5 comments about The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey.

1. I understand that he was an important historical figure but his adolescent writings are pretty uninteresting.
   I much preferred the movie over the book.



2. Che Guevara... Whether you respect him or not there is absolutely no denying the fact that he had a profound impact on the history of Central America and the Caribbean. This book is plainly and simply about a young man on a journey to become the person everyone knows in history. He sets out as a college student in his early twenties on the motorcycle La Poderosa II with Alberto Granado. When he returns a year later he has aged a hundred years. It is almost as though he has become a different person.
   
   On his journey he saw the impoverished and the ignored. He saw indifference and hate. He saw racism and inequality... especially inequality.
   
   This journey across the poor and rich regions of Latin America made Ernesto Che Guevara exactly who he was. In his travels he found he could not understand why some should have more than others. His communist views developed from seeing the unfair treatment of the poor. He was ready, by the end, to do whatever it took to win equality for all: even fight. As he said at the end of his book: "I feel my nostrils dilate, savoring the acrid smell of gunpowder and blood. The enemy's death; I steel my body, ready to do battle, and prepare myself to be a sacred space within which the bestial howl of the triumphant proletariat can resound with new energy and new hope."
   
   Although a few things are lost to us English speakers through the translation and Argentine dialect this is a book which is full of rich detail and of deep internal struggle. This book was written in 1952, but edited and assembled much later. This causes some very Communist views to appear that were clearly added well after the original writings.
   Still this is a great read to see the mind of a genius in a time when the world was still reeling from the shock of a great world war and gearing up for the middle of the cold war. Che Guevara would go on in life to befriend Fidel Castro and be his right hand man in the Communist regime over Cuba. Che Guevara, whether you like him or not, is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most influential people in history.



3. If this book were written by any other person, I'd give it 2 Stars. But because it's by Che, you at least get some insights into him, and that makes it a 3.
   
   This was a turning point adventure for Che; it's the trip that turned him from curious medical student to doing down the path of revolutionary. For that alone, it's worth the read.
   
   But if you're looking for an even better book about Che, and with all the adventure, get "Chasing Che" by Patrick Symms. It's an excellent read.
   
   And if you're looking for a motorcycle adventure book, look no further than One-Man Caravan by Robert Fulton. Imagine traveling around the WORLD on a motorcycle BACK IN 1932. Complete with pictures, drawings and great writing ... simply a masterpiece within the genre.
   
   Back to Motorcycle Diaries ... I think this book could have been so much more. Che was a good writer, but he stumbles on himself a lot. And, because he actually wrote this book AFTER the adventure was over, it feels like there is a lot of glossing over and "story fill" that robs it of the spontaneity it could have had.
   
   Still, if you're into Che, it's probably on the "must read" list.



4. I'm so pleased that you had this earlier English translation of The Motorcycle Diaries and that it arrived in time for my Spanish class presentation. I also read the newer edition that came out with the movie in 2004. Your book had a much better translation. Thanks for your help. Sometimes older books are better books.



5. Seen the movie long before the book, but this book was very interesting to see how Che's thoughts began to form before he became only known as Che. Pictures in the centre were an added bonus. It's a quick read with concise notes (they are journal notes afterall), and it gave me a greater understanding and feeling of compassion for Ernesto Guevara - someone who I didn't know a lot about and in the USA you hear about how bad he is. Good thing I live in Canada, with an open mind.

5 comments about Life Is So Good.

1. I guess some of the most important things I feel I've learned from this book is: don't dwell, take pride in your work, and focus on the power of beauty. This man (as thousands and thousands of others) had to endure more mental abuse in his life so far, then a million men, but was able and lucky enough to swim to top of that putrid pond of a life he was given and see the good in it, as fleeting as that was. I was thinking of this book as a mirror and what message I saw in it, that would be "Have a Lion's Heart" .



2. This book enlightened me and really got to me, much more than I expected. I was delighted to read about the life of a 102-year old african american man from the south, as I am a 30-something white woman from MT. He has a lot to teach us, and a lot to remind us of and has a way of doing so that makes us thankful for what we have. George Dawson is a gem and I am pleased that someone took the time to put his story on paper. What a great book!



