5 comments about Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Man.

1. This book will challenge you to look at men who have been instumental politically and educationally in America. You may not close the book liking them all and probably won't agree with everything they said or did, but you will go away with more knowledge and understanding of their positions.



2. Gates is a master of his craft; his writing is original, insightful and is of the whole cloth-- weaving visual images with literary allusions and references to the person that render all of what we might rightly know of a visible self. The portraits are intellectually rich and intellectually satisfying. His rendition of the crack in Jesse Jackson's reaction to Colin Powell-- which only comes out in private, is absolutely magical and priceless for the emotional nuance it conveys (in a loving and hilarious style). Like an exquisite and rare gourmet meal for the mind, one wants these profiles never to end for the knowledge and reality that they impart.



3. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. masterfully profiles eight black men in this collection of his New Yorker essays. He writes in a bluesy, artistic style and has the ability to get quotes from these men that any other journalist would fail to do. The men intimately discuss the tragedies and successes of their lives. The stories of these men details their ascent and depicts the world around them. Gates daringly portrays O.J. Simpson and the infamous trial and Louis Farrakhan, the outspoken leader of the nation of Islam. The other men profiled are James Baldwin, Albert Murray, Bill T. Jones, Colin Powell, Harry Belafonte, and Anatole Broyard. Each of their lives have distinct differences, but it is also interesting to find the areas where they overlap.

   The portraits of Powell and Farrakhan stand out the most to me as Gates sheds light on the stories behind the men that we rarely see. I recommend this book for its intriguing stories, dynamic language, and true concepts of what it means to be a black man in America.




4. Henry Louis Gates must have some magical ability to transcribe someone's personality onto the printed page. I was amazed at the variety of personalities Gates wrote about and how accurately Gates seemed to portray them. My favorites were Anatole Broyard and Colin Powell, but every essay is compelling. Perhaps what I enjoyed most is that Gates had the bravery to write about controversial subjects (like Louis Farrakhan and O.J. Simpson, though an entire essay was not dedicated to the latter). I recommend this book highly. Fans of this book would also enjoy Cornel West's Race Matters.



5. Gates should have excluded the late Anatole Broyard from this book. Broyard was certainly not a "black" man. He looked white, identified as such, and his choice should be respected. Broyard's memory should not be subjected to "ethnic rape."Passing for Who You Really Are

5 comments about Miles Beyond: The Electric Explorations of Miles Davis, 1967-1991.

1. Paul Tingen's account of Miles Davis' electric years provides the best information I've read about this period. I was especially pleased to find a lot of quotes from Pete Cosey, Reggie Lucas, Mtume, Al Foster, Michael Henderson, Dave Liebman, Dominique Gaumont and Sonny Fortune, maybe my favorite lineup from the 69 - 74 years. By the way, if you are interested in this era there is lots of video footage availble on the Web, especially at that ultra popular video site that starts with a "You" and ends with a "Tube" which I'm avoiding in type because for some weird reason, Amazon keeps deleting this review.
   
   Ok, so I've told you this is the best information available on the electric period (as far as I know). I've read several biographies, including the mammoth Chambers tome and almost all of these seem to dismiss this period of Miles' work. Tingen at least has some very positive things to say...
   
   However, this book is loaded with goofy assertions, especially over-use of the words and expressions "ambient", "beginner's mind", "Zen", "transcend and include". Tingen also goes at length to explain Wilber's theory of holons. I couldn't care less about holons... just give me the #@$% details Tingen. Another thing I found annoying was Tingen's outright proclaimation that the November 69 sessions (that brought you Big Fun) were a failure. Nonsense. "Great Expectations" is a high-water mark in this period in my opinion. In fact, the band I play in "Cannibal Kitchen" covers this piece of music (admittedly we eventually move into a surreal 2 chord vamp). The repetition is no different than say... "Nefertiti". "Great Expectations" is hardly "boring" as Tingen writes. Tingen brings up these sessions several times and every single time he qualifies it with "the failed". If the sessions are so bad, why does Amazon keep selling out of Big Fun? Why did Sony Music release an expensive SACD version of "Big Fun". I don't think they would be making an investment like that for "failed" sessions. Admitedly, "Go Ahead John" can get on my wick depending on my mood (sometimes I like it) but the tracks used to create Go Ahead John weren't from the, ah em, "failed" November 69 sessions. I just found his opinionated fluff really irritating in places.
   
   And that brings up another problem with all of these books I've read, including this one. All of these authors seem determined to pontificate and make pronouncements about what is good and what is not so good. Clearly, almost everything Miles did was interesting at the very least and most of it exceptionally good considering what was occurring in music at the time much of this music was made manifest.
   
   At one point Tingen becomes bold enough to assert that "Yesternow" from the "Jack Johnson" release would be better if 5 minutes were hacked off of the end... what the hey?! Ok now he's just trying to create controversy. What an incredible arrogant thing to write. Who does this guy think he is anyway? Teo Macero?
   
   There is a great session history and discography at the back of the book that Miles collectors will find very useful.
   
   Subtract 1 star for over-use of the word ambient (to the point of irritation) in a book about Miles Davis. If Tingen loves the word "ambient" so much he should write something about Brian Eno. Next up for Tingen, a book about the ambient drumming styles of Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette. Sheesh,ambient this, ambient that. Lame.
   
   Subtract 1 star for all the philosophical mumbo-jumbo.
   
   Still a good book but the guy ruined what could have been a great book with all the cosmik debris and over analysis of Miles' work (and life for that matter). Buy it because as far as I can tell, it's the only really decent book about this electric era but be prepared to be irritated with the overabundance of psychedelic, candy-floss profundities.



