5 comments about Who's Gonna Take the Weight: Manhood, Race, and Power in America.

1. This was a fairly easy read, but lacked an instructional model for follow through. This was more of an autobiographical depiction of what race and manhood means to Kevin.



2. He's not saying anything that hasn't been said before, and better. Basically this is a well-written, seemingly powerful but ultimately shallow and heavy-handed piece of work by a writer with the sensibilities of a pimp. What I strangely find the most galling is his hypocritical attitude towards women, firstly, and the way he repeats phony white liberal feminist cant about "black patriarchy," which even he knows is just some crap that the media Establishment made up to make us look bad. Kevin Powell mistakenly believes that his account is some sort of official version of the Black American Experience. It isn't. Kevin Powell is Kevin Powell, a basically immature, confused young black kid(though he's older than me)who is incapable of telling his own story and glibly accepts the white liberal version(s) of it. Furthermore, he is obviously scared to dig a little deeper, beneath that phony New York crap, and really look at how this country operates--I guess it's because he isn't as disturbed about how this country operates as he lets on. He didn't have a damn thing to say about either Katrina or the Iraq War, which just goes to show. Had he truly been in James Baldwin's caliber, rest assured he would have gone on television kicking everybody's ass.
   
   I gave it two stars for the quality of writing, NOT the content, which is basically just trash.



3. In the principal reviews of this book comparisons are made to W.E.B. DuBois, which are of course silly as DuBois was a serious thinker and writer (one greatly overshadowed by Frederick Douglass, but that's another subject altogether). You'll also see comparisons to such a luminary as Dyson, which, on the other hand, are appropriate as Dyson is an idiot with nothing to say. However, the least known fact about this book is that it was written by Powell's dog.
   
   Admittedly, I exaggerate. I suspect that Powell himself actually did sit down and tap this out on his very own computer, or some such. But you do have to take it on faith, because there is no evidence whatsoever of a thinking person behind what amounts to a glut of words arranged to create the appearance of sentences, paragraphs, and thoughts. Indeed, the whole enterprise brings to mind the bit about the infinite monkeys, with infinite time, and War and Peace - oh, wait a minute - in that version, a real book comes out in the end. Here, well, let's just say that 2 or 3 monkeys with their respective typewriters for an hour or two will suffice.
   
   It is not inconceivable that people exist who think this book has some redeeming value. After all, there are people who pay good money for scribblings drawn by elephants with paintbrushes in their trunks. Of course, now that I think about it, even those elephants are assisted by their trainers, so there's a human intelligence at work as well ... ok, well, the analogy's not perfect. The point is, if you're one of the 10 or 12 people who will get something from the book, whether appreciation of the pretty colors, or recollections of the author's time on MTV, well, have at it. Everybody else, hopefully, started investigating other reading material long before reaching the end of this review.



4. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Powell at the Essence Music Festival this year, and made sure to let him know his book is the truth. It's not for everyone, meaning you have to be able to expand your mind and be willing to be objective. It's obvious he speaks and writes what he writes, because these are very important issues, and also uses himself in many instances to show he isn't merely just running his mouth and criticizing others. His concerns about where black men are and where we are headed are right on point and should be taken seriously.



5. he loves tupac....he has serious issues with Black Women....its a hard knock life....he was on the real world.....vibe magaizine...? Who is Kevin Powell?

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

No comments about Inheriting the Trade: A Northern Family Confronts Its Legacy as the Largest Slave-TradingDynasty in U.S. History.

5 comments about Slow Motion: A True Story (Harvest Book).

1. I enjoyed this book, but was troubled by apparent errors regarding orthodox Judaism. Perhaps the author just forgot, but it troubled me. Did anyone else find this?



2. Dani Shapiro takes the reader on a roller coaster ride in her memoir of post-college years. After her parents are in a terrible car accident, Shapiro reflects on her life and what she has become. A privileged, beautiful 20-something, the reader wants to scream at her "Why are you doing this to yourself?" Her affair with a wealthy, powerful, well-known attorney is sexy, tumultuous, dirty and lucrative leaving the reader disgusted and infatuated at once. The book forces you to wonder if you'd have the will to walk away. You do not pity Shapiro but you want to save her all the same. Fantastic read.



