Book Description

In this extraordinary and unusual book, Jennifer Clement explores the turbulent relationships that Jean-Michel Basquiat had with his muse Suzanne Malouk and with the art establishment. The result is a distressing yet beautiful profile of a strange, powerful love striving to flourish in the face of horrendous outside pressures. And while Suzanne held firm, Basquiat sought refuge in a fatal heroin addiction. Widow Basquiat also presents an eye-witness account of the drug-fueled insanity of the New York art scene of the 1980s. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Hearts and Tracks
This book was a excellent book in the matter that it protrayed another perspective of Jean-Michel Basquiat and let us in on the life of one of his most enduring muses in his short and unfortunate addictive lifestyle and life. The books poetic writings give Jean-Michel and Suzannes life together a hard tragedy instead of a glamorous protrayal (tragedy is the actual matter of fact). Jean-Michel and Suzanne's relationship was truely bizarre and not understanding to the everyday person. People who know or know of Jean-Michel probably never knew the side of him that Suzanne saw, and it is refreshing and wonderful that we were allowed to read such intimate details of their life together. I titled this review "Hearts and Tracks" because the book is full of heart and the heroine abuse of Suzanne and Basquiat (including a discription of his unfortunate death).

no title
The book came in the maximum amount of time I expected - 2-14 business days from the notice I received from the seller that the item had been shipped. The quality of the item was high, much higher than expected for a used book. It looked brand new and I was very pleased with the item.

Poetic, sympathetic, and True
I have been a fan of Basquiat for a long time. I am an artist as well. I have always been intrested in his life and have a lot of books on him and his art and his life. I found this book to be about a totally different perspective. Not only a womens persepctive but a women who was a muse to him. This book does not paint a glorified Picture of him...or a star struck tragic picture of him. It is about Susan and her plight with life, and him being a big part of it. The book is extremely poetic, very dark, sad, melancholy...but above all MOVING. I read it in less than 24 hours. I applaud Jennifer Clement

s.
This is a surprisingly light read of a heavy topic that gives a unique, inside view of life with the artist, Jean-Michael Basquiat. It is an even better book when read as a success story of a woman who ultimately left an unhealthy relationship. Since it covers her childhood as well as her relationship with Basquiat and her attempts to move away from him you get a little bit of insight as to why she would be attracted to this type of person. When you finish the book you will have learned about the sensationalized artist but you will also learn a story about a very successful woman who wasn't quite as interesting to the public only because she was strong and overcame adversity instead of wallowing in it. She is probably not as famous as her ex-beau because she didn't die of an overdose, but such is our culture.

Come to a free reading of this book in New York
On Sunday September 9th the author will be giving a free reading of this book, to celebrate it's US release, at St. Mark's Church, 131 East 10th street @ 2nd avenue at 7pm....... ... Read more

Book Description

The first Autobiography of Emperor Haile Sellassie is detailed with information on the little giant of a man who many peoples from all of life consider to be the returned Christ, the Messiah, or Defender of the Faith.Indeed, a remarkable and outstanding world leader.Got to read it. First time ever in paperback. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It is an inspirationl and legendary for the New Generation.
The whole work of the book is very inspirational, historically it is educational and legendary. The new generations of Ethiopian or the Eritrean will learn from it what they have not been told correctly. History never chnages. The book has it all. It is compiled very well, charismatic and the writer is to be admired for his great work. Everyone must read this book for self uplifting or for your edification. ... Read more

Book Description

"Elvia Alvarado tells the story of her life and the life of the people of Honduras. Read it and understand the struggle against tyranny of the poor. Read it and act."--Alice Walker ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A real joy
This book is beautiful and will inspire you and remind you of what is important in life.

the further you stay clear of Medea Benjamin the better
Medea B Wouldn't know justice if it bit her. She has called cuba a paradise where friends of mine are under house watch or have served severe prison terms just for political organization!

powerful, fast read
I went to Honduras on a short term mission trip last year and I've seen poverty first hand. This book has opened my eyes even further of the rural poor of Honduras. This is the story of a courageous woman who is helping her people overcome their unimaginable poverty by discovering the roots of it.
In a subtle sense she denounces short term mission projects....that we come in to countries like hers and try to put a band-aid on a skull fracture. Americans, like myself, come into these third-world countries thinking we are fixing a country's problems in a couple weeks by donating old Gap t-shirts and building a few houses and then leaving. She urges the fact that if we are to really help the poor, we need to make a long-term commitment to get at the root of the problems. Shes not asking for sympathy, but for us to join us in her struggle. Get this book if you are ready to make a difference.

courage
this is the ultimate story of courage. this woman has so much to share with you. you will be changed by it. Fast read.

INSPIRING!
A truly great read. Luckily, this book was assigned in my sociology class or else I probably would have never read it. It gives you an accurate portrait of peasant life in Honduras. If you want to be inspired read this book. After reading this book I feel like going down there to help them in some way. Her book is put in very simple terms and it is easy to see the injustices going on in her land. If you don't read it tell someone about the book. THANK YOU ELVIA! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not really out-of-print, thank goodness!
This wonderful and important book has been reissued by the University of Tennessee Press as Pauli Murray: The Autobiography. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (20)

Readable as History, Readable as Literature
Mezlekia's story is about growing up in the second half of the 20th Century in Ethiopia, a period of upheaval that includes the overthrow of Haile Selassie and subsequent socialist governments. It richly describes the ethnic tapestry of the country, weaving in folk tales and folk medicine. The stories told by his mother and others are rich diversions in the story of his life and make this history more literary.

He has a highly developed sense of satire and irony, whether when plotting revenge against a strict teacher or when commenting, "To make sure that there was no mistaking the nationality of those involved in designing and building most of the (Addis Ababa) university, the various gadgets and fixtures within them had the 'American Standard' imprint on them."

Highly readable, whatever your knowledge of Africa might be.

Highly recommended if you want to understand what type of economic structures are appropriate in the developing world. Yet it's real strength is in the human story.