2. In this modern era of completeness, a book like Paul Tingen's "Miles Beyond" (2001) was bound to happen. After all, with a subject as gigantic and iconoclastic as MD, there's no reason to stop after Jepsen, Chambers, Carr, Troupe, Khan, Losin, et al.. My problems with Mr. Tingen's tome, in all of its detailed glory, are the details that he misses when given the most golden of all opportunities to catch them that any of us may ever have, while presenting himself throughout as an arbiter, the be-all and end-all of persons qualified to perform precise musical analyses. It is a flawed approach with a flawed result. But it's still a good book, especially in the appendices/discography section, which I refer to on a regular basis.
   
   To demonstrate a few examples of missed opportunity from "Miles Beyond", consider just that part of the book which focuses on the incredibly fertile "Bitches Brew" period of mid-1969, which by now is well known to most of us. My own understanding of this period has been greatly enhanced by Bob Belden's insightful session-by-session notes from Columbia/Legacy's "Complete Bitches Brew Sessions" (4-cd set). While most of Tingen's account of this important chapter in music history seems right on the mark and certainly makes for good reading, there are elements of his scholarship that need correction, and comments within his musical analysis that raise questions about his hearing.
   
   On August 19, 1969 - the first day of "Brew"ing - after taping the material that would be released as the tracks "Bitches Brew" and "John McLaughlin", Miles and his ensemble attempted the Wayne Shorter composition "Sanctuary" in two takes, without the services of McLaughlin, Joe Zawinul, Bennie Maupin, and Harvey Brooks. BOTH takes are heard complete in the released version of the song. Take "A" is performed as an octet equaling the Quintet (MD, WShorter, CCorea, DHolland, JDeJohnette) with Don Alias on congas, Jim Riley (Jumma Santos) on shaker, and upon very careful listening LENNY WHITE, who is plainly audible in the left channel as the 2nd drummer, trying his best not to overshadow Jack's kit on the right. In "Miles Beyond", Tingen reports that "the aural evidence only reveals one drummer". What? Please try some headphones, Paul! Bob Belden, in his notes, reports hearing "all of the others added (except Harvey Brooks and Jumma Santos)". That's good if he's hearing Lenny on the left - not so good if he thinks he's hearing McLaughlin, Joe Z., or Bennie Maupin anywhere in there. And who, then, would Mr. Belden say is shaking those shakers? The answer is that Santos is in there. Take "A" lasts 5:13 and begins with Miles and Chick warming up the tune with the "I Fall In Love Too Easily" theme, which had become their standard concert practice earlier that year.
   
   Likewise, Take "B" begins exactly that same way and, just like Take "A", gives way to the "Sanctuary" theme after about 1:30 of Miles and Chick dueting. The group performing Take "B" is slightly smaller however. Lenny White is NOT audibly present, ok, though Jack DeJohnette on drums is still augmented by both Alias and Santos. Most surprising of all, Wayne Shorter is nearly completely absent from Take "B", except for the briefest of moments (at 9:27 into the released track) where his soprano sax is heard echoing Miles' theme exposition. Shorter laying out essentially makes Take "B" into a Quartet performance (plus the two percussionists). Belden says he hears a full Quintet plus only one percussionist (Alias). Is it possible that he "hears" Alias covering both the congas and the shaker at the same time? That's difficult to do, Bob, even for a great percussionist. And let's remember that the aesthetic of these sessions was NOT based on overdubbing parts later. Paul Tingen, by the way, does not distinguish any difference whatsoever between Take "B" and Take "A", or if he does, he does not report about it, and wouldn't this have been the perfect place to do so?? THAT is a missed opportunity, and evidence of less-than-critical listening skills.
   
   I have never heard anyone, these authors included, speculate about why Shorter should be barely heard from on this attempt (Take "B") of his own tune. I must agree wholeheartedly with Belden that Columbia missed a golden opportunity of its own by letting this Quintet go un-recorded as a unit in the studio. Tingen doesn't even address that issue, and so we are left to lament the fact that both Belden and Tingen here seem to have blown perfect opportunities to set forth an accurate published accounting of exactly what went down personnel-wise at these sessions. Oh well, just like the man himself and his music, perhaps none of us would have agreed about it anyway. The song "Sanctuary", as released (10:58), is a back-to-back combination of the two complete takes (thanks Teo), with Lenny White present as the 2nd drummer on the first take, and with Wayne Shorter's soprano largely absent on the second take. And it is a thoroughly entrancing piece of work that is worthy of repeated listenings by us all (and worth some new footnotes from Belden and Tingen).
   
   More examples of botched scholarship: When discussing the earlier part of that same (8/19/69) day's recording activity, Tingen characterizes the track "John McLaughlin" (4:22) as an "out-take" from the material heard as "Bitches Brew". While Tingen does point out that Miles is absent from "John", he seems indifferent to the musical reality that "John" is a distinctly different piece of work, with its own tempo, its own rhythm, its own bass vamp, and so on - one that most music analyzers would recognize as NOT being excerpted from somewhere in the "Bitches Brew" groove section. Belden illuminates the situation far better by revealing the intent of Miles and Co. to lay down "Bitches Brew" (the track) as raw editing material for later post-production in FIVE different sections, with Parts 1 and 2 becoming the released track "Bitches Brew", and an extract from Part 3 becoming "John McLaughlin". Tingen sheds no such light on the situation, leading us to wonder how many of his other assertions may be couched in overwhelmed confusion, and what his credentials really ARE to write this kind of a book. It's a GOOD BOOK in many ways - for the chronology, for the interviews with the magisterial sidemen and the other contemporary figures, for the contextual descriptions of how this period relates to MD's overall career and to the larger American culture scene (though I agree with other reviewers on these pages here that Miles himself would have frowned heavily on Tingen's spiritual ramblings, and would have said "WTF are you on, MF? Just shut up and listen.") For those writing qualities, this book is worth returning to. But for detailed and precise musical analysis, Tingen himself sets the mark high, and then totally misses it.
   