3. Family History, by the same author, was one of the best fiction I've read lately. So I decided to go for the autobiographical one Slow Motion, trying to grasp some information on how the author got her act together to be such a good writer. Fact is, no answer was found in this book. First, the real life character is shallow and so much less interesting than her fictional characters. Second, the book doesn't even touch the issue of fiction writing. You just get the facts: the author went to school, dropped out, went back and then went to graduate school. Lucky of her, at graduation she had a book soon to be published.
   
   For me particularly, the question remains: what happened after graduation that made her so good to write Family History? Where are the insights, what are the relevant people that get her fiction going? Does she seat on a cafe and think about her writing before doing it? Does she get inspiration from her current husband? From having a child? These issues were utterly untouched, and made me research further, so I went to her personal homepage, where there is so much more information about her family and three marriages (one that occurred before she wrote the book and seems to have ended before she started going out with her married boyfriend - I thought it was astonishing that this marriage was not even mentioned in the book). Still, I could find no answers.
   
   
   
   "Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year" and "Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life", both autobiographical books by the writer Anne Lamott, are much better at explaining how to get everything together and writing it down.



4. A disclaimer at the outset: I skipped over virtually ever scene involving Lenny as he seemed so creepy from the get-go.
   So, who's to like here? Maybe the father, but he's largely a flashback character. The mother? She had potential early on as being frustrated in the Orthodox life she came to regret; by the end she's rich, bitter and well ... not much else. The older sister? Close, but she expresses enough bitterness herself to be out of the running. The rest were not really significant enough to have mattered much to me - and, yes, I did get confused between "Shirl" and "Shirley Sugarman". To keep the alliteration, the author should've gone for Sandy or Sadie for one of those two women.
   The dust jacket makes mention of Hillside as an "Anti-Semitic" suburb. I kept waiting for examples; mention of vandalism is covered in one sentence near the end. That's pretty much it.
   I gave it a second star because the author is actually a talented writer (except as noted above). Too bad she wasted it on the story of a shallow, self-centered, self-pitying, materialistic brat.



5. An interesting thing happens when people write memoirs of terrible things that happened to them: readers are afraid to say anything bad about the books themselves, because it looks like they're being unsympathetic towards the tragedies described. I felt for Dani Shapiro when her father died, but without that incident, this reads like the work of a self-obsessed rich b*tch who epitomizes solopsism: nothing in the world matters to her but her own experience and what people think of her. It is very important, by the way, that you think she is beautiful, as she reminds you constantly throughout the book. That, to me, is the quality of someone who hasn't quite worked out her own problems--someone who is sadly aware of how she acts and says and what you think of her as a result--and someone who is probably not completely honest with you, dear reader, because the ugly parts of her--the ones for which you won't feel sorry for her--are most likely omitted.

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.

5 comments about Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893 (Brown Thrasher Books).

1. I finished this over Thanksgiving. My mom flipped through it, as did several other family members, asking was it a dissertation. I did not think that it was, but discovered my error in the Acknowledgements. I have a special affection for scholarly works that are compelling reading. The genius of non-fiction is a story that would not be believable if made up.
   
   Leslie documents every assertion, and includes transcripts of interviews and court proceedings so that there can be little question of context. The intermittent inclusion of belabored detail is a little odd to the casual reader, but there is often a gem in a table or list which helps transport the reader back over a 100 years (a list of schools in Augusta includes the only public one for blacks in the state - and that segregated, of course).
   
   The story itself is stunning (grown plantation owner forcibly rapes 13 year old slave girl before her first period, "getting" upon her a b*stard half breed upon whom he dotes all his life and to whom he leaves all that he has, making her the richest "colored" woman in America), but aside from the drama which unfolds chronologically in such a way that without device one is compelled to keep reading, one is almost by the way exposed to an entire sub-culture of "people of color" whose character, enterprise, integrity, ability, and or good fortune prevailed against all odds to create a world of privilege, the survival of which depended in part upon being invisible to less affluent whites. One of them married the grandson of a signer of the Declaration of Independence!
   
   Leslie presents the product of research of a phenomenon without mediated moralizing. Nor does the author speculate upon motive beyond presenting the range of possibilities. This volume belongs on your shelf next to Thurmond's Freedom, Meyer's The Children of Pride, and Reese's The Clamorous Malcontents, especially if you are a Georgian.