Notes That Matter
This book is full of meaning, often insightful and completely unforgettable it is written with candor and wit despite its serious edges.

Nega Mezlekia has written a memoir about his boyhood growing up in Ethiopia during the fall of Emperor Selassie. He experiences all of the curious playful things that all boys are reared with yet he also discusses the harshness of the environment during the rise of Junta communism in which thousands of young people were ruthlessly slaughtered. He writes on page 183, "Apathy in the face of continual violence is something someone who has never lived through a war cannot understand......People simply gathered about themselves, like rags, what life there was left, deafened and inured to the inevitability of death." Although Mezlekia has many horrible atrocities to write about this is not all he adheres to. At times this memoir is very witty and I laughed out loud several times imagining some of his shenanigans. His adventures with medicine men and native cures is hilarious as well as his attempt to capture the loose cattle in his village with pepper.

I am always impressed with the attitude of Africans who survive the atrocities they have faced in their home countries. Their spirit and survivalist hearts seem to always prevail despite the horrible circumstances they are often forced to endure. Mezlekia managed to escape his country at possibly its worst moments, not without heartache, not without suffering, but with a true gift as a storyteller. I would recommend this memoir to everyone interested in a great true tale but especially to those concerned with the plights of our fellow human beings who suffer so gracefully for their native lands.

!!! Alright !!!
I read "Notes From The Hyena's Belly" because my 7th grade English teacher assigned it to me personally. At first I honestly thought that it was going to be just a stupid autobiography, but it turned out to be excellent!!!

"Notes From The Hyena's Belly" was a book that started from the very second Mezlekia was born, and told his story until he left Ethiopia later in his life. But this is not just a long autobiography that stuck strictly to the facts. It was VERY funny, and generally politically correct... :-D

Combining fact with humor, Mezlekia creates an image of his life in Ethiopia so vivid, you feel that you are there, following him around. From school to church, each part of the book is beautifully orchestrated so that everything makes sense. The book moves at a quick pace, but not so fast that you don't have time to enjoy the occasional joke. :-D Hehehe. A good book. And the moral of THIS story is, if your teacher tells you to read a biography/autobiograohy of choice, take the fun way out and read this one!!!

Finally, an authentic Ethiopian story in english
I mistakengly judged this book to be rubbish based solely on the cover. To my surprise, it turned out to be an exciting and adventurous story about growing up in eastern Ethiopia, in a town called Jigjiga. The author's aptitude for narration is pleasing, as he does not leave the reader to digress.

One of the funniest parts of this book is when he talks about the farmer boy whom he befriended, and his hillarious use of the Amharic language.

unique account
There aren't too many autobiographies of modern Africa out there, and this one in particular stands alone, intermingling historical events with Mezlekia's boyhood and life in Jijiga, a city in the eastern part of the Horn of Africa built on a "dry, sandless desert where even the smallest wind creates devils- whirlwinds of dust that rise high into the heavens and are visible from miles away." Everyone in Jijiga fears the hyenas, which of course explains why there are no homeless people. The townspeople themselves--"Christians, mostly Amharas," and "Muslims, mainly Somalis"-- combined religious rituals with ancient pagan traditions; their culture, which finds its roots in the song of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, is shaped by myth, fantasy, and folklore. One of my favorite parts is when his mother consulted the "medicine man," after one too many youthful mishaps caused her to deduce her son was possessed by an evil spirit.

This is both a good story and a well-told story. Mezlekia offers a convincing prelude to the Red Terror, so that when the communist party officially comes into power, it is easy to understand why people were so intrigued by the idea of this new government and new social structure. It explains how killing can become commonplace, how unreality can become a reality, and how these factors can either make a break a person. ... Read more

Book Description

A remarkable true story of heroism, courage, and faith ... Read more

Reviews (22)

The unknown heroes of the Civil Right movements
I am not an American, and I often find that I come short when discussing history with my American friends. Therefore, I am always looking for books that can fill gaps in my knowledge. "The Children" is such a book.

This is one of the best books you can find covering the Civil Right Movement. With a journalists precision Halberstam narrates the extraordinary story of the rise of the Civil Rights movement, which in the end broke the back of the Deep South segregation. "The Children" covers the fight for racial equality, including student protests, the story of lunch-counter sit-ins, to the freedom marches. We meet Sheriff Bull Connor, Jim Crow on the one side of the fight, and the young students James Lawson, Rodney Powell, and Diana Nash amongst others on the other side.

Halberstam does an excellent job showing us what the Civil Right movement was all about, and what its supporters had to endure to end the segregation in the South. His first-hand familiarity with the conflict is evident throughout the whole book. (What most people don't think of is that, the covering the Civil Right movement was David Halberstam first "serious" story as a journalist for the Tennessean in Nashville. He was fresh out of colleague and a complete "nobody" in the world of journalism!)

"The Children" was my first reading on the Civil Right movement and it was a true eye-opener for me. I learned so much from this book. With 800 pages "The Children" is not a quick read, but I never felt that too much was included. Now, 2 years later I still refer to this book when discussing the topic.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read. "The Children" should be required reading for everyone. I couldn't recommend it higher!

Social history told with the sweep of an epic novel.
No one writes the stories of big historical or social movements better than David Halberstam, and "The Children" is no exception. As readers of his other "big" books ("The Best and the Brightest," "The Powers That Be," "The Reckoning," "The Fifties") would expect, Halberstam chooses to tell the story of the budding civil rights movement not from the standpoint of the leaders, like M. L. King or Medgar Evers, but from the standpoint of the peacetime footsoldiers, who rallied the people and took the blows (literally) that ultimately ended segregation in the South. As always, Halberstam's prose is impeccable: intelligent, literate, witty, and above all, imbued with a deep and abiding sense of humanity. The young people in his story are heroes, but they're also people, and he makes us see them as such, with all their doubts, fears, and conflicting emotions. It's hard to think of a nearly 800 page book as a thriller, but I would dare anyone to read the first two sentences of Halberstam's Prologue and NOT feel the power of a master storyteller taking hold. To read "The Children" is to be reminded, and charged, by the power of democracy to achieve social change, and it is also to grieve, a bit, at how little has been achieved in the last twenty years.

