This groundbreaking collection of profiles, interviews, essays and reviews on such well-known black writers and artists as Nalo Hopkinson, Dionne Brand, Austin Clarke, Lawrence Hill and Edwidge Danticat constitutes a frank conversation on the significance of race in contemporary Black Canadian and American literature. What's a Black Critic to Do? is for anyone looking for a way to talk about the sometimes-taboo topic of race, as it appears in novels, movies and plays. Of interest to Black readers as well as teachers, librarians and book club members, this book is a vital snapshot of contemporary North American culture.