Book Description

For more than forty years Miles Davis has been in the front rank of American music. Universally acclaimed as a musical genius, Miles is one of the most important and influential musicians in the world. The subject of several biographies, now Miles speaks out himself about his extraordinary life.

Miles: The Autobiography, like Miles himself, holds nothing back. For the first time Miles talks about his five-year silence. He speaks frankly and openly about his drug problem and how he overcame it. He condemns the racism he has encountered in the music business and in American society generally. And he discusses the women in his life. But above all, Miles talks about music and musicians, including the legends he has played with over the years: Bird, Dizzy, Monk, Trane, Mingus, and many others.

The man who has given us some of the most exciting music of the past few decades has now given us a compelling and fascinating autobiography, featuring a concise discography and thirty-two pages of photographs. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

An important work of history and honest soul searching
Miles Davis, with all his faults, flaws and laughable quirks, was still one of the most important musicians of the twentieth century. It takes a book like this where he leaves no stone unturned to make clear the debt we all owe him and his contemporaries, as well as the restless spirit that lead him beyond what he helped to establish as modern jazz. In many ways he shows himself to be, ironically, the archetypal and sterotypical artist simultaneously. Yet his telling of the profound friendships he had with Max Roach and Coltrane, his deep awe and respect but dispassionate eye for the genius and addictions of Charlie Parker, the loves of his life- and what he put them through, and his brutal, courageous hoonesty in general, gives us a gift of his haunting humanity.

But above all, this about the music. His own telling of his style, the true creators of the form in total and the actual environment where it was produced, and how he created so many styles of his own is enough to make this book worth having.

You will never find another human being who can make curse words sound so beautiful!

If you love jazz, or are a jazz musician, this book will remind you why. And why you love Miles. Everybody does.

Collaborator occassionally but never politically
Miles' words match his music. That revolutionary sound burns, subverts and takes you to a whole new space. If you read his life story you'll never question whether he put himself into his sound. The book doesn't pander to anyone. ( A mild way of stating he writes raw and real.) He was a sinner but did not succomb to the pressures of the establishment press. Who else would turn his his back on the audiences, and terrorize influential interviewers?
This volume, like all his work, totally his own; proves him an intolerant bully, certain drug addict, chronic
irreverent often seething with universal contempt. The section of Cicely Tyson's extravagant 'Tribute to Miles' is too good for me to spoil it here. Miles surely demythologizes Tyson, whom he claimed he never loved. But he also gets a few jabs in at Trane, and we all know the pantheon wherein he presides.
His childhood is interesting and not the typical po' boy refrain. His father a dentist, comfortable but surely not wealthy. Still, on the whole, Davis had it better in St. Louis than most black folks.
This book is a "must read" for jazz lovers and people who seek liberation from the ordinary. Hear Miles talk about how good he looked and sounded. Nobody else could have written this book. Nobody would dare.

A didactic "Must-read" for Jazz lovers and music historians!
As a Jazz lover, I can't help but consider this book a time machine into the past of jazz. I just finished reading it entirely for the second time (April & May of 2004). The first time I read it was 12 years ago (Spring of 1992). I have collected 3 Miles Davis box sets and a lot of his compact discs
in those 12 years, so reading the autogbiograpy this time around was much more like watching a movie.
I, myself, have also become much more of a musician in the
past 12 years, so I found the book to be very didactic when Mile's shared his thoughts on musical subjects such as the Egyptian mode, the modal conceptualization of songs (all the songs on "Kind of Blue"), using the Fender Rhodes electric piano to cushion his sound, and more.
For those who love John Coltrane, this book makes you feel even the slightest sense of knowing him a little; his extreme dedication to practicing and his repenting reassessment of his own life. Miles became good friends with Coltrane after he hired him into his band, yet they didn't spend much time together where
music was not concerned. Miles describes Trane's death as if it happened yesterday and it's extremely interesting to "hear" Miles
tell where Trane was musically right before he died in relation to the racial & social strife that the United States was experiencing in the 60's (this is even more poigniant when you have heard Trane's music from that period [read my review on "John Coltrane The Classic Quartet-The Complete Impulse Studio Recordings). I find it ironic that later in the book Miles mentions that he couldn't stand Trane's quartet at this period.
This is another major exciting thing about the book; it gives insight on other music greats that Miles knew personally,
like Charlie Parker (especially), Gil Evans, drummer, Philly Joe Jones, Billie Holliday and many others.
The part where Miles tells what he went through as a heroine
junkie is really heart-wrenching, and when he overcame that addiction, you really see and feel his cold-turkey withdrawl; he
overcame it out of self-determination.

The last chapter of the book is a look into Miles' thoughts on life, women, racism, etc. He is quite the activist;
he never hated white people out of racism. He had an aversion to
white people because of all the racism that was enacted upon him.

This book is musically and historically tremendous!!!

Caveats
Not great literature, and not exceptionally insightful. Miles' public persona was a construct, affecting intentionally coarse language and simplistic, conflicting views. Lest you haven't gotten your share of that in the numerous interviews he gave, you can get your fill here. One might say that Miles in his own words is just being "direct"; one might also say that, in terms of this gutteriffic book versus the man's incredible music, his crudeness is hugely disappointing. The best things Miles ever said were thru his music. For measured commentary on his life and work, you'll have to turn elsewhere.

Speaking of which, the highly recommended Milestones by Jack Chambers, in its 1998 edition, detailed several passages of Miles autobio that were direct rips from Chambers' own texts. Anyone who thinks Miles' book is the bomb should at least glance at Chambers' recent forward to Milestones, which should raise an eyebrow or two. (Milestones itself is probably the best Miles bio available, in any case.) It's kind of fitting, though; Miles wasn't exactly a stranger to assigning his own name to someone else's music, so why would he be above plagiarizing words? Especially when there's a book advance already doled out and a deadline approaching?

I don't mean to demean the musician, though; Miles was obviously a giant and one of the most important visionaries of the 20th century. But again, it's the music itself that tells that particular story. What you get here, in Chambers' words, is "self-inflicted tabloid journalism." The sleazy parts are not worth detailing, and the questions regarding authorship and originality can be distracting to the discerning reader.

Miles lets his beautiful but imperfect soul speak.
Wow! I recently inhaled this book and felt obliged to review it. It is captivating and unapologetic, even brutal at times... and REAL... I loved it for this.

Great works of art can easily appear larger than life when they are displayed in museums or remastered in handsome packaging for the world to enjoy... It's easy to be rightfully consumed by their beauty and forget the harshness of life that beats down on us all (artists included).

Miles Davis's music for me is the ultimate escape... the ultimate adventure into a relaxing, interesting aural universe. So I must admit it was a quick jolt to the system to read autobiographical tales of neglect, addiction, jealousy, financial stuggle, broken relationships, boastful egos, clashes with authority, poor health, disposable relationships and racial unrest in the United States... the writing here is REAL. The 400+ pages here have potential to "push buttons" and have you shaking your head in disbelief. In today's homogenized Brittany Spears world of image obsession and greed, it's a pleasure to read a book by someone who just "doesn't care".

