No one says a novel has to be one thing. It can be anything it wants to be, a vaudeville show, the six o’clock news, the mumblings of wild men saddled by demons. - Ishmael Reed

Ishmael Scott Reed (born 22 February 1938) is an American poet, essayist, and novelist. Reed is known for his satirical works challenging American political culture, and highlighting political and cultural oppression.^[1]

Reed's work has often sought to represent neglected African and African-American perspectives, his energy and advocacy have centered more broadly on neglected peoples and perspectives, irrespective of their cultural origins.