5 comments about Singing in a Strange Land: C. L. Franklin, the Black Church, and the Transformation of America.

1. In my humble opinion, the history delineated in this writing should be taught in classrooms across America and beyond! I learned so much about the evolution of citizenship, religion in the USA, and music of all genres from this book. I was left feeling that I owe such a great debt to so many who suffered and sacrificed so much that I can enjoy life in this country. The privileges and the luxuries we bask in have deep roots enlivened by much blood, sweat and tears. So much was made clear, especially where it pertains to different music artists, their styles of delivery and their associations with other genres of artists.
   
   I grew up loving both Rev. C. L. Franklin and Clara Ward. I was glad to learn that they loved each other, as Aretha Franklin also attests.



2. "Singing in a Strange Land" is very valuable as a sketch of this highly successful, complex legend. It was a compelling read that prompted me to read biographies of two of the most famous supporting characters, Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward. For chronicles of these I read, and highly recommend, "Got to Tell It", Jules Schwerin's unsparing bio of Mahalia and "How I Got Over", Willa Ward-Royster's portrait of her gifted sister Clara Ward. Besides the priceless info about Mahalia and Clara, these biographies provide further details about C. L. Indeed, one of the vignettes in "Got to Tell It" (a conversation between Mahalia and Aretha about C. L.'s alleged drug use) paints a portrait of C. L. that leads me to suspect that daughter Erma Franklin's cooperation with "Singing in a Strange Land" was possibly conditioned on Salvatore's silence on some matters. Notwithstanding details of C. L.'s life unavailable elsewhere, and whatever self-exposure a preacher betrays in his sermons, "Singing in a Strange Land"'s shortcoming is the reader is left in the dark about C. L.'s thoughts and feelings. This is not the author's fault as Salvatore repeatedly refers to C. L.'s reticence to speak about personal feelings -- particularly about his early life in the Jim Crow South. Accordingly the reader is forced to draw inferences about the man, many of which may be unflattering due to the minister's impious personal life (e.g., his wife's decision to leave the philanderer though it meant painful separation from four of her young children).



3. If you live in America, particularly its big cities, you need it. If you lived through any part of the 20th century, you need it. "Singing in a Strange Land..." is a timely witness of the life of Rev. C.L. Franklin as an intersection of many apparently unrelated roads. Most interestingly, it gives insight to a time before Rev. Franklin was thought of as "Aretha's daddy". It chronicles the era when she was "the Rev.'s singing little girl".
   
   Aside from the strictly biographical aspects of this volume, there is much to reward those interested in subjects as diverse as the show business of gospel music, Detroit municipal politics, the civil-rights movement and even the growth of the Black community in Buffalo, NY! But, it it is a true pageturner, because Mr. Salvatore's writing never bores.
   
   Now dear reader, I am no expert on literature or scholastic research, but like the man in the museum looking at a Picasso, " I know what I like". I like this effort by Mr. Salvatore, and I believe you will, too. Don't miss it!



4. I enjoyed reading the book not only to hear about black history but to read about my daughter's history. Alyssa Ellan Smith who will be turning one on 1/4/05 will always have her history of her family in a book. Her grandmother Carl Ellan Kelley a remarkable woman who overcame many roadblocks in her life looks into Alyssa's eyes. Alyssa is a blessing to us but in an eerie feeling to look at Alyssa is to look at C.L. Franklin. From her eyes to her chin to the smile on her face she is an identical to her great-grandfather. We hold up pictures of the two and put them down in amazement. The book finally told the truth of Carl Ellan Kelley she was only a child who because of shame was raised by her grandparents who raised her to be a wonderful person. Thank you C.L. Franklin for giving us the gift of life our Grandmother and mother a woman who inspires me.



5. Readers interested in both black church music and black history will relish Singing In A Strange Land: C.L. Franklin, The Black Church, And The Transformation Of America. More than just a biography of C.L. Franklin, Singing In A Strange Land uses Franklin's background to explore both African American religion and musical development in America. Salvatore spent eight years extensively researching, including interviewing Franklin's associates, to develop a winning biography which includes so much more than civil rights history alone.

3 comments about An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Privilege.