Miles lets his beautiful but imperfect soul speak. I wouldn't want to read otherwise. ... Read more

Book Description

The further adventures of "Dr. Gonzo" as he defends the "cucarachas" -- the Chicanos of East Los Angeles.

Before his mysterious disappearance and probable death in 1971, Oscar Zeta Acosta was famous as a Robin Hood Chicano lawyer and notorious as the real-life model for Hunter S. Thompson's "Dr. Gonzo" a fat, pugnacious attorney with a gargantuan appetite for food, drugs, and life on the edge.

In this exhilarating sequel to The Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo, Acosta takes us behind the front lines of the militant Chicano movement of the late sixties and early seventies, a movement he served both in the courtroom and on the barricades. Here are the brazen games of "chicken" Acosta played against the Anglo legal establishment; battles fought with bombs as well as writs; and a reluctant hero who faces danger not only from the police but from the vatos locos he champions. What emerges is at once an important political document of a genuine popular uprising and a revealing, hilarious, and moving personal saga.

"Acosta has entered counterculture folklore:"

-- Saturday Review of Literature ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Kansas
Re-Saturday Review of Literature
Oscar Acosta disappeared in Mexico in 1974, not 1971 (the year of his trip to Las Vegas with Dr. Thompson).

Correction
Re-Saturday Review of Literature
Oscar Acosta disappeared in Mexico in 1974, not 1971 (the year of his trip to Las Vegas with Dr. Thompson).

First Impressions
This is the most realistic book I have ever seen about Mexican American hippies in Aztlan, the Chicanos of the 1960's neo-freedom movements. It will surely become a collector's item worth saving in this era of gung-ho Americanism which does not know the kind of objectivity Acosta displays with regard to how we think and why we believe as we do. Hunter S. Thompson described the author better than I can in his introduction to the book, highlighting his uniqueness while lamenting his untimely passing. I will write more after I give the book a more thorough second reading.

Sex, Drugs, and Politics
I read this book after finding out that Oscar Zeta Acosta was the fat Samoan lawyer from "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Acosta's style is similar, with a lot of drugs and sex with minors. The differences are that Acosta isn't tripping the whole time and he has time to incite political rallies. I love when they protest the Catholic church, or when he pleasures himself with some nubile young high schoolers under a blanket during a sit-in.... For those interested in the turbulent times that was the 60s, this is a must-read.

An awareness that should be taught to todays young Chicanos
After reading this book, and actually living through those turbulent times of the 60's and 70' s , it was refreshing to read and feel the burning frustration and love that this man was experiencing and the way he expressed his anger against the machine. This type of awareness has been lost , due to us the forefathers of the Chicano Movement, to teach our own and other's children of how important those actions were, so that we may emphasize education, political power and family values. We have implemented a course in Chicano Studies in schools, we now have political representation in our governments, and many more success stories that are due to the work of such people as Cesar Chavez, Ruben Salazar and Corky Gonzales. Oscar Zeta was a man amongst his own that was afraid of nothing and no one.My thanks to him for fighting the powers that be and for creating an example for all of us, regardless of race. You have to stand up for what you believe and Acosta is atrue testament to that. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (64)

This is the truth and nothing but the truth
This is a book of survival, tragedy and triumph. It is the story of one young girl's survival of one of the most brutal episodes in 20th century history - the ethnic cleansing committed by the Turkish authorities during and after World War 1 which claimed the lives of about two million citizens of the Ottoman Empire because they were of Greek,Armenian or Assyrian stock.

Yet, this book neither condemns, nor judges, nor impugns the Turkish people. Quite the contrary, the book is utterly devoid of bitterness. These awful things happened and they are not a judgment upon the Turkish people of today. Those times were those times:difficult and tragic for all.They were also tragic for the Turkish people who, as a result of these benighted policies, lost millions of its citizens - Greek, Armenian and Assyrian - who could and would have helped shape the future of Turkey in a more positive,productive manner. Instead, Turkey remained plunged in an isolated backwardness and darkness that it is just beginning to shed with difficulty.

As an aside, I find it troubling that...[some]...point to the bias of the author and mention "other" books that "correctly" paint the picture of that terrible time without actually citing one, single, solitary title. Well, here are two titles from two Americans who witnessed these "fictional genocides" first hand:

1) Henry Morgenthau's.."Ambassador Morgenthau Remembers"; and 2) American Consul George Horton's...."The Blight of Asia"(Don't forget my Turkish brothers......these are the writings of Americans - your loyal friends ).

To me, it seems high time that the Turkish people face the truth about their past as they move forward into a bright, open, progressive, just, honorable and peaceful future. If Germany can face the past directly and honestly...........so can Turkey. It is the young people of Turkey - the hope of Turkey's future - who should read this book.

A universal story "writ large"
"Not Even My Name" is an extraordinarily powerful book that forced me to understand the Pontic, Assyrian, and Armenian genocides it describes in individual, human terms. After all, it's much easier to distance oneself from a holocaust than from the individuals who are its victims. In addition, the book has provided me with an important analog to the history of my own family, Greek Jews, many of whom suffered their own holocaust.

I intend to read this book with one of my classes, not only because it is a fine piece of literature, but also because it will remind us in a very compelling way how foolish it is to try to prove that one holocaust was bigger or more important than another. We all suffer from the "It's my dead rat" syndrome, a foolishness this book exposes fearlessly.

Equally important, the structure of the book, framed by a double odyssey and complex exodus, provides the experiences of the author, Thea Halo, and her mother, Sano, nee Themia, with just the right context to make the journey very worthwhile for the reader as well as for its two main characters. Halo's descriptions are beautifully drawn, and her inferences are understated, which is what makes them so powerful. This is a universal story "writ large" and passionately. It took me almost no time to see that it is also my story, placed in a different context, but one that I could recognize easily, in small ways as well as large. How fascinating, for instance, to discover that the Pontic Christians celebrated Easter with egg-breaking contests almost identical to the Greek-Jewish tradition during the Passover Seders.

The book is extremely well written and incredibly moving. I broke down and wept quite often as it drew me into the lives, the joys and tragedies, the incredible bravery of people we shamefully know almost nothing about; yet the cause of my tears was never the result of mere sentimentality or sensationalism. The bare facts themselves, powerfully recounted, are enough to make any reader weep for "Man's inhumanity to man," even as Sano, a character with her own imperfections, whose very name has been obliterated, triumphs over adversity, little by little; and reminds us that we can overcome even senseless acts of mass violence and our own dark side by following the example she sets of unending kindnesses and care for the "Family of People."

The murder of a nation
Not Even My Name is well written. I recommend it highly. It tells the experiences of Theo Helo as a 10-year old, in 1920, who was forced on a death march with thousands of Pontic Greeks from their traditional home land into the desserts. The story starts with Theo, who now is an old lady, returning to her homeland with her daughter. This heart rending story was repeated many times starting with the Armenians' who suffered under the Turkish occupation for over 400 yrs and ended in 1915 with the 20th century's first genocide. The book describes in heart rending detail the cruelty by Turkish soldiers and official in eliminating all non-Turks from the lands they conquered in 1453.

