5 comments about Vergeen: A Survivor of the Armenian Genocide.

1. This book was a quick read with a lasting impression. This is one womans account of her struggle to get through the times of 'the March' as I hear other people call it. This story has given me a deeper understanding of the Armenian culture and a new respect for it as well.
   
   This book has also made me want to be more involved with what is going on Somalia. It's not right. It's so sad to me to know there are girls like Vergeen that may be experiencing this right now.
   
   For the posts that say this is a made up story or call the genocide a myth, all the posts are so defensive & mad. The tone to those posts makes them not credible to me. Not to mention, why would anyone make up stories about genocide?



2. *******CONTAINS SPOILERS******
   It is always interesting to read how people can endure and survive the unthinkable. This is truly one of those stories. My uncle recommended to to me because he had heard that it was much like my grandmother's ordeal & that they were deported from the same area....however once I began reading Vergeen - other than being from the same area there are many differences in their stories. My grandmother did tell us about the many pregnant women whose bellies were slit open & how they would spear the babies... and about walking over dead bodies...starving and more but she also had different experiences. The only thing that made me feel bad about this book is that Vergeen never forgave God whereas my grandmother had increased her faith in God for the many miraculous things that happened along the way to her survival. So I like my grandmothers story better........
   
   It touched my heart to see how Vergeen's husband handled the entire situation....what a wonderful soul. It also broke my heart to read about the tent of babies........



3. This came in great condition and a speedy arrival! I am perfectly satisfied with my purchase! Thank you so much.



4. Since I am a descendant of survivors of the Armenian genocide in Turkey, the story of Vergeen has tremendous meaning to me. The Armenian genocide had forever changed the complexion of my ancestors' lives in both my mother's and father's families. It's a miracle I am here today since both sides of my family witnessed and experienced such atrocities.
   
   From the moment I began Vergeen, I couldn't put it down. I was captivated. Every emotion filtered through my body and soul. Mainly I cried. I cried a lot. Although painfully sad, this book is soul enriching. Mae M. Derdarian, the author, did a superb job in writing the book. Vergeen is a must read.



5. Both my wife and I use Mae Derdarian's book in our college courses, she in her course on Women's Studies, and myself in a course on the Genocide. I am a published author and have published analyses of the genocide in professional academic journals. My wife and I are in personal contact with Derdarian and only can praise the book and its impact on our students.
   
   Derdarian tells the story of her mother's friend, Vergeen, who survived rape, starvation, and mutilation at the hands of the Young Turk regime in the last years of the Ottoman Empire. Vergeen entrusted Derdarian with her autobiography, which Derdarian edited into this book. It is a moving portrayal of life and death, with no punches pulled.
   
   Usually it is difficult to engage students in a thoughtful, critical discussion of a trade book in a college course. This book was clearly the exception to the rule. Students who were normally reticient in class spoke openly about the examples of torture and murder that are entwined in Vergeen's life. One student was so moved that he started his own correspondence with Derdarian. All of the students in our classes have told us, "Once I picked the book up, I could not put it down," and "This book is a testament to the human spirit." It is that powerfully written.
   
   There are many people on these boards who decry any story of the Armenian Genocide, calling it "fake" or "a piece of Armenian propaganda" and publishing the same canned responses over and over. I am not Armenian by birth or by blood. I am trained in history and historical research as well as in communication and persuasion. I have done my own research into the genocide. And I can assert from an outsider's perspective that this book accurately tells the tale. It is not easy to read what happened. But by no means should you let apologists for the Republic of Turkey scare you away from making the best purchase of your life in buying this book for your own collection.
   
   Read it. Be horrified by it. Tell friends and neighbors about it, as my students did. And never, never forget the lessons it teaches.

1 comments about "They Say": Ida B. Wells and the Reconstruction of Race (New Narratives in American History).