1. Serious bibliophiles know that J.P. Morgan's Library (The Morgan Library & Museum is its current name) is the holy shrine of book collecting - the greatest archive of rare books, historical and literary original manuscripts, exquisite medieval illuminated manuscripts, music manuscripts, fine art drawings, ancient seals, etc... in the Western Hemisphere - and perhaps the world. Belle da Costa Greene, as one of the primary forces in molding the collection, and the institution's first director, would be worthy of note for that role alone. But Belle is far more. She was a brilliant art historian, whose tastes and scholarship made a real impact on bibliography and art criticism. She was also a coquettish beauty and epic flirt, whose long and literary infatuations (particularly the torrid one with the titanic art critic Bernard Berenson) are worthy of note. She's also worthy of note as a pioneering independent woman in a field dominated by men. Ultimately, however, it's her ambiguous and troubling racial identity for which she is best known.
   
   The fact is that Belle Greene's father, Richard Greener, was the first African American graduate of Harvard University. Greener had a distinguished but troubled career as a civil rights leader - ending up estranged from his family and serving as a diplomat in Vladivostok. Belle's mother took the family across the racial line in Belle's late childhood and they all passed as white. So Belle was raised as a black in her early childhood and as a white in her late childhood. She attended Amherst and Princeton as a white (obviously, since Princeton wouldn't have a black graduate until 1951). She worked very closely with J.P. Morgan - a man of very traditional racial and ethnic biases. (J.P. Morgan famously wouldn't meet with Joe Kennedy (JFK's father, and director of the NY Stock Exchange at the time) because he was Irish). She also had a close professional relationship with Jack Morgan - J.P.'s son and CEO of the Morgan empire through its period of greatest power - who had even more conservative views than his father. Belle traversed the world of high society, constantly attending the cultural events, parties, and dinners of the NY elite 400. How she reconciled race, power, prestige, and her own identity is a fascinating subject. Heidi Ardizzone treats the subject with admirable finesse - particularly her lovely postmodern racial sensibility that the label of "blackness" was prejudicial and punitive - that the notion of "passing" is limited and obsolete. No one should be quick to judge Belle for her actions, given that the question of which of her roughly equal mix of white and black ancestries should take precedence is a racist question to begin with. The issue of dishonor in not acknowledging race is complicated by the amoral quality of wrongful discrimination in the categorizing of race to begin with.
   
   Belle is a tough subject for a biography because she burned all her papers near the end of her life - a romantic and extravagant gesture for a romantic and extravagant woman. Ardizzone pulls a rabbit out of hat in creating a detailed biography by sheer grit and determination. She has combed all the archives of those who conversed with Belle (at a time when everyone was prolific letter writers and the letters of important people were often saved). Bernard Berenson's archives contained 400 of Belle's letters - but Ardizzone went far further. She takes historical sources of all kinds from the places she knew Belle was to reconstruct parts of Belle's life for which there are no primary sources. The end result has pockets of speculation, but a remarkable wealth of detail. The whole thing is rigorously end-noted. I'll confess that sometimes I found it had too much detail slowing the narrative pace - but Belles amazing life makes the bit of persistence necessary worth the (sometimes) effort. Ardizzone isn't too dry. I love the moment where she punctuates a combative exchange between powerful women with the decidedly un-academic narrative flourish "Meow"! Ultimately, it's easy to recommend this book to anyone with a taste for biography and an interest in art history, The Morgan, or identity politics.



2. When you read this book it should be clear to you that Belle Da Costa Greene was not "black" or "African American" but a mixed-race white or white person of mixed ancestry. Her mother and siblings also embraced their European heritage and rejected the forced "Negro" stigma that a racist government might have imposed on them if they had been subservient enough to allow it. Belle and her family should be praised for the bravery and self-respect that allowed them to live as they wanted to live. Imposing a forced "black" identity on Belle or anyone else accused of "passing for white" is the moral equivalent of endorsing the Nuremberg Laws that condemned Jews as too "inferior" to claim a German or other European culture and identity because they were only "inferior" Semites.
   