Heartwrenching
This book is going on my list as one of my favorites. Theas descriptions of the suffering of her mother and family touched me deeply. After losing her family Sano went on to live life to the fullest, devoting herself to her children and husband. Sano is a remarkable woman and a real inspiration.

A Book of Honor
My name is Kyriaki and I am a Greek American living in Manhattan. "Not Even My Name" touched my heart, my mind, and my soul. I couldn't put the book down!!! I wanted to finish it so I could know all that happened but when I finally finished it I was devastated that there was no more to read!!! This book made me appreciate even more what I have. It made me appreciate even more my own parents and grandparents who lived during wartime Greece - WWII and the Civil War that followed. Most importantly this book honors those who lost their lives and those who experienced the tragedies in Asia Minor after WWI. Thea Halo has done a great honor to them!!! We cannot forget the past for if we do it is as though it has never happened. ... Read more

Book Description

Comedian, civil rights activist, author, actor, philosopher, and nutritionist- Dick Gregory has been all these things. A champion of political and social causes, he is reknowned for his biting satire.Now, more than thirty years after his bestselling book Nigger, Gregory has put his provocative life story down on paper.In this riveting memoir, he recounts his unique experiences and discusses the fascinating people he has known.

Gregory grew up in the St. Louis ghetto sharing a bed with five siblings, so hungry he ate paste out of a jar.He attended college on an athletic scholarship, became a superstar comedian, and then a human rights advocate who convinced the Ayatollah Khomeini to release the American hostages in Iran.Since the 1970s, he has been a nutrition guru, running clinics for the overweight.For four decades, Gregory has touched and rocked our world.It's time we are reminded just how much. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Standing at All Costs
With choices come sacrifice, and in Dick Gregory's book CALLUS ON MY SOUL, he tells the story of his life and shares with readers both the positive things he gained and the things he has had to forego as a result of his decisions. He tells of his childhood, which included a life of poverty, racism, and an absentee father. But more importantly, Gregory shares how he learned as a child to use humor as a way to transcend his difficult life experiences and gain peer acceptance. This would serve as an omen for the important role that comedy would play in his later life. As Gregory tells of his developing career as a comedian, readers quickly see the sacrifices that he and his family made in order to achieve the level of fame that he ultimately became known for. A great portion of the book is dedicated to Gregory's experiences and commitment to social causes. He relates to readers his experiences in the civil rights and human rights struggles, and tells of his personal experiences with both noteworthy and little known social activists. He tells of how he and other activists sacrificed their careers, physical safety, and time with family in order to stand up for what they believe in.

Because Dick Gregory has played such an integral role in so many historical events relating to civil and human rights, this book is so much more than a memoir. Anyone who picks this book up receives a new insight into many of the events that shaped the history of the United States. In addition, Gregory shares his own political views and opinions with a boldness and clarity that makes it evident that he is indeed an activist at heart. He also tells of the unwavering support of his wife and ten children as he fasted, went on cross country marathons, and even traveled the world leaving them at home. CALLUS ON MY SOUL is a political, historical, and personal account of a man who has dedicated much of his life to a number of worthy causes.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Good Thinking
Brother Greg believes O.J. is innocent. That is hard to believe, and there is some paranoia with his thinking. Conspiracy theories make for good fiction, but some of it is enlightening and believable. Mr. Gregory is a great man, and has a lot of knowledge. He is very smart. He is very funny, but he is also obsessed. If he calms down, he would do better. I love him. He is trying so hard to stop world hunger, and wants people to be slim and trim, and not fat as a pig. He wants justice. If people were more like Mr. Gregory, the world would be a much better place.

What an amazing book!
I am so awed and inspired by reading Dick Gregory's latest book. His life reads like an adventure through the most turbulent times of the 20th century. Friend to presidents, civil rights leaders, and industry giants, Dick Gregory doesn't fail to enlighten, inspire and fascinate the reader. He has been there done that for over 35 years. Now that our country faces a crisis, I hope Dick Gregory will be there for us with his commentary, his insight and wisdom.

I wish he would have written more about his successes in the '80's with his weight loss programs, his work with the National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC) and his circumcision trauma, the Black Panther party, Tupac Shakur, the Bush family, and his vision for the future.

Ah, but hopefully his next book will include that! I recommend this book highly. I only wish I could hear him lecture in person.

We've Been Best Friends for 35 Years
To those who might consider this a biased review, I want to first say that reading this book will transform your life and your beliefs about about everything. From the truth about racism to facts about love and humor.

I want to say that I have have had the honor, the pleasure and the God-given reward to have been the friend of Dick Gregory for 36 years. So if you were to judge my words on a prejudice you would be right. But that just makes me a more informed reporter regarding whether or not you should read this book.

Over the past 5 decades we have benefitted from what he has done. Dick Gregory has spent, going to jail for us to break the bonds of prejudice? We are certainly grateful that someone so courageous as Dick Gregory has used his fame, the notoriety he earned from his wit and wisdom to communicate -- though he made it a point to forever stop performing in nightclubs, though it cost him millions of dollars, because he knew it was a travesty to sell liquor or cigarettes to people because these were deadly substances. So he gave up the wealth that so many stars, entertainers, celebrities, etc. had access to. Why? Because he was a man of truth. He remains a man of truth.

While he had married the woman of his dreams, the woman of his life, Lil Gregory (forgive me for using the familiar first name but after knowing them for 35 years it's second nature to me now), he also sought to communicate the tragic, and heinous ills of society's prejudice and racism, through a method of communication that he learned in school. In 'Nigger' the first Dick Gregory autobiography, and in "Callus On My Soul," the second autogiogaphy by Dick Gregory and Shelia Moses, he told of his dilemma for survival.

He was small and not able to prevail on the street corner or in the schoolyard without something extra. Had he been a giant, strong and awesome physically, it would have been easy. But Gregory was smart, he was gifted intellectullay and most of all he was funny, comical, and had a talent for humor. If you can make people laugh, you can lower their defenses. So Greg began a lifetime of making people laugh. It started with a need to survive but it continued to flood a nation which had never seen the wit and wisdom of such a person.

At the same time, Gregory was in command of his physical self. This would be something that would define his life many years later. While in his school years, he became a champion long distance, cross-country runner, and eventually he became the champion of the State of Missouri.

Humor was his entry into history and his commitment was his entry into a life of dedication to the civil rights movement with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many others. The experiences he relates in his book are enough to give you chivers because of his creativity, born of his talent for humor in some cases, but also his courage, such as to call for and be granted a face-to-face meeting with the Ayatollah Khomeni during he incarceration of the Americans who worked at the U.S. Embassy in Iran.

Gregory is loved wherever he goes. He's the most sought after lecturer at all U.S. colleges and has been for more than two decades. But he's not only an extraordinary example of a father of ten grown kids who are all people for society to acknowledge as the kind of people we all would like to have as our children, ttheir achievements being so admirable that it might look as if Iwere fabricating them to make this look good for Gregory. But he's a man who we can all learn from, he knows no boundries, between men or women, racial divides, religious differences, or any other type of bigotry. You must at least read about Dick Gregory, because he is a man of humor, which is the greatest stress reliever of all pursuits, but because he will give you some very clear insight into what you can do to improve our world. And you will be better for it.