Noble Children, The Pride Of Our Nation, & Their Mission.
David Halberstam has written an epic history of the young men and women, most still in their teens, who had the courage and nobility of spirit to fight the unjust status quo of segregation, and change the course of our nation's history. This is the story of the civil rights movement in the United States, beginning in the late 1950s and reaching its height in the mid-1960s. The story is told from the eyes of these young people - it is the history they made. "The Children" frequently put their lives on the line, risking physical danger and even death, to join the non-violent protests that would give all Americans equal rights under the law.

The Movement's leaders were two black southern ministers, both strongly influenced by the teachings of Mahandas Gandhi. These two men, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jim Lawson, designed the framework of the mission. They stratagized like generals waging a unique war. Young college students, mostly African Americans, whose parents had sacrificed much to send them to university, were recruited as soldiers. These vulnerable and committed students were schooled in the nonviolent tradition, with workshops, such as: "Justice Without Violence" and "The New Negro In The New South." We meet these children and hear of their experiences in Nashville, Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma, and many other towns and small cities all over the South. Halberstam documents the background of these young troops, their families, and struggles, growing up Black in America. He movingly describes the sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, and the terrible violence of the Klan, and of ordinary citizens, steeped in bigotry, that endangered all of them. We read about the voter registration campaigns, and the founding of SNCC and CORE. The moral, philosophical and political roots of the civil rights movement, and the divisiveness within the group as different ideologies emerged, are well documented, as is the death of Dr. King.

Halberstam draws an amazing portrait of Jim Lawson, whose fervor and dedication moved a generation of Americans to action. The author truly excels, however, in bringing to life the young people whose story this is. We are updated, toward the end of the book, on the lives of the young activists today. This incredibly moving history reads like a novel you don't want to put down. And while we read about a most shameful period in our nation's history, who can fail to be proud of the young citizens who took action to make such important changes?

Dr Luther King, John Lewis, Diane Nash, Jame Bevel, Powell
Sufferage, Voting Rights of 1965, Civil Right Act of 1964, Lyndon Johnson, Martin Luther King, James Bevel, Diane Nash, John Lewis, Bull Conner, Selma, Freedom riders, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Ghandi, Nonviolent protests, Frisk, Chicago, riots, children's crusade, Brown v. Board of Education, Bernard Lafayette, James Lawson, Nashville Mayor Ben West , Robert Kennedy, Rodney Powell, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, mayor Marion Barry, and Vanderbilt Divinity School.

The children is an excellent historical document highlighting the oppression and struggles of the black man, the nonviolent influence teachings of Ghandi, and the lives of early Black religious, political, and student leaders. Halberstam gets caught up in the movement and details the adventures, tradegies, struggles, and pain associated with the civil rights movement. The supreme court ruling in Brown v Board of Education starts the paving of the road against segregation. The struggle would not be easy as young black activist wanted more rights, rights not popular among the white community, right such as, to eat with caucasians, ride buses in non-segregated sections, attend movies without having to watch from the black only balcony, and vote limited by the literacy and discriminatory practices design to prevent eligibility for blacks. The movement for equal rights started slowly and was large based on Christian idealogy, "if they enemy strike thee on the check turn also the other cheek". Black religious leaders would draw from simple fundamental teachings of Christ and Ghandi about non-violent philosophy to encourage the black community to resist violence to achieve their objectives. The religious leaders could see the long term advantages to non-violent protests, knowning that militant approaches would lead to significant increases in death. The civil rights era was a time of danger, excitement, and determination. The black leaders believing the beating could not break down the spirit and they could rise above their attackers. If they were beaten down, they would be replaced, and show their undominatable determination.

As the movement grew diverse idealogies emerged leaving some of the black leaders disoriented about the groups commitment to non-violence. The first trumiphant event breaking the barrier of segration came as political pressure mounted against Mayor Ben West who commit to stop segregation and allow blacks and whites to eat together. James Bevel who involved both the older black generation who feared and submitted completely the white man and the children in protest marches. Halberstam seemed to believe this was the turning point for the movement as the older generation was ready to standup against their oppressors. If even the children could make a statement the movement was gaining force. An the movement would increase in the thousands from town to town and the media would follow the marches, beatings, speechs, and the unrest of a nation in disruption. Halberstams book of over 700 pages demostrates the amazing interest the media acquired while centering on the social changes threatening to break the social imperatives of the time. The intensity and interest was amazing.

The movement was to remain disciplined, non-violent, and legal. Individuals not willing to commit to the principles and practices of non-violence were not allowed to participate. Mr Luther King would not march against a court injunction until his lawyers cleared the injunction. The goal was non-violent protests. The struggle to gain Federal protection for the freedom riders did not come immediately. The freedom riders brought local law confrontation and klan involvement into the picture. Robert Kennedy right hand man a federal agent would be badly beaten. The battle lines were emerging between the Klan and the Federal government. Violence, death, and brutality characterized the protests of the freedom riders highlighted with numerous encounters with Bull Conner, a known member of the Klan, and general racist corruption controlling the police force. Halberstam struggles with explaining the issues preventing the Federal government from early involvement in civil right violations. Its seems the south even after a 100 years of emancipation struggled with the after effects of slavery. The social imperatives had not been redefined and the government seemed perplexed on how to influence change. The civil war had been won by the North but the idealogy remained very Southern. However, Dr. King would visionalize a future where the idealogy of the south and the world would be more tolerate and accepting of the black culture. The price to gain this freedom would require the deepest commitment from all of the black culture. Analogies to Dr. King being the Mose to liberate his people were often used to rally the black communities to action.