2. I first saw the movie, A House Divided and searched out and found out that there was a book. I read the book and i recommend this book for everyone to read. It is a good book. If you haven't seen the movie. SEE IT! the author that wrote this book should be commended. He did a very good job. I am about to write a paper for my history class on this book. Linda D. Westman Mannsville, Oklahoma



3. Hi my name is Ashlee Dickson and I am a descendent of Amanda America Dickson. I am very apprieciative to the people who have read the book and reviewed the website. I am also proud of my heritage and what she has done for the people of America. I am proud to be a Dickson.I am John R. Dickson's daughter's child. Thank you for your time.



4. Hi my name is Ashlee Dickson and I am a descendent of Amanda America Dickson. I am very appriciative to the people who have read the book and reviewed the website. I am also proud of my heritage and what she has done for the people of America. I am proud to be a Dickson.I am John R. Dickson's daughter's child. Thank you for your time.



5. I JUST RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT A GGGG/MOTHER AN FOR THE OBVIOUS REASONS FOUND IT VERY INFORMATIVE I MEAN HOW MY OF US HAVE THE BENEFIT OF A BOOK BEING WRITTEN ABOUT A PAST RELATIVE THESE COMMENTS ARE NOT ONLY TO EXPRESS MY JOY TO FIND OUT ABOUT MY GENELOGY BUT I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO USE AS A VEHICLE TO REACH OUT TO ALL OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS THAT I DONT KNOW MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS PAULOTOTHEMAXX@AOL.COM MY GFATHER EDWIN EUBANKS DICKSON DIED HERE IN COL OHIO ON 04/09/46 AN THE TRIAL ENDS IF YOU HAVE ANY INFO FOR ME PAUL DICKSON OR MY FATHER JOHN R DICKSON OR MY AUNT EVA DELEROES DICKSON(THOMPSON) PLEASE EMAIL ME AT ABOVE ADDRESS THANKS

1 comments about A Zuni Life: A Pueblo Indian in Two Worlds.

1. This is a magnificent book, written with skill, sensitivity, insight and the gentle teasing humor that is characteristic of Zuni. After reading it, anyone will easily understand why Tony Hillerman is still an "outsider" to many Native Americans.

   My dealings with the Zunis began in 1967, when I began writing stories about some aspects of life in Zuni and was honored enough to be the recipient of some of their teasing. It's a good place to start: British humor centers on clever word plays, American humor is blunt slapstick, while the essence of Zuni humor is kindly and gentle teasing.

   After all, they've lived and prospered in the Southwest for as far back as science can trace. In Zuni terms, they've been here since the beginning of the world. They learned to live in one of the harshest climates of the United States without depending on outsiders. It's only since the coming of the Anglos, which Wyaco portrays as oddball outsiders who vary from insensitivity cruelty to bumbling kindness, that many Zunis have become dependent upon a sometimes crazy American world.

   His experiences in World War II, which included winning the Bronze Star, are an example. The all-Anglo draft board in Gallup, which easily filled its quotas by drafting Indians, shipped him off to Santa Fe for his medical. He wanted to join the Navy to get out of walking, but was rejected because he'd once suffered three broken ribs when he was kicked by a horse. So, the draft board tried again and sent him off to the Army where he was accepted, even though he'd have to march every day.

   "It didn't make any sense then. It doesn't now," he writes. The book is filled with such examples of non-Zuni illogic. As a combat rifleman, he killed his share of Germans. He was among the troops who liberated Dachau, and was horrified at how the SS guards had treated the dead. He writes the dead "looked like juniper firewood just unloaded from a pickup truck, no more human than that, all naked and skinny.

   "The Zunis don't even kill birds without asking permission," he states. "To the Zuni, death is a transition time that must be handled with love and respect by one's closest family. A person's body and hair must be washed, rubbed with corn meal, and pointed to the west toward Kothluwalawa, with prayers to guide the departed spirit on the way."

   Wyaco was one of a dozen GIs who summarily executed 60 or so Dachau guards, who had surrendered without firing a shot. He says, "I've never felt any remorse for my part in that execution. Those SS guards were more like witches than like men. They'd already lived too long." When he went home, a medicine man brushed him with a wing feather from an eagle and blessed him with corn meal to wipe away such bad spirits from the war.

