs you and doesn't let go.

John Vercher's After the Lights Go Out is a universal story about the grim realities of a savage sport and a savage world. Think Warrior by way of Fat City. It's poetic, evocative, and charged with passion. It's full of hope and heartache. Xavier 'Scarecrow' Wallace is a character I just can't shake.

Vercher gives us a nuanced, troubled protagonist trying to keep his head up in a dark and dangerous world. His novel is troubling, powerful, and ultimately, surprisingly, poignant.

Vercher (Three-Fifths) strides back in the ring with the explosive story of a troubled Philadelphia MMA fighter whose career has stalled... expertly captures the brashness and discipline of combat sports as well as the harsh realities of the fighting life, delivering all of it in a swiftly paced triumph complete with a surprising one-two punch of a conclusion. This is simply brilliant.

John Vercher writes like a fighter, a dancer, an athlete. The prose is nimble and nothing on the page is wasted. His writing knows when to throw a punch, and, in a novel that explores the intersection of race, class, celebrity, and healthcare, John Vercher leaves it all in the ring. Here is a novelist at the height of his power. After the Lights Go Out left my heart black and blue, and I loved every moment of the beating it took.