3. Even though this book was published six years ago, the message of "Life is so good" is timeless. It is a window into a world that we are all a part of, but some of us rarely see. Truly memorable! Dawson sees literacy as an incredible gift and he in turn gives the reader numerous ones in return.



4. Richard Glaubman's "Life Is So Good" is a real comeuppance for anyone whose outlook towards life runs along the lines of "I wish I had done X, but I'm too old to start now." Here's a man, George Dawson, who learned how to read at age 98. As a USA Today review aptly summarizes, "Dawson has become a literary hero, a testament to the power of perseverance." First-time author Glaubman expertly fleshes out Larry Bingham's award-winning 1998 Fort Worth Star-Telegram short story.
   
   Dawson's tales of life in the Jim Crow-era South, his unquenchable work ethic, and his travels throughout North America make for compelling reading. Here is a man who was never given a shot to read when he was younger - economic circumstances forced him into full-time manual labor at a very early age. Despite significant hardship, his optimism and sense of self-worth never waver. The title really sums it up well here. Glaubman's final words from Dawson are "Life is so good and it gets better every day."
   
   As other reviewers have noted, Chapter 1 of this book could stand alone as among the best short stories you'll ever read.



5. I like the memoir because George Dawson never gave up his dream to read and write. George was born in the late 1800's. His parents were not slaves, but his grandparents were once slaves. George was raised in Texas. His family was poor, and he never attended school. Georges started working at a very young age, drawing water from the well each morning for the house. George worked alongside his father in the fields. The work was hard, so was their life. They had to watch what they said and went in fear of the K.K.K. Twelve year old George went to work, and stayed with a white family to help out at home. His cousins came to live with his family because their parents died, so George was needed at home. George left home at twenty-one and worked in Tennessee building levees. It was two years before he returned back home.
   
   Life is So Good is a story about George Dawson's dreams of receiving mail, learning to read and write at the age of ninety-eight, and his work ethic. I can relate to George's hard work and his work ethic. I beleive in hard work and doing it right the first time.
   
   This book is sad and tells of struggles he had to go through. It is not easy reading at first because the chapters jumped around. But overall, it is a good book to read.

5 comments about Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam.

1. 
   Catfish and Mandala hit close to home. My mother's family live in Vung Tau. So, when I read passages about it, it intrigued me. And it didn't disappoint.
   
   Despite what readers believe, this memoir isn't about Vietnam. Really. Catfish and Mandala tells a family saga--a Vietnamese family saga. It speaks to you about family tragedy, disaster, and redemption. This includes immediate family, extended family, and the family left behind after the war. Locals called Mr. Pham brother, uncle, etc. The metaphor glares at you, sometimes blinds you to it, but don't miss it.
   
   This work broke my heart, but I highly recommend it to children born from that land and know little to nothing about it--like myself.
   
   I do have one complaint, though, as a fellow writer: On their/his hams. If I see that phrase ever again, I will scream. I lost count after reading it the sixth time. One pass at an unusual phrase takes notice, but over six jars readers to a halt. Otherwise, I loved this book.
   
   Wolfe



2. This book embraces so many themes, so delicately, wrenchingly and compassionately. The center plot is a return to Vietnam by a young Vietnamese American which his family fled years ago to live in the United States. However, it is far beyond cross-cultural travelogue; it inhabits the American as well as the Asian psyche with such scary acuity, and takes us into an inner landscape where few can go....without this author as guide. The prose is elegant and luminous; the situations tragic, comic, ludicrous; terrifying. The tone I felt was one of battle fatigue but transcended by unrelenting steel: this one was meant to survive and to tell it all.....



3. This book is about a Vietnamese-American man looking for his identity in his homeland. Like many Vietnamese who were children when South Viet Nam fell to the communist in 1975, Mr. Pham's family fled to America where he grew up straddling two cultures. While his writing about biking though Viet-Nam is witty, observational, and realistic, I somehow felt sadden for him because of his Viet-kieu's experience, a terminology used for expats. Over all his story made many generalizations about a very complex and exciting country. I am too a Viet-kieu. What I found is a country full of eager young optimistic people wanting a better life for themselves, their families, sometimes - for better or worse - at any price. Yes, there are poverty and corruption, but there also exist the dignity and quiet grace of a peasant woman who gets up at crack of dawn, earning a meager wage for the day to feed her family because it's her duty. Mr. Pham chose to go back to America with his ''privileges'' and his ''opportunity'' still at a lost for his identity. Readers should not accept Mr. Pham's experience as those of the other Viet-kieu's in Viet Nam.
   