1. This great book on Ida B. Wells is not and explicitly does not try to be a biography but rather a scholarly narrative history. This is a noble attempt for which the book deserves praise since the historical narrative has long been a neglected and maligned form of serious history in a field dominated by scholarly monographs. Instead of chronicling all Ida's life as do traditional biographies (the narrative stops in the late 19th century) Davidson tries to examine the ways that former slaves "reconstructed their identities" after the Civil War. Ida B. Wells is more than simply a vehicle for this lofty goal for this is distinctly her NARRATIVE that describes her immense struggles and immense victories.
   
   Ida B. Wells (July 16, 1862 - March 25, 1931) was born in Holly Springs Mississippi a two months before the Emancipation Proclamation. Her father was a carpenter born from a black mother and white plantation owner father who treated his son very well (meaning he had a profitable trade after the war). He became an outspoken proponent of black involvement in southern politics sometimes risking his life to vote. Some of the most interesting parts of the book examine the ways that the Southern Democrats prevented ex-slaves from voting. Her mother was cook who advocated the Victorian ideals in her household after the war. At the tender age of fourteen Ida's parents died in a Yellow Fever outbreak and she took over as surrogate mother to her young siblings. Ida was educated at the local college and became a teacher before finding her real passion while living in Memphis - journalism. She wrote outspoken political pieces dealing with key issues of the day (it was very rare for a women to be writing for newspapers, yet alone political articles). She waged a campaign against the increasing segregation in the railroads and was even forced to leave the newspaper she was co-owner of because her articles were seen as two controversial. She was an advocate of civil rights (traveling to the UK and all around America), women's rights in the male dominated field of political journalism, and launched anti-lynching campaigns.
   
   James West Davidson's book uses her early life (not a heavily documented period) to examine the KEY reconstruction issue that of self-definition in post-slavery new world where the "socially constructed definition of race [became] spelled out with greater and greater specificity" (pg ix). Davidson does a brilliant job weaving in sections of the education of blacks of the day, the beginnings of the Ku Klux Klan, even the growing postcard fad as Ida B. Wells comes into contact with these phenomena. This is a relatively new form of writing, one which tends to defy easy definition, and my primary critic comes from the fact that the narrative form forces all the analysis of her life to a lengthy Afterwards. Most readers (myself and my history honors reading group included) will be confused as to the purpose of such a form, in comparison to a more traditional biography until reading the massive Afterward. All in all this is a very well written book that certainly adds to existing scholarship on this remarkable woman.

5 comments about A.L.T.: A Memoir.

1. I fell in love with the book after the first review I read about it. I'd, probably, would have never picked it myself, though very much follow the fashion and did know who A.L.T. was. If you think the book is about fashion...Wrong-Wrong-Wring. It's about the beauty of living a decent life and the luxury of experiencing human love; the luxury of lacking something in your life and as a result, treasuring everything you are blessed with. It's such a memoir jewel, at times I felt like I was reading about my own childhood. Don't even question - grab it and enjoy.



2. André Leon Talley's memoir exhorts one to journey with him to both his inner world and outer world. The former, is wondrously defined by the warm, cultured and ennobled-through-character kin that surround him during his formative years in the American south. The unconditional love and support of his tightly-woven family foster his ability to achieve grand accomplishments. The latter world, the outer world of ultra high fashion, where the bon vivant and gadabout crowd reign supreme, is one where his artistic talents and creative aptitude are encouraged and appreciated; this oft-pretentious, sometimes imperious world of glamour, glitz and visual luster, is one where he thrives while still holding true to his spirituality, family and humanity.
   
   Mssr. Talley's life is indelibly and immeasurably shaped by the presence of his generous, compassionate, selfless and benevolent grandmother, Madam Bennie Francis Davis. Though a woman of modest material means, her inbred sense of style and priceless integrity, virtue and honor are courtly and regal in every sense. Madam Davis' parentage, along with that of Mssr. Talley's father and support from extended family, enable A.L.T. to leave the warm bosom of the south and further his education at Brown University where he earns a graduate degree in French studies.
   
   Eventually moving to New York, Mssr. Talley meets and apprentices with Mrs. Diana Vreeland, the ne plus ultra of his burgeoning career at the time. With professional and moral support and encouragement from this unique and impressive woman, it is not long before he lands a job with the crème de la crème of fashion publications, Vogue magazine. His bi-continental career ensues, he meets and befriends intriguing, impressive, multitudinously-diverse individuals and, in sum, moves from fashion glory to glory.
   