Richard Claxton Gregory
Dick Gregory is a truly incredible yet somewhat obscure talent who sacrificed fame and fortune only to become quite wealthy anyway! I have read all of Mr. Gregory's books, listened to most of his CD's, and attended several of his lectures at universities throughout the country. Unfortunately, and somewhat amazingly, most of his books are out of print! This is possibly due to his refusal to become "mainstream" at any cost. Nevertheless, "Callus On My Soul" is a great way to catch up and see a lot of what you've missed . . . And chances are, you've missed a lot! Whatever you may think about Dick Gregory, this is irrefutable: He has always been (and remains) funny, controversial, angry, obsessed, and a true Holy Man (in the tradition of Jesus Christ himself) . . . AND "Brother Greg" has never lied to you! His previous books include "No More Lies" (History), "Dick Gregory's Political Primer" (Political Science), "The Shadow That Scares Me" (Sociology), "Nigger" (his autobiography), "Up From Nigger", "Code Name Zorro", "From the Back of the Bus", "Write Me In" (he collected 1.5 million write in votes for President of the United States in 1968), "Dick Gregory's Bible Tales", and "Dick Gregory's Natural Diet For Folks Who Eat" (look for them at used book stores or perhaps at amazon.com, but . . . This book is arguably his best! The easiest to find is "Nigger", and remember, if ever you hear that word . . . They are advertising one of his books . . . And contributing to his income! ... Read more

Book Description

A deep and intimate account of an actual family from the slums of Mexico City. ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Crossover World
Very few people in America could have imagined a life like Greg Williams had. His life and experiences were so unique that there couldn't have been a more appropriate title than "Life on the Color Line." The blatant racism he encounters all through his childhood and teenage years while trying to just grow-up and be a normal kid is something that American should be ashamed of when remembering this time in our history. Anyone that thinks racism wasn't THAT bad back then should read this book, reading about his perspective should definitely change their mind.

Greg started growing up as a young white boy in Virginia. His life was pretty normal for him and his "white" family at that time. His father successfully passed as white, even though he had black blood running through his veins. He had a couple of successful business ventures, the most notable of which was a booming cafe/diner, which of course adherred to the laws of segregation. Greg's mother was white in the true sense of the term, and she seemed to care for her children deeply as any mother should.

Everything was perfect for Greg and his family until misfortune hits and the veil is pulled off the charade of his father's false life. In a poetic justice type of moment the father's life in Virginia is devastated and shaken literally back to his roots. It looks initially like Greg and his brother Mike will stay with their mother in Virginia, but they have to tag along with their father back to Indiana where all 3 of their lives are changed forever.

Back in Muncie, Indiana, the book almost splits into 3 separate interesting stories: Greg's life, his brother Mike's life, and the father's. Their struggles bring a new meaning to tough times. Greg and his brother now have to blend into the black community which isn't easy, all while they are summarily rejected by the white community, and most painful of all an apparent rejection by their mother.

There are a lot of negatives in their lives now dealing with their living situation, and ... people which are almost laughable. One situation that stands out are the two school officals that get upset at his expressing any interest in white girls, but then the same people are angry when he is marching with a black girl during graduation. However, through all the negativity there is one person that shows how powerful Christian love can be as she adopts them and tries to keep them on the right path.

Greg and Mike's experiences and ongoing fight with racism hardly let you put the book down. I couldn't wait to see how they were going to handle each new situation. Once in a while there is a true story comes along that rivals any fiction, this is one of them!

Life on the Color Line
If any person has ever doubted whether racism has existed in America this book should convince them that it has, as seen through the innocence of a young boy and his brother. Imagine growing up believing you are "white" with its accompanying acceptance at all levels of society. Now imagine that you discover that you are really "black" and will forever be judged by your "blackness" first and foremost, no matter what you achieve in your life. Add to this identity problem a mother that deserts her sons at the tender ages of 8 and 9 at the same time they are placed in their alcoholic father's black community. A burden for their father, not black enough for their environment and rejected by the white community they find love and a home with an amazing black woman, Miss Dora. This book has forever inspired me to believe in the value of each child and discourage racist attitudes wherever I encounter them.

Fascinating - Poignant - Shocking
This book should be required reading for everybody. Not only is it very well written, but it contains numerous anecdotes that, from a psychological standpoint, are nothing less than fascinating. Simply put, "Life on the Color Line" illustrates the absurdity of prejudice with greater profundity than any book I have ever read. Words that came out of the mouth of Gregory's own grandmother left me so stunned that I was numb for hours, and I am still shocked by it.
Dr. Williams, you have written a masterpiece. Thank you, thank you, for telling your amazing story. Your childhood may have been unbelievably horrific, but it has left you a greater man by far.

CROSSOVER DREAMS...
This is an intriguing memoir that allows the reader to see what life was like for the author whose early life was defined by issues of race and color. The author had spent his early years in Virginia, where his white mother and his dark-skinned "Italian" father operated a roadside tavern. Growing up in the South, where issues of race and color were so important, the author had always thought that he was white, as he had been raised as such. When his parents' business, as well as their marriage, collapsed, his mother left them, forcing his father to return home to his roots in Muncie, Indiana. Abandoned by their mother, it was there that the author and his younger brother, Mike, were to discover which side of the then great color divide he and his brother were on. The lesson would be a difficult one.

In Muncie, Indiana, they were to discover that their father, rather than being Italian, was bi-racial, born of the union of a Black woman and a White father. In those times, however, you were considered to be either White or Black. So in Indiana, he was Black, even though, ironically, in the South he had passed for White. Now, his children, Greg and Mike, were to learn that, notwithstanding their appearance, they were considered to be Black, and forced to live in a segregated world on the wrong side of the race and color divide. They quickly learned what it was to be considered second class citizens. This was the nineteen fifties, during the heyday of the Klu Klux Klan, and well before the Civil Rights Movement had taken hold, so feelings ran very high on issues of race and color.

Looking as if they were White but considered to be Black, the boys found themselves in a limbo of sorts, rejected by both Whites and Blacks. They had to learn how to maneuver in this crazy patchwork quilt of absurd and confusing racial notions that would marginalize their existence and make them the target for every miscreant on either side of the race and color divide. This was to have great impact on the brothers, as they each found their own personal coping mechanism for the deprivation, poverty, hostility and prejudice that circumscribed their life in Indiana. Unfortunately, they ultimately each took divergent paths. The author would seek legitimate work and higher education as a way to forge ahead in life, while Mike would seek solace in the lure of easy money, easy women, and life in the fast lane, a choice that would end in personal tragedy for him.

The book clearly delineates the fact that, in the nineteen fifties, there were two Americas that existed side by side. One America was born of privilege and opportunity reserved for Whites. The other America was one of repression and lack of opportunity reserved for Blacks. Clearly, those who were defined as Black but wished to pass for White did not do so because of racial hatred. They did so as a way of bypassing a hated system that could so circumscribe someone's potential and ability to seek a better way of life. Who is White? Who is Black? These are questions that should generally be unnecessary. The response should be, "Who cares?".