   It is amazing to me how people who claim to be against "racism" are often prepared (usually at the behest of the black-identified) to condemn other whites as too inferior to be white because of "black blood" (Note that Hispanics and Arabs are usually exempt from this stigma because of their political power and social cohesion). Of course, the "politically correct" terminology is to claim that the alleged "passer" rejected morally superior blacks for morally inferior whites, but "everyone" understands what is truly meant. Books that should be read in addition to this one in order to give a fairer picture: PASSING FOR WHO YOU REALLY ARE and LEGAL HISTORY OF THE COLOR LINE.Passing for Who You Really Are



3. In 1911 one Bella da Costa Greene made New York newspaper headlines by buying a book from one of Britain's finest printers, succeeding at a high-profile auction which allowed her to walk away with the book for half of what her employer had authorized her to pay, despite aggressive bidding. She would spend some forty years at her employer's resulting library and become its first director - but the real story of her achievement, which includes her African-American heritage, lack of formal art education, and bohemian lifestyle, remained hidden until now. AN ILLUMINATED LIFE charts her rise to culture and prosperity and provides an extraordinary, gripping memoir of an amazing woman which is perfect for any general interest library strong in biographical memoirs, art history, or even Afro-American notable figures.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

5 comments about Martin Luther: A Life.

1. James Nestingen graduated from of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota in 1967, earned a master of divinity degree from Luther Seminary in 1971, and the master of theology degree in 1978. In 1984, He received his doctorate in theology from St. Michael's College, University of Toronto.
   
   Following his ordination in 1971, he served as a parish pastor for two congregations. In 1980, Nestingen returned to Luther Seminary as a professor of church history. Today, he is part of a renewal movement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, trying to return his church body to its confessional roots.
   
   At first look, Nestingen's book appears as nothing special: the book is cheaply bound and the print is too small. However, do not let such dissatisfiers dissuade you from reading this book. Like some other recent Martin Luther biographies, Nestingen tries to get the reader to understand the man Luther and his theology. Nestingen mostly succeeds. If I can say anything negative about this book, it is this: it is too short to flesh out his thoughts and put Luther more in context within his medieval, historical surroundings.
   
   Luther: a Life takes more dedication to read than, perhaps, what is considered (and rightly so) the current-day standard of Luther biographies: Kittleson's Luther the Reformer. Nestingen delves more deeply into Luther's mind and theology, yet skimps on covering some historical events that were simultaneously taking place. Although Nestingen's theological explanations are needed to understand Luther, they are never discussions merely to impress, or are they off-putting. However, Nestingen puts the reader in the precarious position of filling the depth, shadows, and color of much of what takes place in Luther's life.
   
   Starting chronologically, Nestingen glosses over Luther's early life and does not slow down to delve deeper until Luther becomes a monk. But as he digs deeper, one begins to see the rich deposits stored in Luther's mind that Nestingen brings to light. Nestingen describes the Christian life as "a dance of dying to Christ in the crucifixions of everyday life to be raised with him to newness of life--life in faith" (pg. 23). The very next page, Nestingen proclaims the purpose of preaching within the Church: "[it is] not merely to communicate information or to appeal to people's wills, but actually to give the gifts and benefits of Christ Jesus." Oh, what joy to read from a man who truly understands Luther!
   
   But Luther the man and theologian is not one so easily grasped. Nonetheless, Nestingen in short order opens a door to a way of thinking that we living in the 21st century do not naturally have: we contend for the "golden mean" or the ideal, middle ground. Yet, Luther worked within a dialectical world--a world of seeming opposites. Nestingen writes, "Truth comes out of the dialectic, that is, from the way in which two extremes butt up against one another to limit or to establish each other" (pg. 35). Luther "is paradoxical, so that it often seems as though he is contradicting himself, saying one thing in one situation, something completely different in another" (pg. 36).
   
   On Luther's "Gospel discovery," his "tower experience," I agree with Nestingen (and Lohse) that it probably coincided with his name change from Luder the Luther, "a small change based on the Greek word for freedom, elutherius. I see the similarity as too exceptional simply to explain Luther's name change as merely a respelling from Low/Middle German to High German.
   
   As Luther aged and chaos began to rule in much of Germany, Nestingen brings out more than other biographies the strain it took on Luther and Melanchthon's friendship. Nestingen also revisits that strain renewed in their theological differences well into 1530s and 40s (pgs 92-93). In addition, Nestingen uses enough pages to show clearly what was at stake in the debate between Erasmus and Luther on human free will. I found his treatment of the Peasants' War especially balanced; he shows Luther's efforts of trying to bring peace and order, but how poor timing and excessive blustering brought his efforts to nothing (pgs. 57-58).
   