   The crux of this memoir and most enriching insights, boldly reveal to the reader the importance of authenticity, of staying loyal to one's heritage, and of never sacrificing one's core values in the midst of the fashion world's artifice. In this case (and very fittingly), the person Mssr. Talley is revealed to be on the inside is superbly reflected on the outside--the best and the brightest of high society and high fashion are drawn to him and he counts many till today as loyal, genuine friends, admirers and compatriots in work and in life. How best to describe Talley? Cultured. Authentic. Passionate about his work. Unabashedly spiritual. Unquestionably creative and talented. Generous. Worthy of the success and respect he has earned. For someone whose interest in fashion is at most an afterthought, I learned a great deal from this piece. Buy this book for your library.



3. i couldnt wait to read mr. talleys autobio. though i expect lots of 'inside the world of fashion', i was pleasantly surprised to see so much written about friends, family, growing up in north carolina, and fashion. i am a great fan of diana vreeland and the tidbits he throws in about her apartment, her clothes and her style are wonderful. a very enjoyable read.



4. This is wonderful book, warmly written and lovingly detailed. That said, I think the tome is mistitled. Rather than a personal memoir, this is more of an ode to two beautiful women--Talley's grandmother and Diana Vreeland. This book is the story of how these two women influenced and shaped Talley's life, but there is little about his personal life outside of this subject. I hope that Talley will write more, another book about his personal experiences about race, relationships and culture. A.L.T. was such a wonderfully written book I would like to read more--please Andre, indulge us!



5. I didn't know much of Andre Leon Talley aside from mentions in the Andy Warhol diaries and his occassional TV appearances providing commentary on celebrity fashions. A stereotypical shallow and superficial TV fashion personality, I thought.

   Well this book set me straight. I was expecting a bitchy expose about Talley's career in the fashion world but it turns out there many more layers to the flamboyant Talley than he lets the public see. Lovingly recounting his childhood with his grandmother in North Carolina, Talley salutes the foundations which shaped the core of his personality. One can visualize his grandmother's sheets, feel themselves in Talley's home church and taste the after church dinners just by turning the pages.

   After receiving degrees from North Carolina Central State and Brown University, Talley sets off to pursue his destiny in New York. His life and career are forever altered when he meets fashion legend Diana Vreeland. Talley remembers his grandmother and Vreeland with a great deal of love. His writing reveals a real fondness for women which doesn't always seem to be the case with males in the fashion business. So while I didn't get the expose I was expecting particularly about his Warhol days, I did learn that Talley is a man of spiritual and intellectual substance.

   I would have liked to read more about his experiences as a Black male in the predominantly White fashion industry but that's only a minor quibble. I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about The Jerusalem Syndrome: My Life as a Reluctant Messiah.

1. A complete waste of time. There were no original thoughts in this book at all. It is the standard fare from most tree hugging, left-wing, wacked out liberals. A lot of crap about how evil conservatives are etc without backing any of it up. Before you read this pile of refuse, do yourself a favor and buy a gallon of gas and a match. That way when you are finished, you can burn the book and maybe save a few bucks on your home heating bill.



2. The author is a lazy slacker who's never had an original thought in his entire life. Before buying this book do youself a favor(and save some money) take a hammer hold it in front of your face. Swing towards your forehead. Apply ice. This will give the same effect as reading this tripe.



3. I can't stop thinking about this book. I could not put it down. I had tears rolling down my face as I read it. Marc=Good=Sony=Love.



4. I bought this because I think Marc Maron's standup comedy is hilarious. I caught a brief appearance of him on Comedy Central awhile ago and it took me several months to find out the name of the guy who made me laugh so hard. After finally finding out who he was, I found out he has a CD, Not Sold Out, and this book, The Jerusalem Syndrome. The CD is hilarious and I highly recommend it. Since no other CDs or a DVD of his standup is available (yet, anyway - fingers crossed!), I went ahead and got the book because he wrote it, not really knowing what it was about, with pretty high expectations.