   M. Vo



4. Andrew X. Pham's other works and notables:
   
   * Pham, Andrew X. The Eaves of Heaven: A Life in Three Wars. This title will be released on June 3, 2008.. ISBN 030738120X.
   
   As translator:
   
   * ng Thùy Trâm. Last Night I Dreamed of Peace: The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram. ISBN 0307347370.
   
   Notables: Kiriyama Prize, Whiting Writer Award, QPB Nonfiction Prize, Guardian Shortlist Finalist, NY Times Notable Book of the Year, Oregon Literature Prize.
   
   Andrew X. Pham's website is at www.andrewxpham.com



5. i was travelling alone in Lhasa, Tibet and found this book in Makye Ame restaurant. i started reading and couldn't put it down. it gave me true enjoyable solitude on my lonely journey. loved it. i spent the last two days reading it in that restaurant. ordered a copy from Amazon last week and i can't wait to finish it.
   my heartfelt thanks to Mr Pham!

5 comments about Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We're Not Hurting.

1. This book is excellent and can start the much needed tidal wave to wash away the stigma that is too often attached to Depression and other mental and emotional illnesses. Even though this book focuses on Blacks, it is needed in all of the communities in this country! There are too many lives wasted and too much pain needlessly endured because of shame and lack of education on the issue. Please give this book as gifts so that it reaches a broad market- even to medical practitioners.



2. Reading Black Pain reminded me of a meeting between Tagore and
   Einstein. It is said that the scientist talked like an artist and the
   artist talked like a scientist. More recently there is now a movement
   to integrate science and art into unified subjects. Those looking to
   achieving this goal should study Black Pain to learn what a unified
   art/science subject reads like. I could not make out whether this is
   a scientific study of depression in the black community or an
   artistic description of it.
   
   I achieved unexpected self knowledge of my own depression. This
   gift from heaven is not just a profound experience it enabled me to
   go into the nooks and crannies of my own mind releasing tensions I
   did not even know existed. Having grown up on the notion, 'Men don't
   cry' I could not stop crying for several hours. I never felt so light
   in my life.
   
   This book is therapy. This book is not just pure knowledge on
   depression in the black community this book describes aptly
   depression in all underprivileged communities around the world. Black
   Pain should be translated into every language and should be a part of
   the cirriculum in schools around the world.



3. The truth will set you free. We hear the words. But we don't internalize, or even believe, the words.
   
   Black Pain is the truth. And Terrie M. Williams knows and speaks the truth. Her resulting freedom allows her to connect with the hearts and minds of anyone open to her words.
   
   Severe depression caused me to lose my great job about a year ago. I was absolutely crushed. I lost myself and my purpose. I completely lost contact with the outside world.
   
   For over 1 year, I have been holed up in my bedroom. Laying in my bed, day after day, only rising for the necessities. Refusing to answer the door and phone. Giving up on life, an unwillingness to face reality, and consistently considering suicide.
   
   Then I picked up Black Pain. The words began to wake me up. The more I read, the more strength I gained. I learned that I am not alone. My pain is real. But I can heal. And I will heal. And this process starts now for me.
   
   I wholeheartedly endorse Black Pain and congratulate Terrie M. Williams for this monumental work. Black Pain is a healing road map for you personally and for our community. The truth...too many of us are dying every day. We must recognize our pain and get serious about our own healing.