   Chapter 6, "Luther at Home: Refuge from Chaos," shows Luther the family man, focusing on the relationship between Luther and Katie. If it were not for Katie, Luther would probably have given everything away. Katie was a strong and astute household manager, and perhaps, at times, proud. But Luther and Katie loved each other dearly. Luther's letter to Katy on February 10, 1546 had me cackling with laughter at the banter they shared as husband and wife.
   
   When Emperor Charles V commanded the Lutheran princes to explain their beliefs, Nestingen gets under the surface and shows what took place for the Augsburg Confession to become a reality. "Consulting the Marburg Colloquy, [Melanchthon] edited the Schwabach Articles. . . . He then added three articles of his own . . . [and] finished the work on liturgical matters begun at Torgau" (pg. 85). Eventually, he even shows how the Emperor's reluctance to tolerate the Lutheran churches led to the eventual state-churches in Europe.
   
   Martin Luther: a Life shows well the chaos that the Reformation had wrought by the late 1530s. "Luther's old friend Agricola had turned on him and left town. The Swiss were blocking an agreement on the sacrament [of the Lord's Supper]. He had given up on councils . . . the emperor was poised to make good on his threats" (pg 100). By 1545, Luther was so tired of his fellow Wittenbergers' moral laxity and abuse of the Gospel that he, in effect, went on strike.
   
   Martin Luther: a Life is an admirable book, primarily weakened because its length is too short to do full justice to the sweep of Nestingen's look into Luther's life. If the book had more supplementary information to paint a fuller palette--and had a proper binding and text size!--this book could surely supplant Kittleson's as the biography of Luther to read.



2. Slapped together, obviously. Hard to read the print is so small and crammed together. Some egg-head approach to Luther. Don't bother.



3. It is surprising how bad this book really is. I have to echo what others have said here. I thought, "Oh, come on, can't be as bad as they said." It's worse!

   Pathetic to think a publishing company that is supposed to be Lutheran would put out something this poor. But, as I look at other things that Augsburg-Fortress offers, it is not surprising. They are so into politically correct left-wing theology it is not really a mystery why they would give a book on Luther such short schrift.

   Bad layout, design, printing, formatting and writing.

   A real bummer of a book.




4. I have to agree with the negative reviews posted here. The book "Martin Luther: A Life" was obviously slapped together in a hurry and printed very poorly. You do have to just about break the book in half to read the text, it is printed in small hard to read type, on low quality paper, set very densely together. It almost looks to me like somebody printed this on their home printer! Pictures from the movie are slapped into the middle of the book with no rhyme or reason, and the credits are as large as the picture titles, making them irritating to view.

   The text of the book is written with a "snippy" attitude of, "Oh, well, yes, Luther and all that, but today we know this that an another thing." I was expecting better when I ordered this book. I thought, "Oh, come now, the negative reviews can't be right, and I read the positive reviews and thought, this can't be too bad."

   WRONG it is a very poor excuse for a book. Don't bother with this one.




5. I grudgingly went to see the Martin Luther movie with some friends, but the film piqued my curiosity. This book not only answered all my questions, but I found it a fun and easy read. There are other books out there on Martin Luther, but this one is the best. Nestingen has written a book that manages to be not only informative, but amusing. Finally, considering Luther's revolutionary role in church history, this book is a must-have for anyone who identifies themselves as a Christian.

No comments about African Americans and U.S. Popular Culture (Introductions to History).

5 comments about Not Without Laughter.

1. Book was interesting and provided a genuine sense of life for blacks during the early part of this century. It started slow but towards the middle of the book the pace picked up and I enjoyed it more.



2. This is a fine novel written at a time of overt racial discrimation about members of a family surviving the best way they could. It does have great relevance to the 21st century because although much has changed (this was the pre-civil rights period), much still needs to be changed. This book should be required high school or college reading.



3. Throughout the story you can see the talent of Langston Hughes. However, the subject was not unique or original for the current times. Granted, it may have been something special whe it was first written and published. We have all seen movies or read stories with the exact same plot; it's not worth reading if you're looking for a new story.
   
   If you want to experience the beauty of Hughes' writing then you should give this novel a chance. It's a short read at 300 pages, but the poet's talent shines through in numerous passages.
   
   This was my first exposure to the author and I will probably read more of his work along the way. Hopefully, there will be more unique story lines as I continue through his art.



