No comments about Telling Histories: Black Women Historians in the Ivory Tower (Gender and American Culture).

5 comments about Cornbread and Dim Sum: A Memoir of a Heart Glow Romance.

1. This was a beautiful, poignant story that needed to be told. I thank Mrs. Sue and her family for allowing the public to take a glimpse at the obstacles she and her husband faced, which only made their love stronger.



2. The entire book was so warm and inviting. It was truly nice to be invited into the Authors life. Being in a BW/AM relationship it was nice to finally read a book with experiences that related close to my own. Thanks to the author for the courage and time spent writing this enriching memoir.



3. I was fascinated and riveted by this personal love story between a Chinese man and African-American woman. The sad part is that I normally would not have picked up this type of genre of a book to read it. That would have been a shame and I would have missed a wonderfully told tale of the heart and the soul.
   
   Cornbread and Dim Sum is more than a look at the lives of two people caught up in the racial tensions caused by their inter-racial relationship - we also get a look at marriage, love, family values and cultural differences. Being a white male, this book afforded me an insider view of their unique life together that I would not otherwise have been afforded. I came away a better person for having read this book. It opened my eyes to what love is all about. Their lives are fully exposed on the pages of this book and honestly dealt with through the easy to read emotional prose of author, Jacqueline Annette Sue. She takes you along her life journey as reflections and remembrances while preparing for her younger daughter's wedding. The writing style works to weave the past and present into a mosaic of emotional and spiritual imagery of where their life took them.
   
   This book is not so much about racial differences that tend to separate us, but about what is means to be a human being. I found this book hard to put down once I got into the first several pages - I was hooked. I had devoured the entire book in less than 24 hours on having it in my hands. I give this book my highest rating and recommendation. This is not just a book for women or ethnic readers - this book does deal with some racial issues that divided people but their love story transcends all that. You will come away seeing these two people not just as an African-American and Chinese couple but as human beings who endured all that happened in their lives because they found a love much greater than anything that would harm that relationship. I fell in love with their story and think that other readers will as well.
   
   Note:
   
   Author Jacqueline Sue is now writing a screen play about Vietnam where she recently made a heartfelt journey. We look forward to reviewing it when it is completed.



4. Cornbread and Dim Sum has received the INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD.



5. I was hooked by this book from the first words I read. Mrs. Sue uses a warm and direct style to convey scene and emotion in a way that can almost be felt viscerally by the reader. In describing her unique experience of a life built upon a love between people of different races, the author pulls few punches when describing both the pain and uncertainty of being faced with obvious discrimination as well as the joys and deeply felt passions for her husband and daughters that were a part of her journey through life. This book earns my highest recommendation.

5 comments about With Billie: A New Look at the Unforgettable Lady Day.

1. This book is rather interesting. It gives a unique look at this prolific artist through minimally edited first hand encounters. That being said this book would seem rather confusing and completely unenlightening to someone who knows nothing about Billie's life. For those who wish to learn more about the singers life and career I would recommend "wishing on the Moon" or "Billie Holiday" by stuart nicholson.



2. I usually enjoy reading biographies, but this was more of a string of "interviews" with people who partied with Billie and were by and large apparentley (or even admittedly) drunk and/or high when they gave the interviews. The stories they told often conflicted with stories they told before and I started getting the feeling that this was nothing more than fanciful ramblings of drunken nostalgia from most of the authors "sources". Very little of the material was directly about Billie...it was mostly stories told of that period of time and whatever the interviewer was doing around then. Mostly they simply "brushed up against" Billie either personally or professinally.
   
   As far as Billie herself goes, I found almost no redeaming qualities in her based on the material in the book. If you believe what is presented here she was nothing more than a foul-mouthed bisexual hooker with a major drug and alcohol problem who happend to capture a little limelight for her singing between turning tricks and partying hard. I love Billie's music, and this is the only book I've read about her so I'm left a little bewiledered and find myself trying to decide what to believe. Yes, her upbringing s*cked, but a lot of people claw their way out of a bad upbringing and live lives that aren't defined by prostitution and heroin.
   