4. I bought this book to read as part of a book club I joined. I had no say on the book, someone decided this is what we should read and so I purchased it. The information is good if you don't know anything about depression or if you think you might be depressed and are not sure of the signs or how to diagnose the possibility of being depressed.
   The book does focus on the black community and how they repress this condition as nothing more than an "excuse", and hide behind their own pain, so it's a good book to shed light on the reality of the disorder in the black community, but it's not applicable to me as a Latina, since I know the basics from taking psychology in school. (I hope this doesn't sound prejudice because it's not my intent)



5. This book was so powerful, that when sharing a few passages with my husband, it became clear that each of us had to have our own copy. We have since recommended this book to numerous friends. It is the book selection for my book club this month. Though difficult to read, with the staggering statistics, this book explains so many of the problems plaguing the African American Community. Each of us has family members that are recognized in these pages. This book is well written and goes in to so many avenues that affect people of all ages. Every educator of students of color should read this book. Those working in social services should make this a must in their professional library. Every member of my immediate family is reading the book.

5 comments about Embroideries.

1. Embroideries is a wonderfully funny graphic novel detailing the romantic lives of women in Iran. Each woman's story spans just a few pages, but touching, amusing punchlines are delivered every time. The illustrations are lively and gestural, capturing the personalities of Marjane's family and friends. The book is very relatable. It would be a good discussion starter for a book club or a parent broaching the subject of love, romance and courtship to young women.
   
   One of the more amusing stories is told by a woman who, after noticing that her middle aged husband was being distracted from her middle age self by twenty-something women, had plastic surgery that took fat from her behind and used it to perk up her breasts. He loves her new breasts - but in fact is kissing her rear!



2. I enjoyed this novel, but felt it was more a snack compared to the meaty content of "Persepolis."



3. Funny, heart breaking, insightful look at women in Iran, but could be women anywhere. The author is very good at getting precise meaning and acute issues across with just the right words. My new favorite author.



4. I have read this book several times, it is the funniest Marja Satrapi wrote. If you are a female Middle-Easterner, you will laugh out loud at the stories these ladies share.



5. my purchase of this book was but an afterthought. i only wanted to avail of the free shipping having ordered the two persepolis books. and i was not disappointed. true enough, it gave me a better understanding and appreciation of iranian women. learning a thing or two in the process. yes, their travails are as universal as the other women's. thank you for the endorsement.

5 comments about The Pimp.

1. Robert Maupin Beck, AKA, Iceberg Slim, one of the immortals produced from the black man's expierience in america, reminds me of many (not all) black men in america. He made a choice from the few choices he had and pursued it. Mack man.The difference between his book "Pimp" and all others, is that he purged and bared his soul. He saw his faults late in life, but yet and still, faced them. and denounced them. If any of us were in the same situation, could or would we do so? If other choices and conditions in his life were different,I feel he would be a success in whatever he chose. A BRILLIANT,BRILLIANT writer, I truly respect the man. In the times and conditions he grew up in, would any of us did different? How many of us would be willing to write a book as graphic and title it, "..........." the story of my life?
   
   Thanks Mr.Beck



2. This is a good book. Its written from the (hipsters) point of view. You take what you can from it.



3. a fascinating read, the ultimate anti hero. a copmelling insigth into a real life character that is both praised and vilified. the best feature is the sincerity of the storytelling and the portrayal of the life of the pimp as neither a positive nor necesarily a negative.



4. "Pimp" is a dark, ugly book. It's author Robert Beck, aka Iceberg Slim spent much of his life as a pimp. It's written to leave a bad taste in your mouth. That is the intent of the author. This is a chronicle of how he wasted twenty-five years of his life.
   
   Maya Angelou's brother told her a pimp is one of two kinds of men. Either he hates women or he fears women. The process of encouraging, enforcing a woman to sell her body is neither sexy or romantic. The life of a hooker, especially one working the streets is harsh and degrading. A `good' pimp only cares about using his women until they have no more left to give. Only someone who hates or feels the need to control women would make a `good' pimp.
   
   Iceberg Slim hated women.
   
   His father deserted them while he was a baby. Bobby and his mother lead a hand-to-mouth existence for his early years. Early on he is sexually abused by his babysitter. Stability came into his life when his mother marries an older man who was a successful businessman. Young Bobby loved his stepfather. They lead a comfortable upper middle-class existence until his mother runs off with another man.
   
   The image of his stepfather crying in the street begging his mother to stay is repeated throughout the book. He took his hatred of his mother out on women - as a pimp.
   