4. Such heart! I have read his poetry, but I had never read his prose. So smooth, so wonderful. I adore the characters. They followed me throughout the day. This is written so well, I really felt like I was right there. I also ran through a gamut of emotions while reading this. That's what a book should do - make me feel, make me think, make me wonder... This book did that for me.



5. This book by Langston Hughes captures the life of the Midwest through the eyes of a young growing by in the early 1900's. I thought the portrayal of that life, the struggles and hardships, and the community love despite thiese things, was excellent. The writing was simple and provided a good flow to draw me into the story and to be placed in the time frame. This is a keeper for the library collection.

No comments about Pierre Toussaint: A Biography.

5 comments about Unafraid of the Dark: A Memoir.

1. This book was one that opened my eyes to the welfare program and the problems it has. It has also illustrated the social gaps that have been created by gender, race, and poverty. Rosemary did an excellent job in description in the life that she lead, and to how she has overcome the many barriers in her life. A great read for all!



2. This woman knows how to write and she has something to say. She makes her point very effectively. For the cost of a paperback, you can give a copy to every Republican or other person who matters to you who doesn't understand or support Aid to Dependent Children or welfare, etc. Her book leads people to care about her and understand.



3. A deeply moving, inspiring story. I felt like I was right there with her when she described her brief childhood encounter with Martin Luther King. Her writing brings characters alive like the best fiction I've ever read. I would seriously consider trying to get my school to order this book (I'm studying to become a high school English teacher).



4. Unafraid of the Dark is a beautifully written, inspirational and deeply touching book. I was unable to put it down from the moment I read the first page. I admire Rosemary and feel that she is an inspiration to all African American women.



5. Rosemary Bray's memoir cuts through the anti-welfare hype and contempt for poor people, especially poor black women, that brought us "welfare reform." Her mother went on AFDC because her father was a violent gambler, and she had four kids to raise. Welfare enabled rosemary to grow up in threadbare but at least decent poverty--food on table, roof over head,school supplies and so forth. Far from promulgating the "culture of dependency," welfare helped Bray's mother get some independence. And far from passing welfare on to her daughter, Rosemary went to yale. Bray writes so perceptively about her family and her childhood, about the racism of l960s Chicago (and of yale). she made me think about all the little cruelties and deprivations poor people are expected to just accept, and how wrong this is. I wish every white person would read this book, and every person who thinks people are poor because they "don't want to work." Isn't it interesting that even in the midst of the "memoir boom," this book didn't get front page reviews?

2 comments about Open House: Of Family, Friends, Food, Piano Lessons, and the Search for a Room of My Own.

1. Patricia Williams has a column in the Nation, Diary of a Mad Law Professor, which I found out about
   through reading this great book. I was at a music conference at Wellesley last summer and happened
   upon this in the bookstore. There were not many other books, but thank God they decided at least
   to have something there by an alumna, because the three books I had brought were not wearing well:
   1) a cynical though I suppose funny report on Howard Dean's presidential campaign, 2) a book about how
   to survive in a nasty office environment and 3) I forget the third. Not great energy! But Williams' book was
   very warm and funny. I was particularly admiring of how much she knew of her own family background.
   A lot of family background sections in the beginnings of autobiographies can be ho-hum. This one was
   a wild ride! It reads as though she knew her ancestors personally. The book is a very important discussion
   of race relations and you just want everything to go her way. The college bookstore had a much bigger selection THIS year.



2. 1/22/05 This library borrow had a few gaps(pages that I skimmed and decided that I was satisfied with learning of general content(especially those chapters dealing with the topic of whysome blacks are very pale complexion...I'm sure many of those who are very light compexion don't appreciate the topic either,since it serves no purpose whatsoever and especially since persons the complexion of Cuba Goodins Jr or Oprah Winfrey aren't having to explain why they arn't the maximum African Complexion of darkest blue black....However author Patricia J Williams has a very fine vocabulary which ribbets from every page I ead or skimmed, she has had great opportunity as well as many challenges to confront as a well educated black and it was very sorrowing on the last pages (Pgs 244-245) to see her listing of so many of her peers who've died prematurely(Jerome Culp,Dwight Greene,Mary Jo Frug,Teresa Brennan,Haywood Burns,Shanara Gilbert,Denise Carty-Benia,Andrew Haynes.Her Page 242 mentions author Erma Bombeck and the article re Ms Bombeck helped her to decide to hold "an open house" to celebrate the fact that her son had returned to good health .Ms Bombeck(author of "I hate housework, and also written during a trying period of illness that she wished she'd given more house parties without worry whether peple would approve of how the house looked" The book jacket is beautifully designed by aDebbie Glasserman to represent 5 keys of different sizes and shapes and going in differen directions for Open House of family,friends,food,piano lessons and the search for a "Room of My Own" with two keys on the back jacket perhaps reflecting the words "Current Affairs/Memoir which are written below the critics by authors : Henry Louis Gates Jr, Gloria Steinem, Derrick Bell, Letty Cottin Poprebin, Veronica Chambers, Maurice Berger. 1/22/05 abj