   PostScript: What makes Bob Belden's descriptions more satisfying (wherever you find them) than Paul Tingen's? Besides having unfettered access to the same vault material that Tingen probably had for just a few weeks, Belden is truly *Music Production* oriented in his narrative. And the LASTING significance of "Bitches Brew" (the album) in Miles' entire catalog is that it represents the beginning of fusion jazz as a PRODUCER's art form above and beyond the art of the musicians and arrangers, the conductors and the "directors". Having thrown my lot in with Belden like this, however, he then goes on to tantalize all of us by leaking the story of "Bitches Brew" Part Four, as a "semi-complete performance featuring guitar, soprano sax, keyboard and trumpet solos".. Ohh, man!!! How difficult would it have been to put some or all of THAT onto the "Complete BB Sessions", Bob?!? Was it THAT unsuccessful? Ohh, right, right, marketing saavy, I forgot about that. Look for that bonus material in 2009 when Sony/BMG/Warner/EveryBodyElse announces the stunning wi-fi distribution of the Complete Miles Davis Cochlear Implant Project! And until then... read on.



3. This book does indeed cover the electric years in detail. There are lots of interviews with sidemen like Corea, Holland, DeJohnette, Cobham, Grossman, etc. that really flesh out what went down (much of it barely comprehensible to the musicians when they played it). But who needs any coverage of the 1980-1991 period?

   There is WAAY too much yadda yadda kind of macro-analysis that doesn't address specifics of the music, including a long exposition into the writing and theories of Ken Wilber. I say cut the **** and cut to the chase.

   He overuses Miles' autobiography with Quincy Troupe as a source. I consider that document to be self-serving in the extreme and frequently fictional, and I wouldn't use it as a source without corroboration. He also frequently denigrates Chambers' Milestones, which I consider the best overall book to date regarding Miles' life and career. This is probably no more than professional rivalry, but it lessens this book.

   The analysis of the various recording dates and output mostly jibes with my takes on the same recordings, but is incomplete. Nothing in his analysis is striking or displays insight that a half-sophisticated listener couldn't arrive at. Lester Bangs did several early 70s contemporaneous reviews of this material that showed much more depth of thought. And he ignores quite a few live dates that should have been available to him as a researcher.

   All in all, I wouldn't give this more than three or three and a half of five stars. It's a nice start, but certainly not the definitive book about this period. I see John Szwed has a new MIles bio out - he did a great job with his Sun Ra bio, so maybe his will be the new definitive work.




4. A rare occasion is when a book appears, that unveils a whole era, which by some reason has been forgotten or disregarded. An even rarer occasion is when the same book manages to prove that this overlooked era is shimmering by magic treasures of purest gold.
   To all of us, who for three centuries now have wondered why an appropriate treatment of the most powerful and dynamic period in the career of Miles Davis have been almost completely suppressed, relief has finally became brought. Because it is to us, who spent the late seventies wondering in despair if Miles was dead, and then - when the occultation finally was broken - realised that he was, to all of us Paul Tingen has dedicated this pioneering piece of work.
   It is with a feeling of redress and revenge one reads the true story as told by the former sidemen of Miles: Jack de Johnette, Herbie Hancock, John Mc Laughlin, Mtume, Joe Zawinul, Pete Cosey, Michael Henderson and Sonny Fortune. History drives close as everyone confesses his own experience of the sheer magic that adhered to Miles. It is also with deep recognition and satisfaction one reads Tingen's solid and personal analyses of Miles' explorations into what contemporary jazz-authorities regarded as cheap rock-business. And it is with brave new ears you again and again will let the timeless flow of that red trumpet reappear from your speakers during reading. And you will find that that particular kind of energy that still keeps you thunderstruck when you're exposed to Agartha or Pangaea, certainly IS a landmark if not a climax in 20th century western music. Just as you've always felt.
   The book is a revelation. Get it!



5. Anyone reading this is familiar with the arc of Miles Davis' career and tapestry of milestone recordings. Tingen focuses on the least understood of Davis' output, and the final 24 years of the trumpeter's life: his controversial electric period. Through a detailed narrative of Davis's career from 1967 onwards, in-depth interviews with dozens of musicians, friends and family, session notes and a rigorous analysis of his recordings, the author brings this formerly dark and misunderstood period to life and shows its continuity with Davis' earlier work as well as its linkages to the roiling ferment of America in the '60's and '70's. Tingen actually gets under the skin of Davis, illuminating crucial aspects of his working methods, values and approach to music as life that span the trumpeter's entire career. He nails Davis' approach as one of incorporating the new, while integrating it with the styles of the past: "transcend and include"; Miles always WAS a conservative Midwesterner at heart. The author's energy, creativity and intelligence mirror those of his subject. More than a document of some of the most brilliant and forbidding music of the last 35 years-the best book published about one of the giants of 20th Century music.

5 comments about Never Die Easy: The Autobiography of Walter Payton.

1. Bought this for my boyfriend, who is a huge Walter Payton fan. He loves it. Great book for any fan who remembers and loved Sweetness.



2. The title of this book says it all! Walter Payton lived life the best way anyone should, doing your very best at whatever you do! Walter Payton was extraordinary both off and on the football field. He is a true hero who touched many lives and leaves a great legacy behind; Walter you are still missed by all! I never met Walter and I was too young to see witness his amazing football skills but I am inspired by his personal story. Everyone should read this; it's inspirational!