   Of course things go down hill for his mother. Eventually she gets her act together. But even though stability is restored in his life, Robert wants to be a pimp. Possessing a superior I.Q. (175), he was a straight-A student. In a time of blatant racial discrimination (the 1920s, 30s, 40s) he is given a college scholarship. But his path is set, the seeds of hatred planted years before take root and flourish.
   
   For more details about his descent into depravity and his redemption - read the book.
   
   His writing style is not polished. His language is not refined. But his imagery is stunning. He induces mood and feeling brilliantly. Mood and feeling are enhanced by his lack of polish.
   
   The reader may have trouble with his slang. It's been out of style for 80 years. For example, "vines" means clothes. A woman "georgias" a man when she uses him for sexual gratification without paying. A "square" is a cigarette, etc.
   
   I have noticed a disturbing trend. The black pimp is a role-model for some segments of society. Performers such as Ice-T extol the pimp lifestyle. Iceberg Slim is 'the man'. Whenever this book is discussed as a movie project, the gangsta rappers start lobbying for the part. These guys want to be like him. But not the man he became but the man he was - a depraved parasite. Some of them talk about this book as though it's the Bible.
   
   While this is an excellent book, it is ugly. Richard Beck wanted it that way. He wanted to send a message against pimping and it's lifestyle.
   
   Sometimes I wonder if these pimp wannbes can read.



5. I just finished reading this book for the second time, cover to cover in 2 days this time, it is possibly one of the best books I have ever read and keeps you enthralled throughout the whole read.Everyone should read this book because it really gives an insight into a world that most will never see.I have read all of the man's books and this is by far his best work although Mama Black Widow and Trick Baby are up there as well they just don't equal this masterpiece.They only have a 5 star rating but if I could this book would rate 10 stars.

5 comments about Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years.

1. I am so glad that I read this book. I found it uplifting and inspirational. How amazing that women like this lived, and I am so grateful they shared their story. It is not something I normally would have read, but I am grateful that I gave it my time. It was a very quick read.



2. "I'm not black, I'm brown!" So says Bessie Delany, at age 100. Despite her years of involvement in the Civil Rights movement, accepting its nomenclature wholesale isn't part of Bessie's personality. She's the feisty sister. Sadie, age 103, is the one who conquers by saying nothing - while going right ahead and doing exactly what she wants. Or by playing dumb, as she and Bessie both put it; but either way, it's always worked for Sadie. These two, the second black woman licensed as a dentist in New York and the first black woman to be appointed a New York City high school teacher, have lived together more years than not in their long lives; and as of this book's publication, they're still in their New York home and taking care of themselves just fine, thank you very much.
   
   What do they have to say? Plenty, mostly in alternating chapters. Their father was born a slave, and their mother's parents - a mulatto woman and a white man - couldn't marry because state law forbade it. That freed slave eventually became an Episcopal bishop, and all ten of his children became college-educated professionals. Sarah and Elizabeth Delany were old enough to be shocked and hurt when Jim Crow became the law of the South, and each had to find her own ways to survive and thrive in spite of both cultural and institutionalized prejudice. Relocating to Harlem, New York City opened new opportunities, but didn't take them away from that familiar struggle. Through it all, Sadie and Bessie lived by the creed their parents had taught them: You're here to do good. To which Sadie added her own maxim: Maybe I can change the world a little bit, by changing me.
   
   The challenges these two women faced are not familiar to me personally, in one sense, because I've never had to face racial prejudice. Yet in the way they met those challenges, with determination, realism ("As long as they need you, you've got that job"), and plenty of humor, any fellow human can surely find inspiration. A wonderful read!



3. The Delany Sisters are simply a spectacular duo of fighters. Their story is one almost every person would find amazing. The way they see this world, and how their past experiences with Jim Crow and being colored in the South before the Civil Rights Movement shaped their perception of humans forever. The book is filled with very warm humor and it is essential to understand part of the complex psyche of 'colored' people in the United States today, which, by the way, is a term prefered by the Sisters over black or even African American to refer to themselves and their people.



