Quick Facts
| Title | American Fiction (2023) |
| Genre | Comedy-drama, satire |
| Director/Writer | Cord Jefferson (feature debut) |
| Based On | “Erasure” by Percival Everett (2001) |
| Composer | Laura Karpman |
| Lead Cast | Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown |
| Release Date | December 15, 2023 (limited); December 22, 2023 (wide) |
| Distributor | Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios |
| Key Awards | Academy Award, Best Adapted Screenplay (2024); TIFF People’s Choice Award (2023) |
American Fiction Soundtrack: American Fiction is a 2023 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cord Jefferson in his feature directorial debut, based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett.
The film stars Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, alongside Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, and Sterling K. Brown.
American Fiction Soundtrack
American Fiction follows Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a frustrated novelist and English professor whose serious literary work keeps getting rejected by publishers for not being “Black enough.” After his university places him on forced leave, Monk returns to his family’s home in Boston, where he’s confronted by family strain, including his brother Cliff’s (Sterling K. Brown) recent divorce and his mother’s declining health.
Fed up with an industry that profits from reductive stereotypes about Black life, Monk dashes off an outlandish, deliberately stereotype-laden novel under the pen name “Stagg R. Leigh” as a joke — only for it to be mistaken for serious, authentic literature and become a runaway commercial and critical success, pulling Monk deeper into the very hypocrisy he set out to mock.
Who is the Composer of American Fiction Soundtrack?
Laura Karpman: Laura Anne Karpman is the composer of the American Fiction score. Her work spans music for film, television, video games, theatre, and the concert hall.
She has won five Emmy Awards for her work, and American Fiction earned her a 2024 Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score — her first Oscar nomination. Karpman holds a doctorate from the Juilliard School, where she studied jazz by day and honed her skills scatting in jazz clubs at night.
Additional Film Music of American Fiction Soundtrack
- Without You – Ace Spectrum: This song is part of the track Low Rent Rendezvous, composed by the artist Ace Spectrum and released in 1975.
- He Is My Friend – The Reverand Horatio Duncan & Amos Sweets: The song is composed by the artist The Reverand Horatio Duncan & Amos Sweets. You can check out this song on YouTube.
- Don Quichotte (12’’ U.S.A. Remix) – Magazine 60: Another name for this song is No Aston Aqui, known simply as Don Quichotte, a single released by the French band Magazine 60 60 in 1984 through CBS Records. The song is in the synthpop and Eurodisco genres.
- Book of Slim – Gene Harris & The Three Sounds: This song is part of the album Untinted: Sources for Madlib’s Shades of Blue, composed by the artist The Three Sounds, released in 2003.
- Things You Are – Tab Smith: The artist Tab Smith composed the song. You can check out this song on YouTube.
- Let The Flow On – Sonya Spence: This song is part of the track Sings Love, composed by the artist Sonia Spence and released in 1981. The genre of the music includes Reggae, R&B/Soul, and Champeta.
- Lacrimosa-Requiem In D Minor – Lorne Balfe, Russell Emanuel & Steve Kofsky
- Autumn Leaves – Cannonball Adderley: This song was composed by the artist by the artist Cannonball Adderley and released in 1975. The genre of the music is Jazz
Original Soundtrack of American Fiction
The original score music was composed by Laura Karpman. Here is a complete list of American Fiction Soundtracks.
You can listen to them on Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, Apple Music, SoundCloud, and other platforms.
- Goodnight Monk (1:13): Goodnight Monk is a song by Laura Karpman, part of the album American Fiction (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), released in 2023.
- Bookstore (2:07): Bookstore is a song by BigRicePiano, part of the album The Silent City (Chapter I), released in 2019.
- Humans Remain (1:38): Humans Remain is a song by Red Fang, part of the album Red Fang, released in 2009.
- My Pathology (3:16): My Pathology is a song by Don Kenobi, part of the album Pathology, released in 2020.
All songs are from the same album:
- Family Is, Monk Is (4:53):
- Boston, MA (1:18)
- Beautiful Family (1:52)
- Hi Lorraine (2:54)
- Drips (1:51)
- Mother Is (Missing) (1:38)
- Brothers (1:10)
- Splash (2:21)
- Love All of You (1:11)
- Lunch Break (0:45)
- Sorry (1:41)
- Winner (1:17)
- Romantic Ending (1:36)
- (Elena’s) Monk Is – Laura Karpman & Elena Pinderhughes (2:19)
- (Patrice’s) Monk Is – Laura Karpman & Patrice Rushen (4:18)
- (Patrice’s) Family Is – Laura Karpman & Patrice Rushen (2:56)
- (Laura’s) Stagg R. Leigh (1:09)
- (Laura’s) Fever Dream (3:36)
American Fiction received a limited theatrical release on December 15, 2023, expanding wider on December 22, 2023, distributed by Orion Pictures through Amazon MGM Studios — the first Orion release to go out under that distribution deal. The film had already premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023, where it won the People’s Choice Award, and it went on to win the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Cord Jefferson at the 2024 Oscars. It began streaming on Prime Video in May 2024.
(External Link: American Fiction Soundtrack)
Related reading: Movie Soundtracks | Prime Video Soundtracks | Streaming Hub
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the American Fiction score?
Laura Karpman composed the original score for American Fiction, earning her first Academy Award nomination (Best Original Score) for the work.
What book is American Fiction based on?
The film is based on Percival Everett’s 2001 novel “Erasure,” adapted for the screen by writer-director Cord Jefferson.
Did American Fiction win any awards?
Yes. Cord Jefferson won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2024 Oscars, and the film won the People’s Choice Award at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Laura Karpman also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score.
Who plays the lead role in American Fiction?
Jeffrey Wright stars as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a frustrated novelist whose satirical pseudonymous book becomes an unwanted hit.
When was American Fiction released, and where can I stream it?
American Fiction opened in limited theaters on December 15, 2023, expanded on December 22, 2023, and began streaming on Prime Video in May 2024.