   This book is more about the underground culture of Harlem in the 30's than it is about Billie. It is a rambling presentation of memories that are suspect at best, and offers very little insight to the woman whom it is supposed to be about.



3. An amalgam of interviews of people who knew Billie Holliday, each giving his or her version of Billie's life. Not easy reading sometimes -- maybe the information in the footnotes could have been incorporated in the text more smoothly -- but the thoughts and feelings of all these people, taken together, form a portrait of Billie that is immediate and vibrant, full of joy and grief, but at the same time that keeps you aware that you can never know the source of the magic of great artistry.



4. Julia Blackburn's biography of Billie Holiday is disappointing. She makes poor use of what appears to be excellent research by Linda Kuehl. Some of the interview material is fascinating, but it is poorly cobbled together.
   
   It's small wonder that this book gets intolerant and hateful reviews like that of Desiree Troy (though I suspect this particular reviewer is very young and inexperienced, given their extremely naive perspective). You get very little sense from reading this book of why Billie Holiday's music is still important to people nearly fifty years after her death, and seventy years after her prime.
   
   You cannot evaluate Billie Holiday just from reading this book, and in fact you probably shouldn't read it at all.



5. This is a rehash of interviews that were used much better by Stuart Nicholson. How Julia Blackburn can take credit for writing a book is beyond me.
   As for Billie Holiday I love her work and her lifestyle was for the times the story of many black women that will forever go untold.
   Prostitution was rampant during the great depression and any reader who wants to moralize best do so on a empty stomich. As for billes ghost wrtitten biography if you read it properly then read stuart nicholsons work u will see many truths that beforehand were thought of as lies. This book disappointed me greatly and I've read evry damn book they have written about her. Thank god I read it 4 free at the libary. Its not bad but it isn't good either

1 comments about Song in a Weary Throat: An American Pilgrimage.

1. This wonderful and important book has been reissued by the University of Tennessee Press as Pauli Murray: The Autobiography.

4 comments about Low Road: The Life and Legacy of Donald Goines.

1. This is, by far, the best biography of Donald Goines availible. It incorporates every ounce of availible material, including interviews that will soon be impossible given the presently diminishing number of individuals to consult. Some people have objected to the asides about the state of black America and the situation in Detroit in the book, but the only reason for such asides is clearly the sheer lack of information availible on the life of Goines. If one cannot describe what Goines himself was doing during a particular period of time, one might as well give a description of the events he and those around him were experiencing at that time.



2. This is a biography of Donald Goines, who wrote a lot of sleazy ghetto fiction books. The only book of his that I have read is Dopefiend, which is good, but is also one of the most depressing books I have ever read. But anyway about Low Road, its not that its bad but this is very incomplete. I really didn't feel like I knew that much about Goines except he was a junkie, he was a convict, he was a criminal, he was murdered. There is a lot of filler in this book too where the author goes into general history of the times that Goines lived. I'd only recomend this to people who are really into Goines. If you only have a casual interest in Goines this book really isn't worth your time.



3. Daddy Cool, Black Girl Lost, Dopefiend -- these and the numerous other works published by Donald Goines brought the streets to the pages of a book. Goines was most qualified to write about the themes he covered in his books because much of what he wrote about, he lived. LOW ROAD covers most of his short life, beginning with his childhood, highlighting his family life as well as his less than stellar academic career. Next his decision to join the military and his military life is discussed. Goines' military experiences are a critical turning point in his life because it is while enlisted that Goines develops the drug addiction that would haunt him for the rest of his life. After leaving the military, he returns home with no job prospects and an addiction to support; it is then that he really commits to hustling and quickly gets caught up in life on the streets.
   