4. This book was recommended to me by my 95-year-old mother, and I must say it was an excellent recommendation.
   
   
   
   Author Amy Hill Hearth must have had numerous conversations with Sadie (age 102) and her "little sister" Bessie (100). The book is written with the words and the spirit of these two special ladies shining through each page. The Delany sisters were born to a father who was a former slave and who got an education and later became the first black bishop in the Episcopal Church. Their mother had white blood, but she chose to marry and socialize among the black race. As the sister explain, if you had one drop of black blood at that time, you were considered a Negro.
   
   
   
   The sisters describe their growing-up years and their gratitude for their parents' love, guidance, and the high standards of conduct which they held up to their children. They tell what is was like to be chased by the Ku Klux Klan, discriminated against by teachers and employers, and be the victims of the Jim Crow laws. They mention the illustrious black people, such as Adam Clayton Powell, and Cab Calloway, who were part of their social circle. They tell about their patriotism during WWI and WWII and in one of the most poignant comments in the book Bessie says, "We were good citizens, good Americans! We loved our country, even though it didn't love us back."
   
   
   
   This is a look back at American history by two women whose family was prominent in the black community, but mostly unknown in the white world.
   
   It is an eye-opener and is a wonderful story.



5. Let's just say I fell in love with the sisters so much that I adopted their last name. I am in awe of these remarkable woman, still. After living for more than a century they did not believe they had a story to tell. I am grateful that Amy Hill Hearth was able to convince them otherwise.
   Their accomplishments were remarkable not only what the two oldest sisters did but the entire Delany family. Their father Henry was borned into slavery, however, he did not use that as an excuse. All of the Delany children were trailblazers because there were no civil rights for people of color in the early 1900's. They did what they had to do, Bessie was honest and brutal as she felt it was her duty to tell people the truth. Sadie was considered the sweet one, however, she too was a go-getter.
   I recommend this book and the two other books that were co-authored by Amy Hill Hearth. Without Ms. Hearth these women and their stories would have never been told, I am thankful to her for bringing them into my life. I expected the sisters to live forever but Bessie died in 1995 shortly after turning 104 and Bessie at 109 in 1999. They are still alive in the hearts of many of us and in the pages of their books.

2 comments about Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (Enriched Classics).

1. I ordered this book for my daughter,for college. She is very pleased with it.



2. Frederick Douglass was a social thinker in his time. The book was
   first published in 1845 by the Anti-Slavery Office. A memorable
   quote is presented:
   " I was born in Tuckahoe near Hillsborough and about 12 miles
   from Easton in Talbot County, MD. I have no accurate knowledge of my
   age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.
   By far, the larger part of slaves know as little of their ages,
   as horses know of theirs and it is the wish of most masters within
   my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant."
   
   Frederick Douglass tells of the cruel whippings of slaves.
   He describes Mr. Severe who was both cruel and profane. There are
   recitations of trips to the Great House Farm in order to pick up the
   monthly allowance by slaves. The book chronicles his plan and
   success in escaping slavery. He was wary of the "Underground
   Railroad" because it stimulated masters to increase their
   general surveillance and watchfulness over the slaves.
   The work contains an eye-opening recitation of the treatment of slaves
   even a half century after the Constitution was written.

5 comments about All I Could Bare: My Life in the Strip Clubs of Gay Washington, D.C..

1. A no-holds-barred look into a part of Washington DC that never gets mentioned when discussing our nation's capitol in high school, All I Could Bare is as revealing as the title suggests. As a shaker of rump--all in the name of academic pursuits of course--Seymour uses his humor and wit to chronicle how stripping and other brief forays into sex work made him the confident, successful journalist he is today. Inspiring and totally entertaining, All I Could Bare is a must read and speaks to the daredevil in all of us; gay, straight or other.



2. Memoir fans---and anyone who likes a good story---rejoice. "All I Could Bare" offers an intriguing glimpse into a most unusual coming-of-age story. Craig Seymour's tell-all, bare-all tale shows readers of all persuasions how courage and confidence can be sought, and occasionally found, in the most unexpected places.
   
   At a time when memoirists and memoir itself have fallen under suspicion due to recent scandals, Seymour's candor is refreshing and admirable. His commitment to telling it as it was, even when that means portraying himself in a less-than-flattering light, allows readers to relate to his fallibility and humanity and reminds us of the good things that happen when we meet a writer we can trust.
   