2 comments about George Washington Carver: Scientist and Symbol.

1. This is a FANTASTIC BOOK. Facing the odds that he faced, and to accomplish what he did, provides an object lesson for anyone confronting tremendous odds. His ATTITUDE determined his ALTITUDE! THIS BOOK IS STELLAR AND INSPIRATIONAL! These are the types of narratives that need to be part of the curriculum, particularly in Black Schools, but also in other communities. These are the types of narratives that give Black people a great sense of pride, and a resolve to achieve. A first rate biochemist, he single-handedly revolutionized agriculture WORLDWIDE. He synthesized thousands of compounds,some only seen since the days of the Ancient Egyptians! The monies made off of his inventions are incalculable! His is a true account of what one man in difficult circumstances did in order to succeed. This book provides the reader with a deep insight into the mechanisms of the man, and his steadfastness in the face of obstacles. GREAT READ!



2. So long as Bart Simpson can say, "George Washington Carver is the guy who carved up George Washington." and so long as Black Americans are portrayed as lacking math and science aptitude, there needs to be publication about the importance of George Washington Carver. This book said many important things. For example, George Washington Carver was a credit to dark-skinned blacks because many critics at the time (and many people today) note that most famous or achieving Blacks were partially white. Also, this book suggests that the relationship between Carver and the famous black activist at the university where he worked did not always get along. Still, if Langston Hughes' biographer was criticized for downplaying Hughes' gay experiences, equal noise should be made here. The author repeats in several passages that no proof exists to say Carver was gay. Well, why would that be a concern? Who made the suggestion? Why isn't the allegation examined in more detail in this text? The author mentioned that Carver loved to give young men massages in peanut oil. Is that not considered homoerotic solely because it doesn't involve genital contact? This book was published a year after AIDS was discovered and when homophobia was at an apex. Thus, perhaps the author's avoidances can be contextualized and forgiven. Nevertheless, I find this book disturbingly heterosexist and I would avoid reading more works from this biographer.

2 comments about Last Night on Earth.

1. Although journalist Peggy Gillespie was involved with Bill T. Jones in writing his memoir, from hearing him speak (including reading from the book) I know that the voice in it is his and am fairly confident that he decided what incidents and topics to include. Jones has long been an openly gay dancer and choreographer, and more recently an openly HIV+ one slandered as perpetrating "victim art" (by a critic long hostile to him who condemned while refusing to see "Still/here," his attempt to craft a piece about living with terminal diseases).
   
   Jones is acutely aware of his body and the fetishization of the body of the big, black stud. He plays with that objectification on-stage and off without forgetting its cost. "My eroticism, my sensuality is often coupled with wild anger and belligerence," he says. "I know that I can be food for fantasy, but at the same time I am a person with a history-and that history is in part the history of exploitation."
   
   It is what Jones does with his own (and others') bodies on stage, not just his physical appearance, upon which he wants to focus the interest of many: "The performer who takes the stage must believe that he is fascinating, that he or she deserves being the locus of several hundred or thousand points of attention. . . . The performer wants to be one of many, but even more, he wants to command the attention of many."
   
   As I already said, Jones's voice comes through on the page. The book is compelling as a narrative of an interesting life in a difficult time (the time of AIDS to which Jones lost his partner on- and off-stage) and as an account of the wellsprings of Jones's art.
   
   



2. Bill T. Jones, one of the most innovative and controversial choreographers of our time, writes his memoir with honesty, insight, and emotion. I would recommend it to any Bill T. Jones fan, dancer, choreographer, or human.