   The book is a fragmentary autobiography of some events in Maron's life, very little of which is directly related to his career as a standup comic.

   The brief first chapter foreshadows the events that will occur later in the book during Maron's trip to Israel.

   Chapters two through five cover Maron's life up to high school. I simply didn't find this stuff to be very interesting.

   Chapter six covers Maron's college years, focusing on him adopting the Beat religion. The ideas and events in this chapter are very interesting, they're written about very well, and the chapter is very funny.

   Chapter seven is another highlight of the book, covering the modest beginnings of his career as his comedian and his relationship (friendship is too strong of word) with Sam Kinison. Like the previous chapter the events here are interesting and funny, if not scary.

   In chapter eight Maron recounts his foray into conspiracy theory, and how his credulity for that intellectual junk food led to him making a fool of himself. He does save some face, though, by turning his mind back on before the chapter is through. Maron does make a really good observation about conspiracy theory literature:

   "The thing about conspiracy literature is that it's perfect for stupid people who want to seem smart and ground their hatred in something completely mystical and confusing, and it's good for smart people who are too lazy to do their homework. People can't argue with it without possibly implicating themselves."

   What I don't get is, if this stuff really happened, how is it possible that he didn't learn from this and avoid the whole Jerusalem Syndrome thing, if that stuff really happened, too?

   Chapter nine is hilarious, as Maron tells of his visits to a Philip Morris plant and the Coca-Cola museum. Maron gives great, detailed accounts of these visits and makes many humorous but true, if not obvious, observations.

   Chapter ten provides a mish-mash of professional and personal experiences. I simply didn't think this stuff was very interesting or funny.

   Chapters eleven through thirteen contain the events foreshadowed in the first chapter, including his trip to Israel and his experience with Jerusalem Syndrome. I don't know how much of this is true or exaggerated, but I thought most of this stuff was pretty stupid. Some of it is funny, but not in a very good way. Perhaps a Jewish person could relate to this more and find some value in it, but I could not.

   Chapter fourteen is simply excellent. Maron returns home to do a benefit show for his old synagogue. He sees some friends and acquaintances from his youth and ends up helping out in a pretty big way. This concluding chapter is interesting and touching.

   The Jerusalem Syndrome contains very little about Maron's career as a standup comic. There's a little bit about him getting his foot in the door as a comedian at The Comedy Store and then later a bit as he starts to make a name for himself with appearances on television. If you want more on the life and times of a standup comic, I don't think you can do any better than True Story, Bill Maher's fictional story of several standup comics trying to make careers for themselves during standup's golden years.

   This book has some really good parts, but at least as many not so good parts. Perhaps the good parts make up for the not so good parts, but overall this was pretty disappointing considering how hilarious Maron's standup is. In any event, I'd rather just have more of Maron's standup comedy on CD or DVD.




5. Read this book. I read it in a day. I went back and underlined the good parts. I told a number of friends about it. You don't have to know anything about Judaism or Israel to appreciate Maron's spiritual journey. It's the funniest thing I've ever purchased online.

No comments about Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil of Slavery (Penguin Classics).

5 comments about Something to Declare.

1. I had to read this book over the summer before I went back to school. Let me just say that this was the most boring books I have ever had to read. Page after page would be filled with vain, boring crap about her childhood and her supposedly humbling, amazing journey to becoming a " wonderful " author. The minute I finished this book, I threw it on the floor and didn't pick it up for an entire week! Later, I ended up throwing the book away. If you decide to purchase this book, spare yourself some grief and don't pay full price for this book. Trust me, even though I got it cheap, it was still a waste of money and time that I will never get back.



2. I am a great fan of Julia Alvarez's writing, and am also greatly appreciative of her strength of character as an inspirational Latina writer. Many of you may be familiar with her books "In the Time of Butterflies" and "How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents." In this book, we get a better sense of Julia Alvarez, the woman, the writer, the artist and (in her words) a "hyphenated American." (i.e, Dominican-American) These twenty-four essays offer a glimpse into her life, and what inspired her to persue writing. Alvarez had a lot of great material from her childhood, growing up the daughter of a revolutionary who was part of the opposition against Trujillo, the former dictator of the Dominican Republic. Julia also possessed a great wit and imagination, throughout her academic and personal life.
   