   As a result of his criminal activity, he eventually finds himself incarcerated, during which time he is exposed to the works of Iceberg Slim and is inspired to write. Upon his release, Goines was able to secure a series of book deals and was able to achieve a certain degree of success as a writer. In spite of this, his personal demons continued to have a strong hold and his personal life remained one of frustration, poverty and addiction. The murders of Goines and his girlfriend remain unsolved to this day, and while there are many theories as to what killed him, most believe the murder was simply his past catching up with him.
   
   The author obviously spent a great deal of time and research and the result is a well balanced look at Goines. Readers will better understand the factors which ultimately led to his self-destructive lifestyle while seeing first hand how success is not always enough to overcome a drug addiction. Goines' murder resulted in the loss of a talented writer who had the unique ability to bring the grit and realism of the streets to life in an engaging and gripping story. The fact that his murder remains unsolved and that Goines died virtually penniless and still addicted to heroin adds to the bitter irony of his life.
   
   There were times when I felt the book had a bit too much fluff, with the author spending too much time discussing the times rather than Goines himself, I still felt the book was informative and an enjoyable read. If you are a fan of the writings of Donald Goines or have ever wondered about the man behind the books, then LOW ROAD is a necessary and worthy addition to your reading library. (RAW Rating: 3.5)
   
   Reviewed by Stacey Seay
   of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers



4. Tortured Genius. To me, that's what this cat was. Eddie Allen Jr's book revealed more about the man and the events of his time as well as any other biography about another public figure. Surprisingly, or maybe not to some, Goines grew up in a stable household in which his father owned and operated his own business with the help of his supportive wife. There is no mention of drug use by his parents or other siblings while he grew up. It makes his story even more complicated, and makes people wonder as to why he chose the route he took. Allen takes us back to the turbulent times of the early 20th century and the events that took place, not only in the city of Detroit, but the country as a whole. He drew some interesting parallels, including one that links Goines' father and Joe Louis as buddies during Lewis' reign as champion of the world. That one aspect of Allen's work re-affirmed to me it is a small world indeed. Allen continues as he tells readers about Goines becoming a pimp, bootlegger, and later, being arrested and locked behind bars. He also tells plenty about Goines' increasingly dangerous habit of heroin, which he even displays to his younger sister, all the while, warning her if he ever caught her doing what he was showing her, he would kill her. It was a frightening and hypocritical display, but nonetheless, it most likely proved effective. Allen goes on to tell about Goines picking up the works of Iceberg Slim, and forming his own stories using Slim's as a blueprint, so to speak. Throughout the book, Allen provides plenty of documentation and other sources to prove this is indeed a work of authenticity, including a piece Goines wrote one year before his death entitled, "Private Thoughts on a Lonely Sunday, September 1, 1973." Allen also lets us know about Goines' inner struggle with his addiction, and how desperately he wanted to "kick" the habit out of his life. In the end, his struggles and other wrongdoings in the past came back to haunt him. Allen did a terrific job in not turning this into a sob story. Donald Goines was no saint, but he is admired by many, such as myself, for telling his own stories, his own life, using his imagination, and telling stories from the heart in the most vivid, brutal, harsh, but also heart-felt fashion.

2 comments about South to a Very Old Place.

1. If Langston Huges is the poet laureate of Jazz, then Albert Murray is its scribe. Murray's indelible style continues in this wonderful trip down South. Murray grew up in Mobile, Alabama, after high school he went to Tuskegee Institute then on to the military where he was the first black to become an officer in US Air Force history. After retiring from the Air Force Murray settled in New York City where he lives today. A number of years ago Murray's publisher suggested that he go home and write about the differences in Mobile before WWII and Mobile now. Murray takes the reader along with him on his trip through his own personal history with remarkable rhythm. There are any number of notable sequences including the first paragraph which destined to join the ranks of "Call me Ishmael" and "It was the best of times it was the worst of times..." Another striking point in the novel is when Murray checks into a celebrated hotel in his hometown and his bags are carried by a young white boy who calls him sir and mister. It is contrast against Murray's memories of this same hotel that he was not allowed to enter when he was a boy because he was black. The book also includes plenty of the rhythmic writing that has made Murray one of America's most cherished authors.