3. Excellent book, very well written, and quite moving.
   
   This is NOT a book about football, but rather, a book about an amazing individual, and the impact he had on so many people.
   
   It's very easy to read, as it's more like a collection of short stories, so you don't have to read-it at one sitting.



4. I am a huge Bears and Walter Payton, and absolutely loved this book. It covers all the aspects of his life, from growing up in Mississippi, to college at Jackson State, on to the Bears, his many business endeavors after this retirement, and his untimely death. You get an in depth look into his life, as told not only by him, but from his friends and family. I would recommend this book not only to Bears and football fans, but anyone in general. There are many things you can learn from Walter, whether it be treating people the right way, or always giving 100%, even when things are bad.
   
   And one last note. Be prepared before you read the last chapter of the book. It is very emotional, to say the least, but a great read.



5. and he was no slouch in football, first ballot hall of famer over 16,000 yards rushing. 13 seasons, 9 All Pros and a Super Bowl Champion, yet all that is nothing compared to what kind of man Walter Payton was.
   In this inspiring and uplifting book we get to meet the very private Payton and get a portrait of a man of faith, values, morals and integrity. We also get to learn from someone who is facing the biggest tackler in life ( impending death) in his own words.
   I cam away awed and inspired by Walter Payton and hope that kids get ahold of this book, in a time where the above qualities are rare in sports heroes, we need more heroes and Walter definantly lives up to that title.

4 comments about Soul Sister (30th Anniversary Edition).

1. Inspired by John Howard Griffin's "Black Like Me", Grace Halsell decided to see how things looked through a woman's eyes. Like Griffin, she saw a doctor and was prescribed the chemical that darkened her skin enough to pass as African-American. Then off she went to the Deep South to do her covert participant observation of white-generated racism.
   
   Among her ordeals is the true account of arriving at a white family's house to work as a maid, only to be accosted by the husband when the wife went away. Luckily for Grace, the wife returned because she forgot something and saved her from probably getting raped. The kicker is that the husband was a high official in the Ku Klux Klan, a perfect cover for his rapes of black women. Who would believe a black woman accusing, say, Jeb Bush of rape? Similary, no one would believe the victims of this Klansman.
   
   The highly readable recollections of Grace's ordeals during her short time in the South lack the sociological "thick description" of Griffin's work, but the accounts are nevertheless engaging. Halsell is an investigative journalist and her job is to share with us what happened; she doesn't dig into why this happening. Griffin's exposure to Catholic social philosophy helps him to analyze what is happening in terms of class conflict and status relations, which are all tied to power. And Griffin is a Southerner whereas Halsell is a Northerner, and that makes a difference as well. Nonetheless Halsell's investigative piece is a valuable compliment to Griffin's "Black Like Me".



2. This book is a must read. I have read it twice, loaned out my copy, it's falling apart and I will order another one. I think I like it a bit better than BLACK LIKE ME, but both will leave you shocked and shattered. Things have changed, but things haven't changed, too, and I as a Caucasian male do not doubt that this book is as relevant today as when it was written.

   Ms. Halsell (sadly, she died in August 2000) sees that the issues she is confronting and dealing with can't be simply ascribed to "race" issues, but go deeper, to matters of the human heart and the isolation that each one of us must bear and deal with as individual human beings in a world of sin and suffering and pain. Hence, she doesn't come to the easy answer of "If only Blacks and Whites (or Jews and Gentiles or Hispanics or American Indians or Palestinians and Israelis, etc.) would understand each other better, these problems wouldn't exist." She won't be that simplistic, and for that reason, SOUL SISTER raises (or should raise) larger issues in the readers' minds than the subject matter might lead one to expect.

   Read it. Read it now. Read it often.




3. A very interesting book. Halsell has a history of putting herself in untenable positions purely to find out what they are like ("She has lived on a fishing junk in Hong Kong with a Chinese family of twenty-eight, traveled 2,000 miles down the Amazon by tug, and has crossed the Andes by jeep."), and then writing about them (her newspaper journalism has been "datelined Russia, China, Korea, and Vietnam"). Inspired by Griffin's "Black Like Me", she undertook to change the color of her skin (the process and results of which are a story unto themselves at the beginning of the book), donned dark contact lenses, and embarked on a journey through Harlem and Jackson, Mississippi in skin that was not her own.
   
   

   The extreme sides of bigotry and compassion that she encountered are an account worth reading for any American, white or black, who is curious about how we humans receive eachother. It must be pointed out however that as a rather privileged white American, Halsell was left still lacking the experience of being raised black in our still-strictured country. Still, for lacking this total viewpoint, her "discoveries" are remarkably compelling on a simply human level (a point at which perhaps all things should be judged).
   
   

   Whether she was wrong or right to do what she did, she did it for her own reasons, and indeed resisted withholding the truth of her real person from many of her black companions, preferring honesty (and being treated with dislike in some cases) to deceit. Overall very worthwhile reading, if only to provoke oneself into thinking about things many of us would prefer to ignore and let lie in the back of our heads instead of openly and objectively considering. And please, don't try to make yourself feel better when reading by saying, "Oh, well, this happened thirty years ago," when we should all be aware that these invisible walls and boundaries still exist all around us even today.




4. GRACE HALSELL WAS INTRIGUED BY THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HOW THE BLACK AMERICANS LIVED AND THE WHITE AMERICANS. AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF INDICISION SHE INGESTED A COMPOUND THAT WOULD TURN HER SKIN BLACK, THUS BEGAN HER ADVENTURES. A FEW THINGS WERE STRIKING: ONE WAS THE VULNERBILITY OF BLACK PEOPLE, THEY SEEM TO HAVE NO DEFENSE, AND HER CONCLUSION THAT PEOPLE BECOME BOUND TO EACH OTHER FROM THE PRACTICE OF HURTING EACH OTHER. IT IS NOT A BORING BOOK.