   We are so honored that this great woman decided to convey her thoughts and stories through writing. This is definitely her true talent. What a true inspiration for all aspiring writers (Latina and otherwise). This book is engaging, warmly accessible and insightful. Highly reccomended!



3. Alvarez has mined deeply into her childhood in Dominican Republic and her family's flight from Trujillo to Queens, NY, as sources for her lyrical fiction and poetry. At last she launches herself into nonfiction, and the result is Something to Declare. The book is a collection of 24 autobiographical essays focused on her life and her personal writing process. The first part chronicles her girlhood in DR, surrounded with a rich and varied cast of characters comprised of her huge family, the servants, her classmates and nursemaids. It ends with her family's escape to America and documents the beginning of the difficult assimilation process.
   In the second part of Something to Declare, Alvarez talks about her writing process, the difficulty balancing a writing life with teaching and her "real life," and concludes with her Ten Commandments for writing, a poster of which hangs above my computer.
   This book is a gift from Julia Alvarez to her many fans, and we thank her for it.



4. Ever since reading In the Time of the Butterflies, I have been convinced that Julia Alvarez was a gifted writer. This collection of her essays was purchased for our library to add to our creative writing teacher's curricular tools. I couldn't resist being the first to sample same. Alvarez has a way of talking to the reader that makes her essays ever so readable. I especially love the personal illuminations of her family in the Dominican Republic and in the states. What a fascinating immigrant story! One of my favorite essays is "Chasing the Butterfies" which put chills on me as I recalled the power in her novel that made me into her fan. I am not surprised that she is connected to the Bread Loaf writers. What quality comes from that group! I was a late-in-life discoverer of writers outside of the CANON, but I never again shall believe that only the canon has quality. The multicultural writers that I have discovered since 1992 as a member of the NEH sponsored Common Ground at the University of Houston, have enriched my life and the lives of my students. Any would be writer should read these Alvarez revelations. Being able to come and go from the entries makes the work so very user friendly. Brava, Julia!



5. In Something to Declare Julia Alvarez give us rich insights into the process of being a writer and living the full but difficult life of a bi-cultural citizen. Her book helped me a lot to understand my dual citizenship, but also it helped me to deal with the voices that fill my mind in at least two languages. A must for anyone who enjoys ethnic literature, or emmigrant fiction.

No comments about My Life and Battles: By Jack Johnson.

5 comments about Fighting for America: Black Soldiers-the Unsung Heroes of World War II.

1. This is an excellent book, really makes justice to these american citizens. The history about Robert T. Browne is specialy touching, and Robert Fikes, in "The Triumph of Robert T. Browne: The Mystery of Space" (APA Newsletter,Vol. 6, Number 2, 2007) gives aditional glances on the life of this remarkable man of mysteries.



2. 
   Chris Moore's chronicle of black patriotism from Colonial times through World War II is nothing short of an excellent walk through history. As a history buff I found myself eager to turn each page. I would sit with highlighter in hand marking special passages as though I was still a college student studying for an exam. Moore has a special way of transporting the reader back in time, allowing one to almost hear the voices of those who wrote the letters featured in the book. I never realized just how much we as a people contributed to the early Colonial battles that set America as a country free.
   
   Even though black Americans have fought and died in every war this country has faced, only the heroes of recent history get recognition. Yes, we grew up with a knowledge of Crispus Attucks, but what about heroes like Seaman Doris 'Dorrie' Miller and Pfc Robert H. Brooks. Miller was aboard the USS West Virginia, when she was attacked December 7, 1941 by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. Miller, a naval messman, managed to save several lives when he shot down four enemy planes with a .50-caliber anti-aircraft gun he'd never been trained to use. Miller was later presented the Navy Cross for his efforts. I was never taught in school about Pfc Robert H. Brooks was the first soldier to die at Fort Stotenbugh in the Phillipines, when the Japanese attacked December 8, 1941.
   