   It's the only incident in the book that made him really angry. The rest is an insight into traditional Zuni life. It was written by J. A. Jones, a novelist and anthropologist who became a friend of Wyaco after the war. Jones did a superior job, retaining the gentle teasing humor and manner of speaking that is characteristic of Zuni. It is an art Hillerman never mastered, his books present acculturated Navajos dealing with traditional customs, but little of the "soul" of the People.

   Obviously, Wyaco doesn't reveal everything about Zuni life. But then, as Wyaco points out, neither do any of the many anthropologists. He offers something they cannot; he explains the spirit, the meaning and the gentle humor of Zuni culture. It's something no outsider can do.

5 comments about W. E. B. Du Bois, 1919-1963: The Fight for Equality and the American Century.

1. I just finished rereading DL Lewis's first DuBois biography, and am thinking about purchasing the second bio. I own a copy of the first, and did read the second bio as a library book. Reading the current reviewer comments for this book refreshed my memory somewhat about the second bio. I would agree with reader praise for the first bio; it is a splendid book, as good as historical biography can be. The second bio starts out well but ends up reading as having been rushed, which is probably what happened, Lewis rushing to meet a publishing deadline. We would all be well served if Mr. Lewis would consider reissuing the second bio when he has time to flesh it out.



2. W.E.B. DuBois was born 2 years after slavery was abolished, and died two years before the wide ranging civil rights acts of 1965 were enacted. During this century, America was transformed from a largely rural nation whose economy depended on agricultural production (not the least of which was the cotton grown in the south by slaves) to an urban nation with the world's largest economy, built on industrial production. Throughout most of this transformation, DuBois was the loudest and clearest voice proclaiming the injustices suffered by the nation's Blacks.

   DuBois voice took many forms. He was the nation's leading Black Sociologist, Political Scientist and Hstorian scholar for most of his life. He was among the giants, regardless of race, in each of these fields. This alone would have been remarkable, even had he not had to struggle against the burden of racism every step of the way. What makes DuBois' life truly amazing (an over used word, which is fully justified here) is that in addition to his academic leadership, DuBois was a newspaper columnist, speaker, and founded dozens of popular mass organizations (most famously, the NAACP). He was quite literally the mentor of virtually every leading Black scholar, lawyer, business man, politician, etc. that followed.

   Surprisingly, given the transformation of the rest of society, DuBois retained his leadership role in the country as his many competitors and detractors faded--Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, and Walter White, among others.

   Lewis has produced a masterful biography of this complex, vastly under rated man. Lewis keeps his writing interesting, as he traces the twists and turns DuBois was forced to follow in his battle against racism. He began with a traditional middle class, elite (which DuBois dubbed "the talented tenth") analysis which urged the white power structure to recognize that elite blacks were as crucial to the nation's future as were the elite of the white population. He ended as a communist, victim of McCarthy, having given up all hope of democratic change, living in exile in Ghana, where he was finally accorded the unstinting respect he was denied during the first 90 years of his life in America.

   Lewis gives DuBois final years short shrift. Lewis seems to agree with most of the contemporary civil rights leaders, who thought DuBois had simply lost his marbles in his dotage. Lewis therefore skims over the last two decades of DuBois life in a few all too brief pages.

   I beg to differ. I believe that DuBois' thinking was an entirely accurate reflection of the frustrations he had encountered. As Lewis hints at, but fails to explore, DuBois tried every conceivable means of combating America's deep seated racism. He was rejected at every turn. Despite apparent victories, many would have said that the plight of Blacks at the end of DuBois' long life was not very much improved over their plight at the beginning of his life. The white controlled governments, universities, financial instutions, and political parties had not embraced the black elite, and the black masses had yet to see any benefit from the legal victories won by Thurgood Marshall and the Inc, Fund in the late 50's.

   Lewis quotes DuBois aunt as chastizing DuBois for his attacks on Booker T. Washington as a quisling--DuBois may have grown up facing racism, but he did not have the whip marks of slavery on his back that Washington had suffered. Similarly, those who criticize DuBois for his emrace of communism had not suffered the frustrations of almost a century of struggle during which everything in America had changed--except its racism.