   Seymour's story makes great summer reading, a funny and pleasurable trip through one gay man's perilous journey to find himself, overcome his insecurities...and make a few bucks. Yet the book and the man are also unexpectedly inspirational. Seymour captures the challenges and setbacks, the humor and triumphs, of our common search for the choices in our lives that take us from who we are to who we want to be.
   
   P.S. I was lucky enough to hear Seymour read in Atlanta, an hour and a half from my home. The trip would have been worth it at twice the distance and even twice the price of gas. Seymour is an exceptionally charming, funny, engaging speaker and this was one of the best readings I've attended. If he comes to a bookstore near (or not so near) you, don't miss him!
   
   Diane Miller, author of Freedom to Differ: The Shaping of the Gay and Lesbian Struggle for Civil Rights



3. On the surface, Craig Seymour's "All I Could Bare," is simply a coming-of-age chronicle of his adventures as a gay stripper in the late 80's and early 90's, in the notorious, no-holds-barred gay nightclubs of downtown Washington, D.C., a scene which had flourished in plain sight for more than two decades. The book briefly traces the neighborhood's historical development and notoriety as a gay mecca and offers up some interesting, if not entirely original, composites of characters. These range from (gay and "straight") chiseled poster boys--who gleefully profited from the attentions (and the hefty tips) of their rapturous admirers--to the largely diverse and self-aware crowd of "sugar daddies" who avidly sought, paid for and indulged in sexual fantasies elsewhere denied them.
   
   But "All I Could Bare" is actually a time-honored search for self, identity, a sense of place and community, the quest to make sense of it all. Unlike the controversial author John Rechy, Seymour is not a nihilist: He inevitably manages to wean himself from the nightclubs (though never quite entirely), gradually morphing into a skillful entertainment journalist and, later still, forging a successful career in academia (Rechy also parlayed his vast experience as a gay hustler into a profitable academic sideline). All told, Seymour's journey is a bona fide--albeit improbable-- success story told with a great sense of humor and insight.
   
   For all its merits, however, the memoir is not faultless. Despite his frankness, Seymour is pathologically selfish, as when he describes the painful break-up of a long-term relationship and scarcely pauses to acknowledge the shattering effect that his obsession with stripping had on his partner. I also wish Seymour had been more forthcoming about the minefield of race relations within the gay community. As a Black man light enough to pass as Latino or "other" than Black, Seymour himself appears to have been exclusively attracted to Whites. For all his self-examination, he offers little to explain his obvious compulsion to seek White (beauty-standard) validation--something that no amount of nurturing from his attentive Black family could assuage. Moreover, his tendency to skim over the persistent problem of gay racism begs the question of whether he would have had such a rewarding run as a stripper if he had not often been assumed to be any other nationality. Indeed, a less amiable writer might have challenged or at least pondered this unsavory aspect of the culture more deeply. These foibles matter, especially in a book that literally and figuratively proclaims full-frontal disclosure. And yet "All I Could Bare" feels authentic and true. The book is so engrossing that I could not put it down, and it took only a few hours to read. For better or worse, this is one memoir that offers a relatively sunny tour of a very peculiar fun-house that is never less than fascinating.



4. LOVED THIS BOOK! It's easy to read and entertaining and deep all at the same time. Seymour goes from being a guy who wanted his epitaph to say "He Never Embarrassed His Parents" to a stripper who takes all his clothes off so men could fondle him for money. Craig comes across as a guy you'd hope to meet and not just for his body. As only someone who's participated in the system can describe, he grasps the nuances and complexities of sex work.
   
   He seems to have a great spirit with observations like the following:
   
   "It was easy to think of the customers as just dirty old men, but many, like Dave, had led lives that had been full of secrets and compromise. That made their time at the clubs seem less like a hedonistic indulgence and more like a taste of hard-worn freedom."
   
   He also pays tribute to Frank Kameny, an often-overlooked brave pioneer in the days of pre-Stonewall gay equality and exposes the hypocritical Matt Drudge.
   
   Thanks for baring your soul, Craig!
   