2. If Langston Huges is the poet laureate of Jazz, then Albert Murray is its scribe. Murray's indelible style continues in this wonderful trip down South. Murray grew up in Mobile, Alabama, after high school he went to Tuskegee Institute then on to the military where he was the first black to become an officer in US Air Force history. After retiring from the Air Force Murray settled in New York City where he lives today. A number of years ago Murray's publisher suggested that he go home and write about the differences in Mobile before WWII and Mobile now. Murray takes the reader along with him on his trip through his own personal history with remarkable rhythm. There are any number of notable sequences including the first paragraph which is destined to join the ranks of "Call me Ishmael" and "It was the best of times it was the worst of times..." Another striking point in the novel is when Murray checks into a celebrated hotel in his hometown and his bags are carried by a young white boy who calls him sir and mister. It is contrast against Murray's memories of this same hotel that he was not allowed to enter when he was a boy because he was black. The book also includes plenty of the rhythmic writing that has made Murray one of America's most cherished authors.

No comments about Swing That Music.

2 comments about Africans in Brazil: A Pan-African Perspective.

1. I liked this book and Abdias had a lot of great ideas on improving conditions for people of African descent. I would say that he is a mix of Malcom-X and DuBois in his thinking. Many Brazilian say that his big error was pushing for too many changes too fast! Abdias actually taught at several universities in the US while in exile. I think that it may come as a surprise to many that he never learned how to speak English and his wife had to translate his lectures as he spoke. Also surprising is that his wife is a white American woman.



2. Imagine if Amiri Baraka or Nathan Mccall were Brazilian: you'd have Abdias do Nascimento. Do Nascimento argues that the portrayal of Brazil as this race-mixing paradise is a racist myth meant to deny how much the country owes to African people and influences. It's a strong tail about African pride. Many people that argue for integration and miscegenation will be turned off by this book, but hopefully they will find it a provocative read as well. This book really gave me an idea of how pan-Africanism is global. If you're an angry Black person like myself, then you are really going to like this book.

1 comments about Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Making of a Mind.

1. My favorite kind of book is one that makes you want to read twenty or thirty others because of the titles and writers referred to by the author. You think you're reading a single book, but by the time you close it, you've been introduced to a whole community.

   John Ansbro's book on Dr. King's philosophy of nonviolence is like that. First published twenty years ago and thankfully re-released, the book helps us understand King's nonviolence through careful and interesting discussions of the influences on him. Ansbro traces King's personalism and focus on agape ethics through thinkers such as Howard Thurman, Kant, Nygren, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Niebuhr, DuBois Gandhi, and Thoreau. Especially useful is his discussion of King's views on collective evil and what he sees as its alternative, the "beloved community." Equally useful and fascinating is Ansbro's comparison of Dr. King's nonviolence to Franz Fanon's and Malcolm X's (early) espousal of violence.

   Reading this book is an education not only in Dr. King's philosophy and stragegy of nonviolent resistance, but also on nonviolence as taught and practiced through the ages. In this day and age, when we seem even more ready than in days past to resort to violence as a way of settling differences, the re-issue of Ansbro's book is a Godsend.

5 comments about Watch Me Fly: What I Learned on the Way to Becoming the Woman I Was Meant to Be.