Dr King would become the figure head for the media to focus on. Dr King role in increasing black rights would be recognized by the black community. However, some would not feel so supportive and desire leaders by John Lewis to play a more promient role. The fundamentalism deriving the equal rights movement crowned in the confrontation between black activist and the white klan police force at Selma. The violence is appalling as Halberstam paints a picture of hugh waves of militant officers beating and club innocent men, women, and children in the act of prayer. This is an extremely painful depiction of suffering and determination. Dr King would attempt to rally support in Chicago but find a different culture and challenges. Dr Kings assassination was a sad moment in American History. Halberstam makes no conclusions about the black social problems today nor the long term benefits of the movement for the black community.

The Children That Changed a Nation
This book is an in depth look into the civil rights movement of the sixties. I really enjoyed the book because Halberstam went a long way in naming all of the players in the movement not just the famous ones such as Martin Luther King Jr. but figures such as Paul Lawson and Diane Nash. After reading the book you really get a feel of what all these leaders had to go through to earn themselves the rights that supposedly the constitution guaranteed them. He focuses on all aspects of the civil rights movement not just one aspects, so he really gives you a feel of how one event relates to another. This book is for anyone who is interested in history and the struggle that many endured in order to gain their place in it. ... Read more

Book Description

Few figures hold as mythic a place in America's historical consciousness as John Brown. A fervent abolitionist, his New England reserve tempered by a childhood on the Ohio frontier, Brown advocated arming fugitive slaves to fight for their freedom, an idea that impressed Frederick Douglass, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau. In 1855, answering the call of his five sons to join them in the desperate struggle for freedom in the new territories, John Brown became a hero of "Bleeding Kansas." When he returned east, the fiery leader launched his ambitious campaign to rouse the slaves to freedom with a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry in 1859.

Labeled a madman for his failed military adventure, and repudiated even by prominent antislavery leaders, Brown was tried in a Virginia court and sentenced to hang for treason and sundry other crimes. In The John Brown Legend Revisited, the eminent historian Merrill D. Peterson brings the same blend of sharp-eyed analysis and narrative elegance to bear on Brown's legacy that he has used to unravel the images of Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.

Brown's reputation has undergone a series of tectonic shifts since he met his death on the gallows just before the Civil War. Southerners viewed his exploits with apprehension, seeing Harpers Ferry as a harbinger of servile insurrection, while Brown's eloquence before the court won him sympathy in the North and confirmed his place there as a hero and martyr. Thoreau, the author of passive resistance, wrote of Brown as a man of conscience. Perhaps most important historically, Brown's exploits convinced Southerners that Lincoln's election meant secession and a call to arms.

Peterson gives us Brown in his own day, but he also shows how the flaming abolitionist warrior's image, celebrated in art, literature, and journalism, has shed some of the infamy conferred by "Bleeding Kansas" to become a symbol of American idealism and fervor to activists along the political spectrum. And so in the civil rights battles of the twentieth century, Brown became a hero to African Americans. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nineteenth-century African American businessman, activist, and educator Booker Taliaferro Washington's Up from Slavery is one of the greatest American autobiographies ever written. Its mantras of black economic empowerment, land ownership, and self-help inspired generations of black leaders, including Marcus Garvey, Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, and Louis Farrakhan. In rags-to-riches fashion, Washington recounts his ascendance from early life as a mulatto slave in Virginia to a 34-year term as president of the influential, agriculturally based Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. From that position, Washington reigned as the most important leader of his people, with slogans like "cast down your buckets," which emphasized vocational merit rather than the academic and political excellence championed by his contemporary rival W.E.B. Du Bois. Though many considered him too accommodating to segregationists, Washington, as he said in his historic "Atlanta Compromise" speech of 1895, believed that "political agitation alone would not save [the Negro]," and that "property, industry, skill, intelligence, and character" would prove necessary to black Americans' success. The potency of his philosophies are alive today in the nationalist and conservative camps that compose the complex quilt of black American society. ... Read more

Book Description

This poignant memoir of one abandoned child's wrenching search for some-one to love--and to be loved by--gives compassionate voice to the plight of abused and unwanted children everywhere. What happens to a child when her own parents reject and abandon her? At birth, Regina Louise is deposited by her mother in a foster home where she grows up with the constant specter of severe beatings and other harrowing abuses. But at 10 years old, this extraordinarily bright and resilient child strikes out on her own. Set adrift, she re-encounters her mother, who chooses the men in her life over her daughter's safety, and is then foisted upon a father she has never known, who is at first indifferent and then emotionally abusive. She inhabits over 30 foster and group homes in her painful quest to be loved. Distinctive and arresting, Regina's story offers a scalding look at the life of a child no one wanted--and her discovery of the love that for so long had eluded her. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Insightful!
The memoir Somebody's Someone, provided insight into an experience many of us are uncomfortable imagining and even more, acknowledging that it exist. Regina Louise truthfully does not write a "feel good" or "happy ending" book for readers to walk away from unaffected. On the contrary, she challenges the reader to face the reality experienced by a child when they are discarded by their parents and unwanted by their family. Although this talented author vividly depicted her life for all to read, I dare to say that no words could ever accurately describe her journey through life. I struggled to finish this book due to the realism and authenticity that Somebody's Someone represented. The only encouragement I received in reading this book was knowing that this little girl I was reading about evidently fought her way to success and did not allow what many would perceive as defeating circumstances to define her life.

**** Submitted by Sherna Graham for www.goodgirlbookclubonline.com The GOOD GIRL Book Club

Can Anyone Love Me?
Regina wanted to be somebody, anybody, someone loved. SOMEBODY'S SOMEONE: A MEMOIR by Regina Louise is the story of Regina Ollison told through the voice of a young Regina, age ten through fifteen. We hear first hand the account of her life as a foster child in Texas, North Carolina and finally California. Regina deliberately and painstakingly lays before the reader a first hand account of her ordeal as an unwanted child and what an ordeal it was. So much so that no child should be subjected to life that Regina led. While reading, a few questions came to mind such as, why was this child literally abandoned to a family friend with a history of harboring children and allowing their mistreatment by others? Were her parents so selfish not to want this child but as the years went on, continued to have other children whom they treated like gold? Were Regina's behaviors so incorrigible that she could not be loved?