5 comments about Souls Of My Sisters: Black Women Break Their Silence, Tell Their Stories and Heal Their Spirits.

1. This book was the best, motivational sista to sista book I have EVER read! This will be my Christmas gift to all my family and friends! This book moved me to become a better oriented adult in my life and marriage! I LOVE IT!!



2. beautiful work to compliment "Black Women For Beginners"
   it was one of a kind.



3. I'm a 21 year old African American woman and I picked up this book at my campus bookstore. I started reading it and could not put it down. I had been looking for something that I could relate to and this was exactly the book. It took me through a range of emotions and eventually brought me to a better place. It was like I had lots of aunts, cousins, grandmas, and moms giving me advice. I'm buying one for all of my friends this Christmas.



4. A beautiful, oftentimes tear-jerking compilation of some of the most poignant personal essays of black women's triumphs over life's tragedies and the things that make them appreciate life and give them a reason for living. This book will definitely encourage all of us to believe that things will only get better with time for no pain lasts forever if we truly believe.

   I highly recommend it!




5. This book include essays from all types of women, about everyday problems that women go through. You can learn something from each of the ladies included in this book. The two essays that most stand out for me is To a Son of a Dear friend by jean Buchanan, it's the sad letter to the author's late best friend's son about growing up with his mom. I am just tryin to live Holy by Pamela Shine is about a 40 year old virgin tryin to find love. I think everyone will love this collection of essay, and relate.

1 comments about A Cross and a Star: Memoirs of a Jewish Girl in Chile (The Helen Rose Scheuer Jewish Women's Series).

1. Poets seem to have a knack with memoir. There's alreadysomething very baring about much contemporary poetry that is similarto what many memorably brave and direct memoirs possess. There's also something even more immediate about translation. Works translatedinto English often have a stunning directness, which can owe itself tothe difficulty of effectively bringing the idioms and cadence ofanother language into our own. These tendencies, like any elements ofwriting, can be effective and they can also be overused. InMarjorieAgosin's A CROSS AND A STAR: MEMOIRS OF A JEWISH GIRL INCHILIE, they are both. Luckily, the effectiveness of the writing outweighs the repetitiveness of certain phrases and elements. The brevity of the book, 179 pages which include 30 pages of photographs, serves it well. Agosin is writing in the voice of her mother, so the book becomes a sort of autobiography by association, and as such the stories are simple and powerful. If the book had been any longer, the simplicity of its thematic basis, and the overly-direct style of the translated prose, would have begun working against it. As it is, the collection effectively evokes the beauty and wonder of Chile, the destructive power of hatred in the lives of one family, and the power of people who choose to help, rather than hurt, each other. The tales in the collection span decades, and many have survived only due to oral storytelling traditions by which Agosin's predecessors maintained their connections with each other even in the face of the overwhelming tragedies of the Holocaust. Most evocative are thestories dealing with specifics of lives torn apart by having to leaveeverything behind in order to avoid being taken to concentrationcamps; the details of these stories, the choices made by theseindividuals, are compelling. Agosin's accounts, too, of the mixture ofbeauty, fear, peace and isolation that came from living at thesouthern tip of the world amidst Nazis and natives is fascinating. Theonly places where the narrative falters is in the repetition ofaccounts of verbal abuse which the Agosin's mother endured. Thereare only so many times you can be told that she was called "dirtyJew" or "Christ killer" before those moments have lost their power amid the lush prose and captivating details. One of the most striking aspects of the memoir is the way in which it seems to flow back and forth between pure realism and a kind of "Magic Realism." This is in keeping with the events of the book, taking place at the bottom of the world, as well as the ways in which people can alter their perceptions of reality to deal with incredible adversity. Since the narrator is recalling childhood for the bulk of the book, simple desires are often stated with great grandeur, such as Agosin's mother's wish for the beauty and safety of a Catholic guardian angel. Much of the narrative's power comes from the unaffected wants and needs of a girl growing-up surrounded by a mixture of overwhelming hatred and beauty, societal spurning and familial love. It is a mixture that works well. This book is an effective, and highly readable collection of survival tales that sing of natural beauty and spiritual strength, of the wonder of children and the resolve of adults, and of the incredible value of memory and language.

5 comments about Fathering Words: The Making of an African American Writer.

1. Fathering Words portrays the grief and loss one man feels when his father and brother suddenly die within two years of each other. Their deaths cause Miller to recall how seldom he and his father spoke, and yet, he always knows his father loves the family. That singular way one person cares for and remembers another is at the spiritual core of this book. What does a son inherit from the men in his family when there are few conversations? Miller compares his life and his dreams to that of his older brother, and maps out the goals for his own future as he marries, has his own children, and embarks on his career as a poet. He punctuates the story with the gracious voice of his older sister, Marie, as he imagines how the family might have looked to her. Marie carries the secrets and stories that filter down to the younger son as rumors and tales. She becomes a source of information and verification of the family history. Using a network of subtle references to religion, classical and jazz music, basketball and baseball, as well as motifs from literary works, Miller provides a number of avenues by which a broad spectrum of readers will be able to enter and inhabit his poignant text.

   For those who want to write about their own lives, the book provides a model for creating scenes in small vignettes that become interconnected by the end of the chapter, as opposed to providing a direct narrative path from the beginning of a life to the present. For writers who aspire to become published, and perhaps even famous, Miller chronicles the encounters he has with a number of writers, revealing the history of African American literature in the past thirty years.

   I teach Fathering Words in a senior-level college course on autobiography at the University of Southern Indiana. ...