   Rich Merritt, author of Code of Conductand Secrets Of A Gay Marine Porn Star



5. You don't have to be a stripper or gay to appreciate the life lessons learned by Seymour in this memoir. The addictive tale (I couldn't put it down), which is artfully interspersed with gay culture and history not only reveals him during his most self aware moments but also creates moments for the reader to feel that way as well. It is a captivating, relatable life story that is at times funny, thoughtful and poignant. Any writer, as well as anyone who is struggling to figure out where they fit in the world, or wondering whether they should just go for their wildest dreams, will be inspired by Seymour's decision to bare it all and go after what he wanted from life.

5 comments about The Way to Rainy Mountain.

1. Mr. Momaday's voice in his collection of stories is priceless. He tells of the Kiowa's legends, follows them up with facts, and includes his own reflections on what it means to be Kiowa, Indian/Native American, human. The inclusion of his father's artwork makes this an even more impressive volume.
   
   I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Momaday at a Western Writers Conference where he gave readings from this collection. And, not being a writer myself I felt out of place. It was Mr. Momaday's voice (think James Earl Jones), and his notice of me (the only other Indian/Native American in the auditorium) that mesmerized me. I've been a fan ever since.



2. Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, N. Scott Momaday, has compiled a remarkable book of Kiowan myths and stories. Each story is followed by relevant historical and anthropological commentary and by Momaday's personal memories and musings. Taken as a whole, it is the story of the Kiowa tribe during its Golden Age from the 18th to the late 19th centuries. It is beautifully illustrated by Al Momaday, the author's father.
   
   It is a soulful, nostalgic look at a people and way of life that is now all but lost to us. There is much to be learned from Mr. Momaday's thoughts and reflections. There may come a time when our own culture will wane and pass from the earth. If you've enjoyed this book, take a look at The Wisdom of the Native American, edited by Kent Nerburn, which contains orations and essays by Native American leaders. That book is also very good.



3. In his writing, Momaday creates a vibrant sense of how stories are expressed through living words within vital communities. His brillant blending of mythology, folktales, oral history, historical descriptions, and personal reflections all connect in a fascinating story about finding one's way in life's journeys. The writing is so vivid and the book is so animated that patient readers will connect with what Momaday presents, provided that they choose to share in the reflective silence that he offers on the way to Rainy Mountain.



4. The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Scott Momaday; illustrated by Al Momaday. Highly recommended.

   Rainy Mountain, a "single knoll [that] rises out of the plain in Oklahoma," is an old landmark for the Kiowa people. It is a land of bitter cold, searing heat, summer drought, and "great green and yellow grasshoppers." It is a land of loneliness, where the Kiowa were drawn after a long journey from the northwest through many types of lands.

   The Way to Rainy Mountain is about the journey-in myth, in drawings by Momaday's father Al, in reminiscences, and in historical snippets. All reveal aspects of Kiowa culture, life, philosophy, outlook, spirituality, and sense of self-the beauty and the desolation, how the introduction of the horse revolutionized Kiowa life, the story of Tai-me, and the richness of the word and the past. It is a literal journey as well; Momaday, in Yellowstone, writes, "The Kiowas reckoned their stature by the distance they could see, and they were bent and blind in the wilderness."

   This is a small gem of a book, beautifully written, illustrated, and designed. It has moments of insight, beauty, and sadness, as the ending of the Sun Dance, telling as the sun is at the heart of the Kiowa's soul-a soul that survives in every word and drawing of The Way to Rainy Mountain.

   Diane L. Schirf, 3 March 2002.




5. This book is deceptively short: it can be read in about an hour, but you find yourself going back and reading its various passages and thinking about them long afterwards. Momaday tells a story of the Kiowa Indians by tying in three aspects: folklore, actual historical events and his own family history. The book's format underscores this, with the first, folkloric item printed on one page, and the historical and personal reflections in separate paragraphs on the facing page, all set in different fonts. Not meant to be a comprehensive account of the Kiowas, it is rather an attempt to express the author's own feelings and his own view of his heritage. In this he largely succeeds, as he writes poetry in a simple yet powerful prose form. The only shortcoming for me were the illustrations (done by Momaday's father), which seemed to add little to the overall narrative. Otherwise, "The Way to Rainy Moutain" is a very unique and worthwhile book.