Michael Thomas' "Man Gone Down"

Being black in America can look pretty sweet these days - if you're Dr. Dre, Beyonce, Tiger Woods, Oprah, Barack Obama and a whole lot more of the big winners in business or culture or sport.

But if you're a regular black guy or gal in the world that novelist Michael Thomas paints, it's still a tough road out there. Everything just tilted enough against you to make the world feel all uphill.

Thomas' new novel, his first, is "Man Gone Down," and it's getting rave reviews, comparisons to Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man."

A black narrator. White wife. Mixed kids. Bills to pay, and a whole lot of trouble, right now.

This hour On Point: breakout novelist Michael Thomas and "Man Gone Down."

Guests:

Michael Thomas, author, "Man Gone Down."