2. Fathering Words portrays the grief and loss one man feels when his father and brother suddenly die within two years of each other. Their deaths cause Miller to recall how seldom he and his father spoke, and yet, he always knows his father loves the family. That singular way one person cares for and remembers another is at the spiritual core of this book. What does a son inherit from the men in his family when there are few conversations? Miller compares his life and his dreams to that of his older brother, and maps out the goals for his own future as he marries, has his own children, and embarks on his career as a poet. He punctuates the story with the gracious voice of his older sister, Marie, as he imagines how the family might have looked to her. Marie carries the secrets and stories that filter down to the younger son as rumors and tales. She becomes a source of information and verification of the family history. Using a network of subtle references to religion, classical and jazz music, basketball and baseball, as well as motifs from literary works, Miller provides a number of avenues by which a broad spectrum of readers will be able to enter and inhabit his poignant text.

   For those who want to write about their own lives, the book provides a model for creating scenes in small vignettes that become interconnected by the end of the chapter, as opposed to providing a direct narrative path from the beginning of a life to the present. For writers who aspire to become published, and perhaps even famous, Miller chronicles the encounters he has with a number of writers, revealing the history of African American literature in the past thirty years.

   I teach Fathering Words in a senior-level college course on autobiography at the University of Southern Indiana. Readers who want more information about the author might start with his website ....




3. If I had received this book five years ago, it would have saved me five years of pain and confusion. Fathering Words is the tangible witness of a man's journey into and through his writing life. Unlike many writing memoirs, it is not a how to, or even a how, but a detatched narrative of his life as a poet. He is eerily objective about the mistakes and choices he has made, and uses occasional passages from his sister to broaden the view he gives the reader.

   I learned more about the writing process, more about the yearning that true writers feel, and more about the lack of understanding that non-artists have about the whys and wherefores. If you know an African-American man who yearns to "father words", buying this book for him will be the best show of support you can give him.




4. Fathering Words is a deeply moving memoir. Ethelbert Miller's description of his father will remain with the reader for a very long time. His decision to write the book using both his and his sister's voice is unique and it works.It's definitely a keeper.



5. This book is so beautifully written, so touchingly direct that I called Howard University to search out the author and tell him what a compelling book he had written. Anyone who is a father, about to be a father or contemplating being a father (whether African-American or not) will find this book touching in what it says about the frequently mute love between fathers and their sons. African-Americans families are often love mutes like Mr. Miller's-- too busy working, too focused on the quotidien to express love outside provision of food and shelter. Out of such silent, seemingly fallow ground, E. Ethelbert Miller heaps up words of love and power, fathering not only his own father, but his whole family in some of the most poetic prose you will ever read.

5 comments about Singin' and Swingin' and Getting Merry like Christmas.

1. SINGIN' & SWINGIN', the third installment in Angelou's autobiographical series of books, pleased me more than did the first two, or perhaps I should say that it is less uncomfortable to read than are its predecessors. I must confess that, by the time I finished Angelou's second book, her nearly constant expression of prejudice against Caucasian Americans was becoming tedious.
   
   One finds a very thick thread of bias and racial distrust in both CAGED BIRD and in GATHER TOGETHER, and that thread is made even more annoying by the fact that the many instances of abuse and betrayal that Angelou relates in those first two books are all perpetrated not by Whites but by her fellow Blacks, yet that race receives none of her blanket condemnation. Granted, I suppose that, had I lived as a Black in Stamps, Arkansas in the 1930s and '40s, I too would have copious reasons to distrust and dislike the entire White population of the United States, yet the barrage of vituperation directed against that population does become repetitive and predictable, two traits that an author should normally avoid in a book, the justification behind them notwithstanding. SINGIN' & SWINGIN' is not devoid of Angelou's racial prejudices by any means, but it is not so heavily laden with them, and they are not so intrusive as to overwhelm the reader.
   
   Two other targets of criticism arise in Angelou's first three books: her veracity and her own culpability for some of the blows she has described. As to the first, the historical accuracy of these books, I have mentioned in another review that I find most unusual the fact that Angelou, a dropout from the formal educational system, habitue of bars and sometime prostitute and brothel owner, actually plunged into books by authors such as Jane Eyre and Dostoevski for pleasure. Nonetheless, the fact that she writes of having done so tells us something of her self concept and desire for fulfillment and meaning in her life. In SINGIN' & SWINGIN', she writes of her success as a professional singer and dancer, of touring Europe as a cast member of the musical "Porgy and Bess," and of interacting with many "big name" performers. Did she actually "rub shoulders" with all the notables mentioned in her book?
   
   She is re-creating events from years past, and it may be that we are seeing some of her dreams as well as her actions, but what of that? Are not our dreams as much a part of our history as are our recordable acts? And are not all history books, written as they are by victors rather than by the vanquished, slanted by the world view of their authors? Besides, a good story usually benefits from some judicious embellishment. I find no quibble with Angelou's veracity, for I do not expect a word-for-word recollection of some conversation with a colleague decades ago but rather a retelling of that conversation that gives the reader a feel for the way it sounded in Angelou's ears.
   
   The third target, her own culpability for her treatment by others and for the guilt that she herself generates, is purely and simply inapplicable to a review of the book. The reader may feel strongly that Angelou had no right or privilege to seek freedom by touring Europe when she left her young son to the care of others and that she fully deserves the feeling of guilt that she describes. Another reader may feel that she was stupidly careless in her relationships with the Greek purser on her ship and with the ship's doctor. Indeed, even though the Angelou we find in this book is more mature than are her younger incarnations in the previous books, she can still be seen as incredibly naive and even foolish in numerous situations. There will be those who criticize the book because of these self-depictions. However, we must believe that this is the way Angelou saw herself at that stage of her life, and, while the reader may at times want to shake some sense into her, he must not allow this to affect his judgement of the book. Indeed, Angelou paints a very clear picture of herself--as she remembers herself--so, while we may be occasionally annoyed with the picture, we cannot fault the skill of the artist, for the picture is quite clear and unambiguous.
   