1. A friend who knows that I will be traveling to Mississippi in the summer presented this book to me. She gave it to me to help me understand what I was getting into, but the book provided me with courage and knowledge that pertains to life outside of Mississippi. This is a book that everyone should read, young and old. I can't tell you how much it has touched me personally or how it stirred something that was hidden deep inside of me. Through Ms. Evers-Williams' wisdom, personal reflections, anecdotes, and trials she weaves a story of despair and triumph. This book has something in it for everyone, and regardless of color, age, gender, ethnicity, or political party (everything that could possibly divide you and I) this book will change thinking and express feelings that cannot be articulated. I learned about relationships and coping under intense pressure. She clarified so many things for me that I began highlighting the book, studying it as if she was going to test me on the material. But she won't test me, life will! Watch Me Fly is nothing less then a gift to the world, and it would be a great misfortune if this resource were not taken advantage of. I strongly encourage you to read it, immediately!!!

   But not only did Watch Me Fly basically change my perspective on life and past situations, it also prepared me for the future. As Ms. Evers-Williams goes through life, sometimes winning and sometimes facing stumbling blocks, all of her lessons learned readied me for upcoming situations in my own life. Her triumphs are glorious; I found myself cheering out loud for her. Her successes and failures inspired me to take my first steps into the real world without fear, and I have a new confidence that cannot be broken. Her faith and perseverance nurtured my strengths, which resulted in a better outlook on life and Mississippi this summer. If Ms. Evers-Williams ever reads this, I want to tell her how much I appreciate her effort, it has really, really meant a lot to me.




2. I thought I knew who Myrlie Evers-Williams was. She is much more than "the widow of." She worked her way to the top of the private sector, government and one of the country's oldest and most well known organizations, the NAACP. She did all of this while raising 3 children alone after the death of her husband.

   This book is a guide and an inspiration to all women. It is ironic that while I was reading this book her husband's murderer, Byron DeLaBeckwith, died. I did not know how long she worked to bring his killer to justice and how much more grief she had to bear in doing so.

   Myrlie Evers-Williams is an amazing woman. Anyone interested in the history of the civil right's movement, women's issues, or modern American history will enjoy this book.




3. I found in Myrlie Evers-Williams, every woman. The various stages which were necessary for her to experience inorder for her to evolve to where she is at this stage proved to be challenging, growth producing, relentless, endless and represent the light at the end of the tunnel. I found myself visualizing and feeling the pain, the depth of darkness and the state of bewilderment. She has become a woman to be honored and deservant of noteworthy praise. To have to watch the struggles of the two men in her life, their relationship within this context and their unltimate deaths, phew! that within itself leaves you in limbo. Then to make the moves to new regions with her children in search for a better life and more opportunity and a chance to find herself takes a great deal of courage. I applaud her and take pleasure in having read the story behind the stories. An astounding woman!



4. This book is a heart-wrenching autobiography of a timid, young southern girl raised and influenced by two strong African American women, her grandmother and aunt, who prepared Myrlie to face a lifetime of struggle and survival. Myrlie Evers-Williams is a formidable personality and role-model.

   I especially enjoyed the book's focus on Myrlie's personal life as opposed to the Civil Rights Movement, and the way I could relate to many of the childhood traditions she was raised by. Her suffering brought tears to my eyes as I read, as well as, a feeling of validation and peace in the direction of my life. At one juncture, Myrlie referred to her tendency to repress an observation until it was grammatically structured in her mind to perfection, thus running the risk of another more confident individual expressing her very idea. I must say I laughted at this self-editing process as it has been a personal fault of mine all my life-waiting for perfection before speaking and thereby missing the opportunity.

   This book has also fueled my fire in questioning and remembering who I am and from whence I came. How far can I go back in my family tree, what are the family names, what are and were their personalities and how much of them do I bring to my life?

   WATCH ME FLY should be read by all single mothers so they can see how a strong woman like Myrlie Evers-Williams once struggled and wrestled with the same types of obstacles they face everyday. Yet, Myrlie Evers-Williams not only survived but became successful in her own right.




5. Thanks to Myrlie for her selfless sharing of her experiences. She inspired me to take risks heretofore postponed. It is truly inspirational and moving.