The author focuses on his early life, the part that evidently caused him so much pain, while skimming on the latter part of his life. It would have been interesting to have spent some additional time on the latter part, to see how those early experiences affected or shaped the man he was to become and is today. Still, this is an intriguing memoir that is written by someone who has lived in these two Americas and endured. It is a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.

My View
This book has been reviewed and previewed extensively, so I won't go into it further. I read this book twice - both times, aching for the shock GHW and his brother suffered and the struggle to adjust and find a corner of the world for themselves. My one arguement, however, is that the author damns the town for its' treatment of them. I always kept in mind the time frame and the reaction could have happened in any other town in the country - such was the prevailing attitude, in general, in the late 50's and early 60's. In an email to the author, after one or two had passed, I asked him if possibly he had damned a whole town as a racist, when it is entirely possible that he and his brother would have faced the same problems elsewhere. There was no response. I do live in Muncie and I have lived all over the country as well - it is not a perfect town. Racism exists - everywhere and on all sides. I am sorry for the life he and his brother had to endure in their boyhood years - he overcame more than I could handle, I think. That said, I don't believe the man was fair in how he views the time and events as pertains to the town...he could have been anywhere and this would have happened. It is an indictment of the era, not specific to just one place. I found that aspect to be flawed in his writing. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Does colorism still exist?
When a mother shouts, "Don't play in the sun," it can be very innocent. The child might get sunburned, too hot, or dehydrated. If a Black mother shouts that phrase, it can mean something sinister. It can mean, "The sun will make you darker" or, "You're already black enough!" It is the legacy that has been handed down to us from the days our ancestors labored under the harsh conditions of slavery. Our darker sisters with African features frequently find themselves at the end of the line of life. They are discriminated against in many ways, from not being selected as beauty queens to being passed over for jobs and promotions. The airwaves and videos are blanketed with images of the lighter, more European looking women. Darker women are still depicted as mammy, Sapphire, the maid or as very angry.

Marita Golden has researched the subject and talked to many people in different countries about this color complex that Black people have. She found that whether it's Cuba, Nigeria or the United States, wherever there are black people, they have learned that beauty is defined by the whiteness of skin and features. In Africa and the Caribbean, she found darker women using the bleaching products that were popular at one time in the United States, and no matter where she went, she found that the darker population was always the poorest population.

In total fairness, Ms. Golden also talked with her sisters who were lighter in hue and found that they, also, had color issues. While they might be the symbol of European beauty and were pursued by men, they were frequently pursued for all the wrong reasons. They became trophies rather than love objects. She also talked with brunette white women and found that they too are punished for not being blond goddesses.

Ms. Golden does more than just skim the surface of this issue. She digs deep to find not only the whys, but what the solutions are. She uses the stunning accomplishments and looks of the tennis stars, the Williams' sisters, to point out that Black can indeed be beautiful. She even discusses why Serena may have gotten that blond weave. She doesn't punish anyone for their choices; rather she seeks to understand those choices in light of the fanatical and frantic push toward European beauty standards that have been foisted on all of us. It is an excellent book and should be read by dark, dark women, light, bright women and yes, even white women. None of us are exempt from this crazy color complex.

Reviewed by alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

A beautiful message from a beautiful black woman
This is the book Marita Golden thought she would never have to write. As a young political activist she thought the old colorist barriers had been broken down for good. But now she says "we are standing still on nearly the same spot where we once were rooted." As a warm, outgoing, strong, educated and articulate black Black woman, she is the perfect spokesperson to address some thorny issues. Her particular concern is the message that the media are sending to young blacks that "a Black girl is considered neither alluring nor pretty unless she is light and long-haired."

Marita Golden is a successful novelist and professor of writing, who has talked about the color issue with people in America, Cuba and Nigeria, where she once lived. She has talked to teenaged girls and boys, mothers and fathers, therapists and hairdressers, screenwriters and television producers. Some of the people Marita Golden interviewed would only talk if their names weren't mentioned. Others, like cultural historian Anthony Browder, say frankly that "BET has set us back a decade. There simply are not enough messages in the rest of the culture to counter the self-hating propaganda that most of the videos present." Well, here's one such message and it's loud and clear. Thank you, Ms Golden

I am the Darker Sister
Don't Play in the Sun is Marita Golden's account of the complexities of the color issue within the black community as she has lived it as a darker-hued African American. Intra-racial prejudice and color consciousness has been a major part of her life since she was a child. When she was ten years old, Golden's mother told her she needed to avoid playing in the sun because she was dark enough; as it was she needed to marry a light-skinned man for the sake of her children. This one remark set off a lifetime of hurt and introspection where color issues were a constant presence.

Golden's views were "colored" by and large by the geographical area in which she was born and raised, Washington D.C. This area is the seat of the black middle and upper classes, many who are descendants of mixed-race people who can trace their roots back to the Founding Fathers of the nation. They are known to have their set of cliques and alliances that in numerous circles have historically excluded darker blacks, keeping their inner circle light, bright and damn near white through careful manipulation of family ties. At a young age, Golden expected the curly-haired, light brown-skinned boys to reject her dark, short-haired self and that she could not infiltrate the popular crowd of lighter complexioned kids in high school. She deliberately did not apply to Howard University because she felt that although it was a black college, the lighter skinned students were more readily accepted. Ironically, it was at predominately white American University, that she came into her own, as a member of the Black Student Union and under the banner of the new proclamation of "I'm Black and I'm Proud." Golden relished in her dark skin and embraced an Afrocentric look. She eventually married a Nigerian, who reminded her of her very dark-skinned, estranged father and lived for many years in her husband's country. After a divorce from her husband and return to the States, over the years she again became embroiled in the color complex issues that had plagued her young life. Thrown back into the dating scene, it became apparent to her that most black men wanted trophy wives---translated meaning lighter-skinned women.

This reviewer grew weary of Golden's constant harping on her color issues, wanting her to step away and analyze why after over forty years she is apparently holding on to her mother's mandate. Although she claims to have conquered her demons, acknowledging that light-skinned blacks are also victims, I was not convinced by this discourse. Almost every daily contact, almost every encounter, almost every snub, real or imagined is analyzed and attributed to her color. Why this accomplished woman, a highly regarded author of several books, an esteemed professor, and founder of the Hurston/Wright Writers Foundation continues to be defined by the color of her skin is astounding to me. Her recount of how an older male black author judged her by her Afrocentric look is perhaps debatable, as is a remark made by her current husband's student who expressed surprise when meeting her, but her blatant dissatisfaction about a character from a classic novel borders, to my mind, on overkill. Golden continually wonders why the character, Janie from Zora Neale Hurston's novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God is light-skinned even as she answers her own question.

On one hand Golden's mother had issues with color but her father came from a proud, dark-skinned family who seemed to be comfortable in their skin and their place in the world. It is unfortunate she did not inherit that legacy. I realize this is a memoir and therefore, this is her story, through her eyes but this book, for me, was one continuous whine, decrying "woe is me, poor little dark-skinned girl" and could be deemed offensive to dark-skinned women who have learned to or always have loved themselves. However, I am well aware that this pervasive topic is the elephant in the middle of the room that we as a race are reluctant to confront and it is indeed a serious issue. For an unbiased, well documented reference on the subject of color consciousness and intra-racial prejudice in the black community, I recommend The Color Complex: The Politics of Skin Color Among African Americans by Kathy Russell written almost ten years ago.

Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

Look In The Mirror - You Are Beautiful - No Matter What
We often read of "garbage messages" that are universal to all children, or, as John Bradshaw labels as "shame-based messages."

And in this book, by Marita Golden, we read how those of color pass on messages to their children, that from a child's view is an attack. From an adult view, it is both a warning of how one is measured by those in power, and it is something that is blindly passed on - not questioned, just accepted as fact, much like the unspoken messages that generation after generation mothers pass on to their daughters about their limitations.

I selected this book because I read, years ago, "Migration of the Heart," and "Skin Deep," by Ms. Golden. And I continue to be moved by her written messages. She speaks to your soul!

As a child, I do remember conflicting messages of, "Go outside and play," shortly followed by, "If you stay in the sun too long you will be too black."

"Too black" in the 60's, during the Civil Rights Movement - at times when we were saying, "Say it loud. I'm black and I'm proud?"

Yes. It was a statement unconsciously spoken. And it continues to be spoken, whites worry about the dangers of tanning salons, and blacks search for ways to "blend in."

Another reason why I was drawn to this book is that Ms. Golden uses Zora Neale Hurston's (read "Their Eyes Were Watching God," and her other books) messages from the first page, throught the book, to encourage change.

Thank you Ms. Golden, for telling your story, and for believing in your purpose, and for contributing to race relations being an inside job.

Thing of Beauty
Marita Golden, as always, continues to write in an elegant, understated fashion...and this time brings to the fore what I and many African women consider to be the #1 problem facing our people today...the much denied hatred for dark skinned people, and in particular--FEMALES--who are "authentically" black.

I didn't, however, give the book five stars for tackling such an important subject. I gave it 5 stars for the author's subtle handling of YEARS of heartbreak, disappointment and "forced coping". I gave the book five stars, because Golden so carefully layers and allows her own personal beauty to spotlight the fact that color prejudice is both insidious and cancerous. Amazingly, Golden does this without rage and reciprical hate.

By hating the darkest of black women...we are essentially proving that we ourselves are White Supremacists who hate the womb of our beginning and ALL BLACK PEOPLE. What could be more important for black people in 2004 to wrap their minds around?

I myself come from Sudan and was put up for adoption at age 8 by my Egyptian grandmother...because she felt that my skin color was "too dark" for me to be included in my father's Egyptian family after he and my mother were murdered for protesting slavery in SUDAN.

I am the child of a "charcoal colored" African beauty and an Arab father.

Naturally, the trauma of such a rejection and such an event cannot be conveyed with mere words, but as a mother of 2 young boys who will someday be grown black men...I am grateful to Marita Golden for providing yet another powerful and important art work (to go along with Morrison's BLUEST EYE and my own LONG TRAIN TO THE REDEEMING SIN) that can aid us all in the dismantling of this troubling and horrific insanity through which white supremacy continues to hack away the limbs of our sacred being.

Black is not only Beautiful--Black is the genesis of humanity and deserves to exist. And Marita Golden continues to be a lush, velvety voice in the static, sometimes frivalous NEW world of black literature. I highly recommend this book, and as always...I so deeply love Golden's care, class and intelligence.

Kola Boof, Author of "Long Train to the Redeeming Sin: Stories About African Women". ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Straight from the master's mouth
I'm a great fan of autobiography. Granted, often it is sanitized and self-serving, but there's nothing like hearing a person tell their own life, especially if the life is as important as this one. Without a doubt, Duke Ellington was the century's greatest American composer and bandleader; the only ones who even come close to him (Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Cole Porter) had neither his longevity nor his variety. And none of them also maintained a working band through six decades! I own almost every recording ever released by Duke Ellington; his music has become indelibly printed on my brain. This book may not be the most accurate account of his life (if you can handle a little armchair psychology, the Collier biography is the best choice for that), but this is like sitting in a room hearing Duke talk -- and play!

Utterly Fascinating Life
Wow what a book. The best part about this book is that Duke wrote it. You get it straight from him. I recommend this book to anyone into the music.

His accounts of his younger days were what most appealed to me. He pays so much respect to the people he was surrounded by, both his family and the community of musicians. Sometimes the many names dropped can be a bit much, but that was just his style--always letting people know who helped him, who mentored him, who taught him, who he admired. There's scarcely a mean-spirited word in the whole book!

There is a lot of variety to the way he tells his stories. Sometimes its through the name dropping profiles; sometimes its through interviews reprinted for this book; sometimes its through out-and-out philosophical dissertations about music and life; sometimes it's in the midst of his endless travelling of the globe with his band.

For the musician looking for tips and advice, there's plenty of Duke wisdom provided throughout. His overall love for music and musicians is just SOOO apparent. My favorite piece of advice is that he said he learned music exclusively through oral instruction, from people in the scene who would share techniques and secrets seemingly as freely as idle conversation (how different the musical climate is these days!)

The last third or so of the book get a bit tedious for this reader. There just wasn't a lot of variety to his accounts of globetrotting and meeting all the important people in all the countries. What kept me going through these sections were the occasional gems of advice or insight, but there's more of that in the first half of the book. Thank god for the end of the book, a funny interview where the interviewer is REALLY condescending to Duke, but Duke gets through is with all the grace, wit, intelligence, and humor that makes him such a compelling person, composer, and most of all, a genius and musical mystic.

Thank the Duke for this book, and allowing us to get a glimpse of his life and all his amazing stories!

Great book showing the life and times of the great Duke
If you want to know anything at all about Duke Ellington, you can learn it in this book. Not only is it the best source in the world for info on Duke, it is masterfully written. It is one of the greatest books I've ever read, and I've read quite a bit.

The Greatest jazzman in history speaks
Written by The Duke himself, this book provides insight into the life and music of the greatest composer jazz has ever produced. If you ever wondered what Duke thought of those he played with and those he didn't; here it is in black and white. Required reading for anyone interested in the history of American music. ... Read more

Book Description

Known as a "shock jock diva" and "a radio gossip guru," Wendy Williams has had a following in the nation's number one media market, New York City, and across the nation from the time she became a top-rated radio personality and "It Girl" in the mid-1990s. Whether she's doing color commentary for the VH1 Fashion Awards or giving advice on her daily drive-time show on New York's WBLS, her fans know that Wendy's Got the Heat.

She's the kind of media personality that artists love -- because she builds them up -- and fear -- because she can bring them down. She's interviewed many of the biggest names in entertainment -- including Jennifer Lopez, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah, and many more -- and is known for her ability to disarm and get them to reveal their secrets. Known also as the "biggest mouth in New York," she is candid as well in discussing her own drama-filled life -- including her public struggles to recover from drug addiction, her miscarriages, being forced out of her job, and rehired to a top spot in radio.