Through it all, Regina possessed a spirit of wanting, forgiveness and determination that literally saved her from herself and others. At times her antics were humorous but for the most part, this is a sad account, told with a strong southern dialect, which forces the reader to savor the message that Regina was trying to get across to the adults in her life. Her voice resonates her need for a mother and a family regardless of color, which is something that no one inside of the system captured with exception of one woman.

While reading I was hoping to get a glimpse at Regina today and where she stands. I went to her website and discovered that she is doing wonderful things for children "caught" in the system. She is artistically creative and continuously giving of herself through the arts. Anyone who reads SOMEBODY'S SOMEONE: A MEMOIR will be affected by the life of Regina Louise. I highly recommend this novel if you can stomach the pain that may come along with it....

Awesome
Somebody's Someone was the book I was looking for. It made me feel as though I can be somebody even if I don't have anything. She was able to take close to nothing and make it something. I am waitng for the next one.I also want to just say Thank you. God Bless Ms. Louise
Bye-4-now

One Helluva Story
Triumph of the spirit! I hope the author gets all that she deserves in life and God knows she desereves better than what she came from and went through. It is hard to believe that we still treat children as we did in the beginning of the new world: as though they are meaningless and insignificant. I recommend this book to all who want a reminder of how precious we all are even when we have no one to REALLY love us. This story speaks to the grace of God's presence in a little girls life.

A Child's Story
It is hard to believe that this is a memoir. That a child could be treated with such disregard and cruelty as Regina was.

This is Regina Louise's story of her life from ages 10-15. In these years, Regina shifted from home to home, with a simple request that any child has - to belong and be loved by someone. As the story opens, Regina is living in Texas with a surrogate grandmother, Big Mama, whose house is full of other people's children. In this house, Regina was abused by her "siblings" and ignored by Big Mama. After one of the older children in the home beats Regina at about age 11, she is sent on a bus ride alone to North Carolina to live with her mother, Ruby.

Her time with Ruby seems hopeful, as Ruby is stable and working. But, as the story progresses, and Regina's sister, Doretha comes to live with them, things fall apart. Ruby's boyfriend, Mr. Benny begins making advances at the girls. Doretha fights back and ends up fighting Ruby and getting put out, while Regina sits quietly by, realizing that Ruby wouldn't believe her anyway, and desperately wanting her mother's love and approval.

When Regina finally tells her mother of Mr. Benny's advances, Ruby sends Regina to live in California with her father and his wife. Her time with her father is unsuccessful, and she ends up in foster care, where she becomes attached to one of the counselor's, Ms. Claire. To tell the details of what occurs while Regina is in foster care, would give away several important details and themes that emerge in this.

It was easy to suspend reality and to act like this was merely a story, rather than a detailed account of a girl's life. The book is written in first person, simple narrative form with broken English, as though you are reading out of Regina's journal, or someone merely transcribed her words, spoken into a mini-tape recorder. I often found myself hearing her voice as I read her words. While I would recommend this book, it is not for the light-hearted reader, looking for an uplifting story. Even as I finished this book, I was still not sure if the story was complete. I guess I was looking for a nice, tidy ending, where everything falls into place and all ends well. That satisfaction was not realized until I found her website,
and read a little bit more about how she is now.

Tameshia
R.E.A.L. Reviewers ... Read more

Amazon.com

The beauty of former Negro League star Buck O'Neil's autobiography is its tone: it's filled with thankfulness for the life he's had. Born into an era of racial segregation, O'Neil--truly aninspirational presence in the Ken Burns documentary Baseball--has a right to be bitter for the opportunities denied him; instead, he is at peace with the opportunities he took. A man of unmistakable dignity, O'Neil is a marvelous storyteller, and I Was Right On Timereads like a fireside chat. He spins tales of baseball's barnstorming era, offers memories of his all-time Negro League all-star team, and weaves deft portraits of the stars he played with (and against), most affectionately his good friend and long-time teammate Satchel Paige. Still, O'Neil doesn't whitewash the past. He has stared down injustice and confronted insult, yet instead of lecturing, he opts to inform. Now in his 80s, O'Neil, as chairman of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, remains a living part of baseball memory. I Was Right On Time gives that memory a rich, resonant voice. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

For love of the game
I became aware of Buck O'Neil through the video series "Baseball" by Ken Burns. I found the book to be full of many of the same qualities I enjoyed about Buck's contributions to the video: His love of the game and the people he knew who played it. There are plenty of stories about well-known negro league players we all know of, but I think you'll enjoy hearing about other great players almost no one else has remembered. I also praise this book and the author for staying positive and for seeing the good in life rather than dwelling on its many injustices. This is a precious man and I think you'll enjoy this book as a chance to "meet" him.

I You Love Baseball, You'll Love This Book!
If you watched Ken Burns's Baseball, then you probably remember Buck O'Neil. If not, you should read this book and get to know him. In addition to telling tales from his days playing with Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Monarchs, O'Neil shares advice and life lessons. The title of the book reflects his feeling that he wasn't unlucky to miss an opportunity to play in the major leagues, he was lucky to be able to play baseball, the greatest game there is.

The Ambassador Of the Negro Leagues
I was impressed with this book and its author long before I had the honor of meeting Buck O'Neil.Mr. O'Neil gave up a $4.000.00 speaking engagement to come to Humboldt,Kansas and speak free of charge.The author writes of his years playing and managing the Kansas City Monarchs.He tells stories about Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson.There is no one better qualified to write this book about his life and how segregated baseball and life was then.Mr O'Neil helped found and lead the Negro League Baseball Museuem In Kansas City, Missouri.Mr O'Neil is one of only about 300 Negro League ballplayers still living and one of only about four still living who played in the Negro Leagues in the 1930s.Mr O'Neil is a treasure and his book tells the story.