   I do not find SINGIN' & SWINGIN' to be a "stand-alone" book. For the reader to understand and appreciate Angelou's situation in this book, he needs to have read I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS and GATHER TOGETHER IN MY NAME first. We should consider her autobiographical books mere chapters from a larger tome, and we need to read those chapters in order. Of course, having once begun this imaginary book, the reader will want to finish it, and I am looking forward to beginning the next "chapter" in short order.
   
   Oh, one final thought: Ever wonder where Angelou's last name originated and how she "morphed" from Marguerite Johnson into Maya Angelou? The earlier books explained the "Maya," but this one explains the "Angelou." It's a neat revelation.



2. Maya Angelou tells us without restraint how she crawled out of the hell of her youth years to become a star dancer.
   Vivid decription of the situation of the African Americans and their mentality in the middle of last century.
   Evocative language, sharp, intelligent and fluent.
   A book to recommend.



3. I think that the book was very interesting in the beginning and the end, because I like the way it started out like she was shy about her entertainment career. And at the end it was very dramatic about how she was about to kill herself and her son as well because her life wasn't going the way she wanted it to go. Also, how the white community despised her and didn't accept the person that she was. This book really caught my eye, even though I am a young adult. I would recommend this book to teenagers and adults of all ages because it really is an excellent book.



4. this third installment of angelou's sutobiography is just as well written and interesting as her first two. however, i have become completely baffled with ine aspect of the novel. in the first two books, her son's name was guy. suddenly, in "singin and swingin..." her son is referred to as clyde! if anyone knows why this is so, please share your explanation. it would be highly appreciated! and whatever his name is, still a good read.



5. A very pleasant read. There's nothing like traveling Europe and Africa by way of Angelou's memory and experience (if you can't get there personally). This autobiography covers the time Maya spent with the Porgy and Bess opera. I'm always amazed at the elegant, graceful and poetic way the author tells her life story. I'm even more amazed at how those same characteristics are exhibited in her speech, her stature, and her aura. This is a quick read that is sure to inspire. Angelou has a way of sharing wisdom and experience in a manner that connects with most any reader. Add this one to your list and be sure to check out some of her audiotapes as well. The only thing better than reading Maya's work, is listening to Maya read her work.

3 comments about William Pope.L: The Friendliest Black Artist in America.

1. The reviewer who suggested that "as long as the grant money keeps pouring in...it beats working for a living" should reread the above press reviews and note that Pope.L is a college professor. In addition to` this, an appreciation for the value of hard work is, I think, visible in his art. Ever considered crawling for miles at a time?



2. If you enjoy contemporary art and are open to new ideas with distraction, William Pope.L: The Friendliest Black Artist in America is a must have. William Pope brings forth challenging, comforting, and inspiring notions to the average american.



3. The best part was the twelve pages of solid black near the middle. I don't know what the second-best part was. Maybe the jars of rotting mayonaise. Hey, as long as the grant money keeps pouring in, it beats working for a living.

5 comments about Between Worlds: The Making of an American Life.

1. Not your average dry politician story, the book glosses over Richardson's vision for oil independence (read his other book for that) and many of his impressive accomplishments: 14 years in the House, Ambassador to the U.N., Secretary of Energy, and New Mexico governor since 2002--instead focusing on the intensely personal moments of a man whose life reads like a James Bond spy novel but who is not afraid to share the tender moments, drawing the reader into his world and heart.
   
   Richardson diplomacy gets results. His often self deprecating manner is deceptive, as he is acutely aware of the conflicting considerations that influence the other party. He is not afraid to negotiate with "bad guys", aptly pointing out: "you don't negotiate with your friends." He doesn't give inappropriate ground, believing the U.S. has so much clout that other countries make concessions simply for the opportunity to have a discussion. Richardson's life and work demonstrate the opposite of G. W. Bush's apparent policymaking credo: "When Diplomacy Fails." His characteristic personal touch obtains impressive results with world leaders: nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize (this year he must win, it is long overdue) for extensive peace-work, including the following:
   
   Major nuclear security and non-proliferation efforts and accomplishments in the 1990s;
   
   2006 negotiation of the release of Chicago Tribune journalist Paul Salopek and his driver and translator from Sudanese Rebels, and further negotiating for UN Peacemakers to be allowed into Darfur;
   
   Complex and delicate efforts in the early 1990s mediating restoration of the elected Haitian President who had been overthrown and exiled by a military dictatorship;
   
   2007 brokerage of a cease-fire in Darfur and Khartoum at the request of the Save Darfur Coalition; release of American Evan Hunziker and the return of two US Army helicopter pilots who had been shot down in 1994 from North Korea;
   
   Remains of Corperal Clem Boody turned over to Richardson as a gesture of good will during stalemated negotiations with the Bush Administration: thus he was informally brought into a tense discussion of major consequences at the request of North Korea, where he successfully pressed North Korean leaders to observe the 60 day deadline called for in the Initial Actions agreement to shut down and seal the Yongbyon nuclear reactor and urged Kim Gye Gwan not to abandon the six-party talks, suggesting they bring in U.N. inspectors to demonstrate their commitment. Richardson's "informal" influence in this case may have averted war.
   