   As DuBois lay dying, virtually his last words were to the President of Ghana, apologizing for not living long enough to "finish" his work.

   I know of no one who was more reviled during his lifetime that better deserves the masterful biography Lewis has given us, and given to the ages.

   Everyone should not only read Lewis, but should go back and re-read some of DuBois own works. DuBois could not be given a higher honor, and deserves no less.




3. I agree with Schmerguls, above, that David Levering Lewis' vol. II of DuBois has too many typographical errors; the endnotes are a nightmare; and that it needs a bibliography. But the book is more than a flawed book about a flawed man. It is readable, in general; Lewis could have skipped some of the big words in favor of words that ordinary readers could understand without a dictionary simultaneously open. Lewis uses colorful, precise verbs in many cases and succeeds in bringing characters to life in one word descriptions. He humanizes DuBois by discussing his friendships and by examples (through verbs and description ) of DuBois's autocratic manner. If this biography does not deserve a Pulitzer, I am curious what biography Schmerguls would consider worthy? The Oakland reviewer, above, is more on the mark in that this is a thoroughly researched and keenly insightful recounting of the life of a towering figure. I, too, sorely miss a bibliography. And the last quarter of the book is indeed full of typographical errors which a careful copy editor should have caught. One hopes that there will be a revision someday with all corrections made. Still, this is a wonderful history of the times and of an amazing (though "flawed," like the rest of us) figure in American history. DuBois certainly provoked solid thought at a time when mainstream America was unsure that Negroes could think. I have heard David Levering Lewis speak on C-Span. He writes better than he speaks because he says "Uh-uh" too much as he searches for those big words. But I'm so grateful that his work on DuBois came to fruition in my lifetime so that I could read it.



4. It seems odd that Lewis's biography of W. E. B. DuBois should be felt to be entitled to two Pulitzer prizes. The author disapproves at least on the surface of some of DuBois's more outrageous positions, but yet Lewis's biases show thru, and one gets the idea that in general if Lewis had not had the benefit of what has happened in regard to Communism in the past 15 years Lewis would be even more approving of DuBois's opinions than he now indicates. As others have mentioned, it is disconcerting to have a book from a major publisher have so many typographical errors. One would think they could have been easily avoided. And the endnotes are a nightmare. Instead of footnotes there are page notes in the back, with no discernible system: some indicate sources, but I found them very user-unfriendly. There is no bibliography as such, and overall I thought the book poorly edited. But the book tells a story of interest, especially during the period from 1945 to 1963.



5. With volume two Lewis completes his magisterial work chronicling the life and times of the controversial W. E. B. Du Bois, and this second volume is every bit as fascinating and scholarly as the first one which won the Pulitzer Prize. This volume follows Du Bois' descent from a founder and spokesman for the NAACP to his self-imposed exile in Ghana in 1963. Throughout the journey Lewis thoroughly develops the changing viewpoints Du Bois put forth as solutions to the problems of racial discrimination and the powerlessness of people of color in this country and around the world. From an integrationist (who at the same time criticized the assimilationist attitude of Frederick Douglas), Du Bois moved into the Pan-Africa movement (although he disliked and opposed Marcus Garvey and his movement), and eventually supported Black separatism before settling on socialism and Marxism in the later years of his life. His "petty bourgeois" ideas concerning Black economic separatism were, of course, vehemently criticized by his Marxist friends. Many believed "Du Bois was a romantic, a racialist, and an old man given to dreams of a 'shopkeepers paradise' as a solution to the depression."

   Although Lewis soft-pedals Du Bois' deep character flaws which caused him to be constantly at odds with others who were "on his side" in the fight for racial equality, and permitted him to excuse the murder and outrages of Stalinism and the Japanese military aggression and ethnic cleansing in Asia, the author clearly reveals these facts of Du Bois' life. Lewis reveals how Du Bois' mind became so poisoned with a visceral hatred of White power, and its adjunct Western capitalism, that he eventually reached the point where he could look the other way or excuse the outrages committed by peoples or regimes opposed to Western interests (which he never seemed to quite grasp were really his own interests and those of the Negro in America). In the end Du Bois seemed opposed to almost any policy his country adopted and he supported any force in the world (be it Pan-Africanism, Bolshevism, Japanese militarism, or Chinese communism) that opposed the interests of the "White governments." Thus, did a brilliant social critic end up a confused mind destined to play the role of a pawn for regimes opposed to Western interests.