Must Have
this Book reflects so much to me overall.Buck O'Neil is a special figure in any sport too me.He is somebody that whenever He is on tv I have too stop what I'm doing&listen.this Book is the same way for me.so many great stories&reflections of what He went through&all of the Great Players He played with&against is mentioned here.listening too Him is like having a Family Member telling you stories that you could listen too for a whole day non-stop he moves me.

A beautiful man tells a heartwarming story.
Buck O'Neil is a man with a story to tell - one of courage, hard work, joy, love, and history. Homespun, told as if Buck was sitting across from the reader, O'Neil reveals the bright side of a very sad period of history where great players were denied the opportunity to compete in the Major Leagues simply because of the color of their skin, but where great competition and inspiration occurred on the backroads and big cities of America as members of the Negro Leagues played all over the Western Hemisphere.

Buck refuses to be sad over the lost opportunity of playing in the Majors, but instead revels in being able to play with and against some of the finest players in the history of baseball. Because so many of his contemporaries had this same spirit, they enjoyed their lives and ended up paving the way for the Major Leagues to be integrated. This event is so much more than a mere baseball event, but an event that changed America in a great and grand way!

Reading this book was inspirational to me, and let me see that no matter what the circumstances, good can be found if you look for it. Buck is a person who reveals the secret of life - love others. ... Read more

Book Description

A new voice of the hip-hop generation speaks out about the reality of being a black woman in America today.

In this fresh, funky, and ferociously honest book, award-winning journalist Joan Morgan bravely probes the complex issues facing African-American women in today's world: a world where feminists often have not-so-clandestine affairs with the most sexist of men; where women who treasure their independence often prefer men who pick up the tab; and where the deluge of babymothers and babyfathers reminds black women who long for marriage that traditional nuclear families are a reality for less than 40 percent of the African-American population. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

What an insightful book.
I read the book and I finally found someone who sees my perspective. I love hip-hop but I don't love every aspect of it. I see how real life is distorted in music that I listen to and identify with. I feel that you can be a feminist and love the music but only if you put it into perspective. I mean I see all the negative realities of life made so mundane. And I see all the people who are willing to accept this as the truth. I just wish that every woman could read this book and realize that being a woman and being a feminist go hand in hand. I truly think that most women want the same thing: respect, love, and self-worth.

Not Your Mother's Feminism
As I read When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost, I fell in love: with feminism, with author Joan Morgan, and with making a difference in my life and the lives of others.

Chickenheads is the new, compelling answer to your mother's feminist ideals. No longer is the issue just about equality; most importantly, it's about respect for all women. Joan Morgan writes with passion, intelligence and humor, and presents common sense answers to topics such as the empowerment of women, the misogyny plaguing hip-hop, the plight of black male-female relationships, and the encouragement of self-love.

I found Joan ideas to be refreshing to a world where monogamy is dying, our Black homes are torn apart, and children grow up far too fast. This is a book for not only Black women to read, especially but it's one that should be shared with future generations of African-American girls and boys. They need to learn the concepts of self-love and respect for the opposite sex.

Chickenheads is a great stepping stone to repairing our community and our souls.

A Woman's Bible
This is a must read for all women. Men should also read this book. It was very insightful. I found myself underling and highlighting all through this book and I bought it for pure entertainment. It's an educational tool to make it through life.

one of the best books i've ever read......
this book is LITERALLY one of the best books I have EVER read... Morgan tackles issues such as "the strong black woman" and "the endangered black male" in ways that allow younger feminists or just younger black women in general to access her ideas. A GREAT READ.

A necessary book for understanding black womanism
I have bought this book three times now, because my students and friends keep borrowing it and "forgetting" to return it. They love it, and so do all of the black women I know who read it.

This book is truly an insightful and elegant attempt to explain the complexity of black womanism (most black women reject feminism, which places gender at the center of an experience, and place race/gender/class at the center, and understand these things mix). She discusses the disgust "strongblackwomen" have for "chickenheads", whose conservative philosophy of using their bodies as a shortcut to monetary and sexual achievement hurts other black women, as we are accused of the same manipulative behavior. She also articulates what most educated black women have thought, over and over again, as we confront black women and men who want our (middle class black women's and black men's)help, but who then criticize us down for being responsible, disciplined, educated, and successful. She also deals with white racism, and how irresponsible people use it to tear down responsible black women.

Redtwister's review denigrates her solutions as simplistic and symptomatic of her status as a middle class black women. He calls them "bootstrap" and "Nation of Islam." This reveals his lack of experience with the non-academic black community, and especially with the black inner city. He recommends a class analysis that leads to governmental solutions that just are not going to happen, and does not understand that this work is conscious at all times of "reality" and feasiblity. He does not understand that middle class black men and women are the key to fighting problems in the black community, for they understand the reality, and are the only ones who can fashion realistic solutions from experience. For too long the old jibe about middle class self help and education being oppressive has been used to silence the black middle class from effective discussion and influence. Her discussion of solutions is strong, feasible, and most importantly realistic and proven. Middle class black America has been hard at work at the business of saving poor black America for decades. Morgan's list of solutions not only has a history of common sense and success behind it, but also comes from the one group who has successfully escaped the ghetto.

I recommend this book, and hope that the people who it is aimed at (non-academic black women finding their way in the world) read it. Every teenage girl who worships at the House of Lil' Kim and Destiny's Child needs to read this. The true problems with "chickenheads" (the materialism, the refusal to do things the right way, the view of their bodies and sex as cheap ways to manipulate men and gain material goods) hurts other black women as some black men (commercial gangsta rappers) attempt to pin these behaviors on all black women. The chickenheads don't understand that eventually, age and gravity means you need a brain. Too many are left hard and poor at 30, and alone. But these women will not read this book. Too bad. ... Read more

Book Description

Afrocentricityùthe placement of African values and ideals at the center of the discussion surrounding African culture, discourse, and behaviorùis an important framework that has emerged over the past decade. In this timely volume, editor Janice D. Hamlet has chosen essays that illuminate various aspects of African American culture, refracted through the lens of Afrocentric thought. In Part I, the basics of Afrocentric ideology and methodology are examined. Part II focuses on Afrocentric approaches to the dynamics of communication. The Afrocentric influence on the black aesthetic is covered in Part III, with an examination of language, literature, oral tradition, movies, and television. Part IV provides a glimpse into the future of Afrocentric visions. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Here is the story of perhaps the finest soul singer of the rock era--Etta James.