Her story begins in a conservative middle-class black family in predominately white Ocean Township, New Jersey, far from the glitz and grit of urban and hip-hop culture. Her family sent her to college more with the intention of seeing her become a respected journalist, wife, and mom than launch a successful career in one of the most male-dominated and competitive media industries of all. Now, it's Wendy's turn to talk about herself; a chance to laugh, cry, and reflect on the woman she was to becoming the woman she is now, the "Queen of Urban Radio." ... Read more

Reviews (44)

curious
First, I have to ask who thought that the cover photo of Wendy was remotely attractive? It's hideous and creates the wrong impression. This is a workmanlike tell all bio. It doesn't get into how Wendy actually made her jump into stardom and it doesn't tell much about how a radio show is produced or what it's like to be a woman in the music industry.

I will give Wendy credit for one thing: She doesn't hold back when it comes to telling on herself. We get to read about her serious drug use, her miscarriages, her rape and her husband's affair. Whether she meant to or not she paints a picture of a profoundly unlikeable person. It's a curious book. Usually biographies don't work so hard to make you dislike the subject.

Could Have Been Better
This book would have been a lot better if the author didn't repeat herself so often. After awhile you get tired of reading the same drug stories over and over. I also didn't appreciate her comments about single mothers, it was inappropiate and unnecessary.

Not worth the money
I read this book because I thought Wendy would be more candid in her biography than she is on her show. Not true. She dishes more dirt on the airwaves than she does in this book. On her show, she drop names like hot oil from a skillet, but now that she has the forum to talk about herself, she clams up on the definite details about most of her relationships, even her former husband's name (like this isn't something that's printed in a court record somewhere). Everything is someone else's fault (like her weight problems were because of her perfect parents, and her first husband was jealous of her, and her leaving NYC for Philly was the fault of high-powered record company executive). The only thing she owns up to was her cocaine habit, and the way she talks about that is as if it was a reasonable ordinary thing to do - no thought of rehab??

All that being said, this book was semi-entertaining and could be a valuable learning tool in the right hands. Ladies, give this book to your teen daughters and teach them a case study in how ugly it looks to be completely self-centered, spoiled, selfish, addictive, vain (plastic surgery vs. healthy exercise), potty-mouthed, rich, indecent, and unrestrained.

In other words, this is the textbook on how to be an upper-class chickenhead. The only saving grace (and the reason for the one star) is her touching description of experiencing an affair and sticking with her marriage in spite of the infidelity.

OVERCOMING PERSONAL PROBLEMS TO SUCCEED
I have seen Wendy on VH1, and I did not know that she had overcome so many personal problems--drug addiction, miscarriages, etc. etc. She is interesting to me because she is a mixture of upper class and street. She will say "to whom" and "not this nor that" and then she will also use language such as the B word and the N word. If you like Joan Rivers, you will like Wendy's In Your Face style. I was touched by her tales of being a Big Body Girl and her miscarriages. And what she has had to do to make it (stuck in traffic--park her car and WALK thru the Lincoln Tunnel.) Buy this book and enjoy it for what it is -- real life soap-opera fun.

A Junkyard on Paper!
Her miscarriage aside, it's hard to have any sympathy for Wendy Williams after reading this book. It essentially tells the story of a spoiled middle-class brat whose parents bail her out of (almost) all of her self-inflicted problems. The only thing positive that anyone can get from reading this book would be if they changed the title to a more suitable, "BOYS AND GIRLS-DO NOT FOLLOW ME!" ... Read more

Book Description

"Ms. Simone's vocal and piano style make her a culture unto herself." --New York Times

A gorgeous, inimitable singer and songwriter, Nina Simone (1933-2003) changed the face of both music and race relations in America. She struck a chord with bluesy jazz ballads like "Put a Little Sugar in My Bowl" and powerful protest songs such as "Mississippi Goddam" and "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black," the anthem of the American Civil Rights movement. Coinciding with the re-release of her famous Philips Recordings, here are the reflections of the "High Priestess of Soul" on her own life.

The mesmerizing autobiography of one of the most revered soul, jazz, and blues divas of our time-the late Nina Simone. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Nina Simone is great, but this book needed more work
Nina Simone is a great artist with a compelling story to tell. Unfortunately, little of that story comes across in this book. Ms. Simone shares all sorts of details about her lovers, but very little about her music. There is almost nothing in the book about her recording sessions or why she sings particular songs the way she does. While Ms. Simone is very frank about her personal life, I would have liked to have learned more about her music. The book is also confusing because Ms. Simone will spend many pages on just a few days, and then entire years will be dismissed by a sentence or two. Ms. Simone's collaborator should have edited the book better and drawn out more music-related stories from her.

informative
I have enjoyed much of Nina Simone's music that I've been exposed to. I was anxious do read the story behind the singer/pianist. This was a good, brief account of her life and times. Going from a promising start as a classical pianist in the U.S. South to international fame as a singer, Simone saw and experienced a lot of things. The people she knew as friends/lovers seemed to be the elites in their fields. Her work shows that she sought perfection, but also had some insecurities. Many stemmed from the desire of her religious mother's approval. I wish her continued success because her music has made an impression on me.

I LOVE this book
This is a most fabulous book! I could not put it down! It's a fascinating account of Nina's life.....which is never a dull moment. Lots of incredible insight into what it's like to be a performer. Beautifully written, as though she's in the room with you, telling you her own story. Nina was such an amazing person, and there is so much depth in this book. I highly recommend this book....I can't say enough. If you love Nina, if you love autobiographies.....this is THE book!

Nina Simone writes about lovers, not music or her life
It's a sad commentary that Nina Simone wrote such a meaningless book in 1991. I couldn't wait to purchase it after it was released, yet I kept asking myself why she wrote it and who this woman really was. Besides being an interesting interpretor of jazz classics and folk songs, and well known for her ascerbic manner onstage and off, it would have been more thrilling to read about Simone as an artist, not the fact that she basically slept with every man that ever asked her. I felt a bit short changed by her writing...although most of it was no doubt ghostwritten, Nina Simone shows no real interest in music, instead considering jazz an afterthought in her career. She never goes into any details about her life except to blame her husband Andy Stroud for mismanaging her career, America for not giving her a chance, Curtis Institute of music for not accepting her application to study there, and the list goes on...if it were interesting reading, it might be ok. Still, most of this book is not well written at all...it is quite amateurish, and often boring...even the discography included at the back is lack luster..Nina Simone was so well associated with the Civil Rights Movement, yet you get no real feeling or emotion from her words, After reading the book, I continued to buy and listen to her music, but my respect for her is lacking. It's a shame that Nina Simone didn't realize her potential, but there were many artists worse off than Nina Simone, and I for one think she owes a great debt to the US for giving her success and the opportunity to succeed.

In Memoriam
In Memoriam of Nina Simone, the great singer, pianist, composer, arranger, songwriter, feminist, activist, mother and woman.

Nina was born in North Carolina, USA, February 21, 1933.

Although Nina was called the "High Priestess of Soul" by her fans and was regarded by them as an almost religious figure, she was often misunderstood as well. The High Priestess would walk different paths to find the adequate songs to spread her message.

A protest singer; a jazz singer; a pianist; an arranger and a composer, Nina Simone is a great artist who defies easy classification. She is all of these: a jazz-rock-pop-folk-black musician. In fact, we can find her biography in jazz, rock, pop, black and soul literature. Her style and her hits provided many singers and groups with material for hits of their own.