   Lewis is very good at highlighting Du Bois' conflict with Marcus Garvey of whom he draws a great character sketch. He points out that Garvey's early followers were often poor, less educated, and often of West Indian origins, while the more "elitist" Du Bois circulated among, and pretended to speak for, the Talented Tenth of the African American people. Du Bois was an elitist and intellectual who could not stomach the irrational pronouncements of Marcus Garvey. Du Bois' viewpoint was that of the Black urban, educated, professional.

   Lewis is also very strong with detail concerning Du Bois' widening differences with the NAACP leadership and the association's approach to fighting for equality. Du Bois was not a great fan of Walter White, Roy Wilkins, and Thurgood Marshall who, with their legalistic approach, stressed working within the "White system." As in volume one, Lewis does a good job of discussing Du Bois' many writings and shows how Du Bois himself (as witnessed by his "The Gift of Black Folks") never outgrew his own racial stereotyping. Lewis also soft-pedals Du Bois' many affairs with intellectual women, but he does document these relationships. He shows how Du Bois, a believer in the rights of women, virtually abandoned his wife Nina over a period of many years in almost every sense but financial (many of his friends and intellectual acquanitances never met his wife) and how he was less than a father to his unfortunate daughter Yolande (who was one of the great disappointments of his life.)

   Lewis' book is possibly most fascinating when he deals with the Harlem Renaissance and the various figures with whom Du Bois was familiar. He details Du Bois' eventual alienation from the creative people of this era who depicted the seediness of Black urban life and culture. This too realistic depiction of Black life by the Renaissance literary figures embarrassed and angered Du Bois who wanted to believe that the "Negro race" was destined for a special place in history and, as a race, manifest certain elements of racial superiority. Du Bois criticized the Harlem Renaissance writers, poets, and artists for not sharing his belief that art and culture should serve racial politics. As Lewis shows, "Du Bois's own deep anti-modernist taboos surfaced" in his criticism of the Renaissance literati. Lewis also spends a good deal of time on the historiography of the Reconstruction Era to enable his reader to grasp the importance of Du Bois' writings on the subject and how they served as a necessary correction (despite Du Bois' own one-sidedness and exaggerated claims) to the more traditional school of historical writing on the Reconstruction Era. He also reveals the extent to which Du Bois would never give up the ridiculous notion that the freed slaves saved democracy in America. He desperatly needed to find a special role for the African American in the history of the the great country. Despite Du Bois' brilliant intellect, it was his tendency to see "White" hatred of the Negro as the central paradigm of all modern history, that prevented him from being widely accepted as a scholar. For him, all historical understanding began with this simple fact. Often his own worst enemy, Du Bois, Lewis tells us, "managed to give the impression that racial discrimination had been invented soley to make his life miserable."

   In the end, Du Bois felt the American Negro had let him down and he lost his faith in the special role the Negro was to play in history. As he himself admitted, "I misinterpreted the age in which I lived." One has to think that this disillusionment played as much a role in his decision to leave the country as any other reason. All in all, Lewis' biography portrays Du Bois as not so much a heroic figure, as a tragic one; a brilliant mind warped by a troubled soul that was the reflection of much of the pain experienced by an educated African American in the first half of the twentieth century.

5 comments about Raise Up Off Me: A Portrait of Hampton Hawes.

1. This is one of the most honest portraits of a human being you will ever find.. I would recommend this along with Charles Mingus' 'Beneath the underdog' for a taste of the 'jazz life'. It is amazing what these guys lived through - and still created such beautiful music!



2. This book is all of these things and more. This is the story of an essentially decent person fighting his own demons. A beautifully crafted book written in the subjects own idiom. A must have for anybody wanting to get inside jazz during the be bop era.



3. This was the first jazz biography I have read. Hawes does a great job of portraying the terrible effects of heroin addiction. I knew some jazz musicians were busted for heroin use in his time. But I didn't understand how rampant heroin use was in the industry. This book gives great insight into the life of a wonderfully talented jazz pianist. But more importantly, it gives insight into the tumultuous life of a drug addict. Initially, the piano seems to be Hawes' only love. But then there is the realization that heroin is his real love. It is his only motivation to even play the piano.