One of the great women of American music, equally at home singing blues and jazz, Etta regales us with tales of her chaotic childhood, the stars she has known, and her troubled trip to stardom in this mesmerizing autobiography. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A Survivor's Story!
Despite all odds, Miss Etta is still with us: read this book if you have the courage to learn what life 'on the road' was like for an entertainer in the 50's and 60's, with the difficulty enhanced tremendously for African-Americans. The debt today's divas owe Etta and others from 40 years ago will never be repaid. The book pulls no punches: white record label owners shafted their acts in every way imaginable, yet there's a snapshot of Leonard Chess that you'll be thankful for. Etta writes of doing heroin with Little Esther, being in and out of jail, being up and down, getting her "X" by joining the Black Muslims, touring with Little Richard, the dangers of driving through Dixie in the late 50's and early 60's with a blond 'do' (and a monkey).

There's another reason to buy the book: you can dine out for weeks by sharing the story of Etta's father. The book includes a photo of the two of them side-by-side. Yup, amazing resemblance. And no, I'm not going to tell.

Etta did the Letterman tv show a few weeks ago; is still making music. She's a national treasure. When she appeared in Dallas I slipped a note to a member of her crew to pass along, thanking her for all the music that has meant so much to me. If you've never heard Etta, look for that two cd set of her Chess recordings. One listen, and you'll be hunting for a pen and pad to send her the same kind of note.

True Grit & Honest Story
Loved reading Etta James' story. I didn't know much about her life, but was quickly drawn into the story line. Etta James was very candid and the story was written so well that you felt that she was sitting at a kitchen table telling her story. The Etta James story tells the successes and failures of the music industry. This is one of the best biographies which I have read.

Understanding Etta James
If you're going to see Etta, read this book first. It will put some perspective on where this Diva has come from and help you understand some of her stage comments. To make your experience finer, read it while listening to "Her Best-the Chess 50th Anniversary Collection" and her newest CD "Roll On".

It's an honest and fresh read, very revealing and very scary as to how she survived racism, drug addiction and recovery. It also gives alot of insight on the R&B world players in the 50's, 60's and 70's.

I'd recommend it as a supplemental text in feminist/african-american/sociology college courses. It may be too controversial for high school courses but it would certainly get students talking. It's also a great summer read.

Not Your Typical Rags to Riches Story
Etta James. Powerful vocals and supremem attitude. This blues/jazz diva can only have a story that's as dramatic as her musical repetoire.

The biogrpahy is an easy read but full of emotional impact from her youth to her dificult struggle with her weight while climbing up the ladder to success. Family members bob and weave in and out of her life while she struggles to keep her head above the waters of black society.

Read about her survival and the road she took to make it there. Again, it is an easy read but the themes she brings up from her life are tough to handle. A true inspirational story, the life of Etta James will help any reader to appreciate her will to succeed and encourage all of us to strive to be our best.

I really wish I could say this was a great book
Maybe my expectations were too high. I've never heard Etta James sing a song I didn't love. Not only does she have one of the most breathtaking voices in popular music, but she uses it brilliantly. She sings every song from the depths of her soul, and at the same time she's a very intelligent singer, obviously very much aware of, and in control of, her craft. I was hoping she'd bring the same kind of feeling and intelligence to telling the story of her life.

And it's a great story. Abandoned by her father and growing up in poverty with a difficult mother, Etta James became a juvenile delinquent, and over the course of her life faced down just about every form of addiction you can think of, from food to heroin. She was saved by a gift for music, which other people, thank god, recognized almost as soon as she opened her mouth.

So I began reading, knowing I was digging into a great story written by an intelligent and sensitive woman. But as I read, I found myself growing more and more disappointed. The book has some wonderful anecdotes about the nastiness of the music business and the foibles of a lot of famous people. They're entertaining and sometimes even enlightening - and they're the reason I wouldn't rate this book any lower than three stars.

But something goes wrong when she writes about herself. A lot of reviewers have praised her "honesty" in accepting responsiblity for her mistakes and addictions.That's certainly an admirable quality, but it doesn't necessarily make for interesting writing. Again and again, James tells you the sordid details of her mistakes, says it was her own fault, and then goes on to something else. And every time she does so, I felt cheated of any insight into what led her down the paths she took. She sounds like someone who hasn't really come to terms with her problems, and therefore most of the book seems rather superficial.

The story is inherently interesting and it would probably make a great movie, but its unwillingness to probe below the surface kept it from being a great book. ... Read more

Book Description

"The tragedy of Tupac is that his untimely passing is representative of too many young black men in this country....If we had lost Oprah Winfrey at 25, we would have lost a relatively unknown, local market TV anchorwoman. If we had lost Malcolm X at 25, we would have lost a hustler nicknamed Detroit Red. And if I had left the world at 25, we would have lost a big-band trumpet player and aspiring composer--just a sliver of my eventual life potential."
From the Foreword by Quincy Jones

The real story of Tupac's murder may not ever emerge.This may be the only lasting testament to the many faces of Tupac Shakur--of a life lived fast and hard, of a man cloaked in contradictions.A young man who was just starting to come into his own.