Nina Simone passed away on April 21, 2003 in Carry-le-Rouet, France. She was Aged 70.

She is survived by her daughter and will be forever missed - yet forever treasured.

May our high priestess find her path to peace. ... Read more

Book Description

“A mighty wind of fresh air. His pitiless self-examination—and his equally honest exploration of the racial, sexual, cultural, and class fault lines that thread our psychic and social landscape—is not only brave but necessary if our nation is to survive.”
—Michael Eric Dyson

“Kevin Powell is pushing to bring, as he has so brilliantly done before, the voices of his generation: the concerns, the cares, the fears, and the fearlessness.”
—Nikki Giovanni

In three mind-jolting essays by one of the most passionate and eloquent voices of his generation, Who’s Gonna Take the Weight? by Kevin Powell leads us to the heart of the searing issues facing us today, from manhood, violence, and gender oppression to celebrity culture and hip-hop. Using compelling personal stories as the connecting thread, he examines what this nation has become since the monumental upheavals of the 1960s and where it might be headed if we’re not careful.

Written one hundred years after W.E.B. DuBois’s The Souls of Black Folk and forty years after James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, Who’s Gonna Take the Weight? is an impassioned witness to the burning problems that have accompanied us on our journey through the twenty-first century. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

and in other tupac news...kevin powell wrote another book
he loves tupac....he has serious issues with Black Women....its a hard knock life....he was on the real world.....vibe magaizine...? Who is Kevin Powell?

I've read many of his works, and this is the end of the road for me. My biggest issue with him, is that he lacks balance and if he couldgt past his hurt feelings/bruised ego long enough, I could give more credence to what he says. He's like the Gary Coleman of writing. Sure he makes some valid points, but I could do without the bitching. I'll give him this, he's a good editor. I enjoyed Step Into A World. (minus the introduction) Give me Greg Tate, Mark Anthony Neal, Todd Boyd anyday!!!!

Lies, All Lies
The book was disappointing, man. Kevin could have done better.

Heavy words from a heavyweight
If Tupac Shakur was voice that represented the angst of troubled youth in hip-hop culture, than Kevin Powell is by all means the James Baldwin of that culture. Introduced to most of us 'as one of seven strangers picked to live in a loft to see what happens when people stop being nice and start being real', Powell brings to the surface some of his own painful realties as he deals with some of societies ugliest issues in, "Who's Gonna Take the Weight". In a brutally honest account of his own battles with misogyny, pride, and abandonment, the self-proclaimed Hip-Hop head, masterfully dissects causes and effects of a variety of social behaviors claiming the hearts and spirits of a large number of not only Black America, but also society at large. In questioning his own self destructive behaviors he answers the questions of the Black woman trying to love a Black Man, he answersthe question of the white kid who wants to emulate the hip-hop lifestyle he sees on television, he answers the Black middle class who forgot they were ever poor and he answers the "Man" who perpetuates the images continually seen through all forms of media. What does he answer? Simply why do you act like that? Eloquently breaking down the correlation between the civil rights movement and hip-hop culture, Powell uses his own "issues" as examples of what's wrong and how to begin to fix them. It shows that we all truly need to take the weight individually and collectively. Compelling, clear and concise the latest addition to his collection of essays is truly Keeping it Real!

a compelling look at the truth of manhood, race and hip-hop
Beyond the scope of any other book detailing the perils and prosperity of being both a man and a hip-hop head, Kevin Powell sheds a hidden understanding of the myths and glaring truths associated with these two misunderstood complexities in life. Using his life experiences and the starking parellels that he shared with the late Tupac Shakur, KP helps the reader disect the meaning of power and how many of us walk in the frozen images of power that is given to us by society when we never took a chance to understand power or our powerlessness and vulnerabilities of being a man.
Simply put, this book opens the objective reader to a tainted, yet reasonably truthful and analytical picture of manhood, race, power, and hip-hop that has been painted by artists who created a messed up display...they just wanted others to look at the depiction as beauty.
This book is a must read! ... Read more

Book Description

Praise for Conceived in Liberty:
"An ambitious book, a history of the North and South from before the war to theend of Reconstruction. . . . Remarkable." (The New York Times BookReview)

In the late 1820s, Sarah and Angelina Grimké traded their elite position asdaughters of a prominent slaveholding family in Charleston, South Carolina, fora life dedicated to abolitionism and advocacy of women's rights. The sistersbecame leaders in the anti-slavery movement, and their actions have had lastingrepercussions on the way Americans strive for equality and social justice, eventoday. In 1868, Angelina and Sarah discovered that their deceased brother hadhad children by a slave. True to their ideals, the Grimké sisters invited theirnephews into their lives, helped educate them, and gave them the means to starta new life. Archibald and Francis continued the fight for equality, becoming twoof the most noted African Americans of their time. Francis, an influentialPresbyterian minister, and Archibald, a lawyer, diplomat, writer, and editor,were deeply involved in the burgeoning civil rights movement and the founding ofthe NAACP. Archibald's daughter, Angelina Weld Grimké, became a seminal HarlemRenaissance poet and playwright.

At once a social history and family biography, Lift Up Thy Voiceillustrates how the question of race dominates American history. Readers with apassion for American history, the Civil War, reform politics, and the earlywomen's and civil rights movements will be fascinated by the inspiring tale ofthis remarkable family and its leadership over the century that made Americawhat it is today. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Beautiful Story
I agree with reviewer Dan E. Moldea who suggests that the film studios will line up behind this one.It's a wonderfully crafted story which makes you feel you are inside the story.Kudos to author Mark Perry.He is a wonderfully talented story teller.

An inspiration to young women
Lift Up Thy Voice is a compelling tale of two sisters that will inspire young women to speak up and fight for what they believe. This book recounts the significant, yet often ignored role women played in the abolition of slavery. But beyond the facts of history I enjoyed reading the more personal story of the sisters and the effect their strong beliefs had on their personal lives. Even today having strong feminist views is not without its consequences, but these women spoke out at a time when women belonged their fathers and then to their husbands, rarely to themselves. Mark Perry has written an excellent and comprehensive history of this family and I would recommend it to readers interested in women's history as well as African American history.

Fabulous!
Mark Perry follows his important last book on the Civil War with this gem about two remarkable American families, one black and the other white.The only remaining question is:Which Hollywood studio will get the film rights?Perry is quickly becoming one of America's best storytellers. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1963, Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. launched the Civil Rights movement and demonstrated to the world the power of nonviolent direct action. Why We Can't Wait recounts not only the Birmingham campaign, but also examines the history of the civil rights struggle and the tasks that future generations must accomplish to bring about full equality for African Americans. Dr. King's eloquent analysis of these events propelled the Civil Rights movement from lunch counter sit-ins and prayer marches to the forefront of the American consciousness.

With a special new afterword by The Reverend Jesse Jackson. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Why we protest in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963.
I often wonder why we honor Martin Luther King with a holiday. For those who wonder why, read this book. In this book, King uses non violent techniques to force a change in the structure of race relations in this brutal city. The sixties could have been such a violent time in America had it not been for Dr. King.
With his techniques, he changed the social landscape in the deep South for the better. Why we can't wait is his reason why blacks should no