   This book demonstrates the characteristic, almost naive courage that has earmarked Richardson's administration and his life, unabashedly revealing the intimate truth of who he is. While reading his words I am often reminded of Einstein's famous quote: "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." Richardson, a creative, often right-brained thinker, is not bound by imaginary barriers of that which has been done before. He has also demonstrated the necessary discipline to buckle down with dogged determination and accomplish the unlikely, baffling those around him who believed it could not be done... particularly not by a Hispanic.
   
   He wrote this book shortly before announcing his quest for the presidency, and the book has been summarily dismissed by some reviewers as a transparent ploy to explain himself on the eve of his candidacy. I am appreciative of his transparency, a trait not shared by many politicians. He lost the race but gained my respect as one of the few U.S. politicians honest enough to reveal his shortcomings along with his strengths. Bill Richardson is exactly the man he represents himself to be, and through his journey we learn the real truth of what it is to be a man of extraordinary vision in a mostly mediocre world, who transcends his humanness by learning from every mistake, sharing each mistake with us so that we may also learn, and striving always to not only reach higher himself, but to bring us there with him. His is the heartwarming story of a real person, an everyday man with extraordinary vision and heart, whose struggles and victories left me, at the end of the book, reluctantly putting it down feeling like I had closed the last chapter of a relationship with a dear and cherished friend.



2. The first part of this book was initially disappointing. The constant "I did this..." or I travelled to ..." sounded like so much puffery - what one might expect in a book by a Presidential candidate. The more I read, however, the more I realized that the "I" was essential to the entire focus of the book. The book brings history alive from the actual events and conversations in order to show that individuals can help make history or at least nudge it in a desirable direction. Historical events can not be viewed in a vaccum. They are most meaningfully understood in the context of the minor details of the events themselves. One that jumps out is Richardson's meeting with Saddam Hussein (regarding the release of two individuals who strayed into Iraq from Kuwait)when Richardson casually crossed his legs and inadvertently showed the soles of his shoes to Saddam. Saddam jumped up and left the room. It turns out that showing the soles of ones shoes to someone in that culture is a real sign of disrespect. The best part of the book is "Richardson's Rules" which he sets forth in anecdotal context throughout the book (with the list summarized at the end). The "Rules" are a great guide for dealing with not only high level political or diplomatic negotiations but also with everyday personal and business relationships. All in all a very enjoyable read for someone who overwhelmingly reads fiction - not non-fiction - and certainly not political books.



3. How very fortunate this country is at this time in our history to have someone of this magnitude and calibur seeking the Presidency. His experience and different way of thinking allow hope for a better tomorrow for the US and the world. Good luck to you, Sir. Good luck to us all that you lead us all into a brighter and more peaceful tomorrow.



4. Bill Richardson is a rather unimpressive candidate. However, candidates aren't elected - Presidents are. Having said that I can say that I believe Bill Richardson is ready for the Presidency. The question becomes is America ready for Bill Richardson?
   
   The book is about as interesting as Bill Richardson's performances in debate. Clearly, this is a book about Bill's life, by Bill himself. Many of his positions are explained, but it is not comprehensive, and not meant to be. Reading this book will give the impression of what makes Bill tick, so I give credit for writing a successful book. There is no shorting the reader of 360 pages of substance. Personally, I too would like to see more from Richardson, and in fact, this is already happening.
   
   Campaigns for officials that are based on results and performances while in office must have someone touting that record, and this is what Richardson does without much modesty. Between World's describes the position Richardson inherited from birth and the position Richardson has dealt with throughout life. The book moves from his childhood in Mexico to his life in school in New England. Richardson was the one in the middle that learned to relate to everyone. His entry into public service and political office was destiny. When you combine these with love for individuals and an unapologetic stance you have a man with superior credentials as a diplomat.
   
   A portion of the book that could be developed further is "Richardson Rules". Richardson doesn't discuss development and application of his rule set, but presents these as simply his personal rules - I don't know whether as a human being, a public official, a diplomat, or other.
   
   Richardson comes across as result-oriented, fun-loving, but serious. Inspiration here comes from hard work and having done a job well - unfortunately, not great oratories and smooth gestures. Richardson could partially compensate with combinations of brutal honesty and jest. He must continue to rouse voter curiosity with more manufactured "celebrity-in-jest" performances such as the one created for the New Mexico gubanatorial election. It wouldn't be a bad move if Richardson says in debate, frankly, I suck at this. I want to be telling you what I've already achieved as President - not what I would like to achieve.



5. I had been hearing good things about Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson, so I decided to pick up his autobiography. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of autobiographies or biographies for that matter. Especially, not ones with the sole intent of extolling the author's virtues. So that's why it gets a B-. And I'm just not a huge fan of the writing style that biographies employ. It just gets a little boring and tedious at times. But to be fair, the book gave me a better picture of Bill Richardson than I had before. About half-way through the book, I was seriously thinking about giving him some consideration with my vote. Although I know he'll never get past the big 3 of Edwards, Obama, and Clinton. He grew up in Mexico (born in US) where his mom is Mexican and his father American. He was a senator for the state of New Mexico, the ambassador to the UN that followed Albright, Secretary of Energy for Clinton's second term, and current 2nd term governor for the state of New Mexico. Needless to say, that makes him extremely qualified. And hands down the most qualified of all current presidential candidates. To his credit, he tells it like it is. And for a politician, it doesn't feel like he is full of BS. He has a record for giving his opinion even when it's controversial. And has offended both parties at times, despite being a staunch Democrat. But he's honest. Over and over again he gives examples where he spoke his mind and how it either paid off or got him in trouble. So that I respect. But ultimately, I feel like he's a politician. And a bit of an opportunist. I do believe he has a vision for this country that centers around a better energy policy. Which I totally jive with. Ultimately though, I just feel like he's a politician at heart. And I don't really want a politician in power. I want someone who is not definded as a politician. And I'm well aware of the rarity of that.