"I believe that everything you do bad comes back to you. So everything that I do that's bad, I'm going to suffer for it. But in my heart, I believe what I'm doing is right. So I feel like I'm going to heaven."
Tupac Shakur, June 1996 ... Read more

Reviews (64)

aWesOme bOOk
vibe did an excellent job of letting its readers know who the real tupac was. this book is a compilation of the articles that vibe has published over the years dealing with tupac and the people close to him. The articles are interviews from tupac, death row associates and others, along with some letters sent to the editor, and quotes from people who knew tupac. it goes in-depth about suge knight and his multi-million dollar recording company, death row, and all the people who were involved with it. the book also goes behind the scenes of tupac's shooting in new york, his court cases, his enemies and his struggles with the law, prison and trying to make it in the world. many of the articles have to do with the conflicts that surrounded tupac and his music, his lifestyle and personality. tons of awesome, colorful photos are included, although there are no captions for them so the reader is left wondering when, where and who the photo is about. overall this book is very well put together in chronological order and should be on the shelf of any true 2pac fan. we miss ya pac and will never forget you!! your spirit lives on forever!

Essential, a must have!
This is one of the better books to be published about Tupac since his death. All props go to the people at VIBE who hit upon this concept of publishing all of their Tupac interviews, plus the interviews of other hip hop artists, in one book. This is a good method of examining Tupac's life and how and where he went wrong. From reading the interviews in this book, the reader can get an Idea of exactly where Tupac was coming from, and how he self-distructed his character in his last days. It was obvious that Tupac wanted attention, the kind that he didn't get growing up, the kind that only a father figure could give him. Through his words, it was obvious that Tupac was defintelely searching for a leader, someone too knock some sense into his head. Instead of trying to find that person, he became his own worse enemy. Tupac, wherever you are, I hope you find the peace that you so desperately wanted while you where alive. RIP.

Peace El-715

Tupac Shakur Book Is A Must-Buy!
As a massive fan of the late great Tupac Shakur, there are few publishings that capture as much information and insight into his life and career as this amazing book from the good people at Vibe Magazine. Consisting of every Vibe article and interview written on Shakur between 1994-97, this gives even the most casual of Pac's fans more information than they could ever dream of. With features on his early career, his signing to Death Row, and his infamous interview with Kevin Powell from inside Clinton Correctional Facility where he denounced "Thug Life", it's all here. This book also contains some of the most informative material on the feud between Death Row Records and Bad Boy. You'll get everyone's side of the story on the Can-Am Studio shooting. You'll hear what both Suge and Puffy had to say about the East vs. West saga. You will also get to hear Pac at his rawest and most candid. If you are even the least bit interested in the amazing story of Tupac Shakur, you should pick up this book.

huge fan
2pac is a legacy of our generation..he is and will always be the best, not only was he an awesome rapper, but he was also a good actor and poet. This book is very well done and covers so much. When he was shot the first time 5 times..and leading up to his unjustly death..i recommend this book to anyone if they want to learn about 2pac, he wasnt a bad man or a gangsta like most assume, he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time..or he just got involved with the wrong ppl...and like he said live by the gun..die by the gun..and that is exactly what happened to this man...may he rest in peace

A good in depth book
This book is not all about rap to start this review out. This book is more about his life and how he grew up in New York and lived on the bad part of the city. This book also mentions a lot of people who he has met many famous people before he was actually famous himself. The book tell some interesting facts about how his coward father left him and his mother alone and has some facts about how his sister was born and how she was also left by her father and how both of them were stuck with their mother that was on crack at the time and going through problems at school. I would highly recommend this book to any one who is interested in one of the worlds best and in depth rapper. I liked this book because it had a lot of facts and part where he ran into problems and how he handled most of them. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In writing his superb life of Crazy Horse, Larry McMurtry faced the same obstacle as every previous biographer of the Oglala Sioux icon: a notable paucity of facts. This didn't inhibit such chroniclers as Mari Sandoz or Stephen Ambrose (whose dual portrait of Crazy Horse and George Custer featured a certain amount of authorial ventriloquism). In this case, however, the shortage of documentation actually works to the reader's advantage. Unencumbered by reams of scholarly detail, McMurtry's book has the shapeliness and inevitability of a fine novella. The author may describe it as an "exercise in assumption, conjecture, and surmise"--but his phrase does scant justice to this elegant, admirably scrupulous portrait.

As McMurtry recounts, Crazy Horse was born around 1840 in what is now South Dakota. Already the arrival of white settlers--who brought with them such mixed blessings as metal tools, firearms, and smallpox--had begun to transform the culture of the Plains Indians. But soon a more ominous note crept into the relationship: "The Plains Indians were beginning to be seen as mobile impediments; what they stood in the way of was progress, a concept dear to the American politician." As whites sought to remove these impediments with increasing brutality, Crazy Horse led his people in a sporadic and ultimately doomed resistance, which peaked at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. Within a year the young warrior (and occasional visionary) had surrendered to the United States Army. Four months later he was dead, stabbed in a highly suspicious scuffle with white and Indian policemen, and the Sioux resistance died with its legendary leader.

McMurtry's powers of compression are formidable. In no more than a few rapid paragraphs, he gives a sense of how this "prairie Platonist" divided the world into transient things and eternal, invisible spirits. He also conveys his opinion of Caucasian double-dealing with fine, acerbic efficiency: "In August, Custer emerged and described the beauties of the Black Hills in mouthwatering terms. In another life he would have made a wonderful real-estate developer. In this case he sold one of the most beautiful pieces of real estate in the West to a broke, depressed public who couldn't wait to get into those hills and start scratching up gold." McMurtry's Crazy Horse is the leanest and least rhetorical version yet of this American tragedy--which makes it, oddly enough, among the most moving. --James Marcus ... Read more

Reviews (44)

A little balance perhaps
I am a fan of the Pengin Lives books. I'll say that up front. But Mr. McMurtry's book on Crazy Horse falls short of the standard the series sets with other works like the book on Rosa Parks. The author has clearly done a great deal of reading and researching to prepare for his task, however, through that he seems to have become bitter about the amount of speculation there has been to fill