4. I love this book. Remember, back then when you played this music, it wasn't exactly a sweet world for the musicians (Black ones). I'm glad he let everyone know how hard it was out there. Drugs took this Bad Boy out the game and the world passed him by. Musicians like Brother Hawes, will never be acknowledged for their great playing in the U.S.A.

   If there was a dumb remark in this book, I didn't see it. Again, think back to the times he was living in. He talked about Jimmy Rushing and the way he thought about things. Jimmy Rushing came out of a different era, yet Some of his thoughts were not far behind. When he described Black people, some were light skninned, some were black... The book is not dated, it's just good.




5. I enjoyed reading this book very much.

   It is first of all Hampton Hawes biography of his life as a jazz musician. It tellls us of his way from being a little boy attending his father's church on Sundays to a highly acclaimed jazz pianist, his downfall because of his heroin addiction, his 10-year jail sentence (which was reduced to six after Hawes had written to John Kennedy!), his way back up on the European market, his love relationship with Jackie, and his new found love after separating from Jackie after almost two decades. The very last sentence of the book speaks about his ex-wife Jackie - and it is very touching and shows that Hawes indeed must have been a nice man.

   There is only one really dumb remark in the book that I felt was disgusting. (Find it for yourself... ;-))

   Hawes repeatedly talks about Black issues. I personally feel that those statements are very intelligent, and can therefore recommend this book not only to those of you interested in jazz, but also to anyone into Black issues.

4 comments about Becoming American: Personal Essays By First Generation Immigrant Women.

1. I never would have imagined the plight of the imigrant woman had it not been for this book.Nina's story, among other women were compelling.
   I would strongly recommend this book it is not only informative, but also emotionally engaging, and gives a good discription on the issues immigrant women face with here in the United States, mainly discrimination.



2. This book tought me the strenght of each of the women that immigrated to the United States for a better future. It is interesting to learn that these women had a new start, which meant that they would have to adapt to this new country facing many obstacles. One is given the personal experiences from women around the world.



3. At first I was a bit put off by how everywoman sounded as if she were whining at the loss of something she'd never had, as if her coming to America was by default(most had arrived as children), rather than a delirious desire, as it had been for me in my 20s. Still, I read on, fascinated by each woman's unique story - until I hit the motherlode in their essays where they began to spin their broken straws into the golden fiber of their new lives.

   Curious & remarkable what women from the East & from Africa thought important & what women from the Old World thought vital to their welfare. Some women ached in exactly the same way I had - wanting so much to be the daughter of which our mothers would have been proud.

   Do not look for patriotism in these pages - that sort of thing doesn't matter to women nearly as much as which identity we will be expected to wear in which place in our lives: our families' homes & churches; our schools & our parents' relatives from the Old Country.

   Becoming American is an absorbing, serious tea party where 24 women who started in every corner of the world have come to adulthood in America &, under Meri Nana-Ama Danquah's able editorship, have shared their stories.

   What of our past must we relinquish & what of America need we assimilate?

   Well worth the read! Made me do a lot of thinking, & writing too!




4. This book is a wonderful insight into the lives of first-generation immigrants. Being a first-generation immigrant myself, I found myself identifying with a lot of emotions and confusions of adjusting to the American beat. Because most of my immigrant friends come from the same culture as me, it was interesting to see how my experience differs from immigrants from other countries.

   The range of countries represented is diverse, although there is a definite emphasis on Latino experience and several essays by Irish immigrants. The fact that the authors of the essays are all writers of various success does not make for a very representative sample, however, although that was probably not the book's intent. The writing is a bit uneven and in some essays quite forced. I guess it's hard to write about one's personal experiences and emotions without sounding cheesy, and few of the writers in this anthology overcome this problem. But this is of course the matter of personal taste.

   All in all, the book makes for a pleasant and interesting read, although after reading this book, I will also look for a book that captures a more diverse experience, perhaps written in form of profiles rather than personal essays, a style I found less probing than profiles written by an outsider.

No comments about Culture Clash: Dread Meets Punk Rockers.