   There was also airmen Eugene Bullard, who was not allowed to fly combat missions for America. Bullard was however, welcomed by the French army and became an ace pilot during World War I. Bullard flew more than twenty missions against the Germans and was credited with shooting down at least five enemy aircraft. Moore introduces us to black female heroes like pilot Willa Beatrice Brown. In 1941 Lieutenant Brown became the first woman officer in the U.S. Civil Air Patrol. Throughout WWII Brown served as an instructor in the Civilian Pilot Training Program.
   
   Moore's research on the Red Ball Express, the 320th Barrage Ballon Brigade, the 161st Chemical Smoke Generating Company and the countless Engineer Aviation Battalions such as the 810th and the 811th paved the way for Allied victory. Moore allows the reader to feel the shear determination of black enlisted men and women who fought a duel war. One war was against the Germans and Japanese and the other war was against the prejudice they faced daily from their fellow American service men and women. Although this book began as a tribute to Moore's parents S.Sgt. Bill Moore and Pfc Norma K. DeFreese Moore his four year journey turned out to be so much more. Though not written as a text book, this book should be incorportated into the half written history books our children are taught from. It is a book that my family will read again and again.
   
   Reviewed by Felecia R. Ellis Memphis RAWSISTAZ



3. What an interesting subject, presented with historical perspective in Fighting for America, written by Moore to honor his GI Joe Mom and Dad.
   
   I found myself saying out loud, "I didn't know that" as I got a history lesson about the role African-Americans played in fighting for America since they became "Americans."
   
   Even in a movie like "Saving Private Ryan," the important role of several hundred black soldiers at Utah and Omaha Beach on D-Day was not shown. Throughout the book that focuses on World War II, we learn about heroism, camaraderie, segregation, exclusion, demoralization, prejudice -- and patriotism.
   
   Often black men were sent on the most difficult missions - ands then their efforts were greatly downplayed or excluded from history (both when it happened) and in written-down history.
   
   Black women also served as nurses and with other support units. The 6,888th Central Postal Direction Battalion, an all-black unit, assigned some 80 black women to handle mail sorting at a base in Birmingham, England. Those women were the first black people many English had seen, and they helped to shatter stereotypes.
   
   Many of us have heard of the Tuskegee Airmen and all they accomplished. Other black soldiers, trained as paratroopers, were sent to the West Coast of the United States and became firefighters. Their job was to jump into remote forested area and put out fires caused by airborne incendiary bombs sent aloft by the Japanese.
   
   Also, a third of the 10,500 soldiers who built the Alcan Highway (from Canada through roughest Alaska) were black. This major construction project was rushed to ensure that America had a way to get supplies to northward to defend our borders if the enemy blocked our supply ships.
   
   The book was filled with such interesting facts that any history buff will love it. And if you just like to read good stories about good people, it will meet that requirement.



4. If you are a fan of history or not this is wonderful book. Having read a several other history books on WWII in college, this is the first book that has captured me. The journey the reader takes through the life of the author's family and through other soldier's personal experiences allows the reader to relate to the war rather then simply read about it. If history books in school were written like this one, history class would not have been dreaded.



5. To anyone with any common sense, it should come as no surprise that African American soldiers carried the load, literally, during the Second World War. FIGHTING FOR AMERICA does a superb and meticulous job in detailing all of the many ways which black soldiers helped to win the war. It is simply a national shame that most black soldiers who fought in WWII have gone to their graves without any recognition for their bravery and heroism. This book is loaded with bonafide heroes who are worthy of our applause and any monument which can be erected in their honor. I recommend this book highly.

3 comments about God, Harlem U.S.A.: The Father Divine Story.

1. I picked this book up from a friend who had purchased it and could not put it down once I began. For those like myself that thought the spiritual life of most African-Americans ranged from Christian evangelicalism to the Nation of Islam and Moorish Science, this was an eye opening experience from the perspective of how influencial "New Thought" movements were on Father Divine and his integrated band of followers. This book provides a study of American religious history between the two world wars that few Americans are aware of.
   Father Divine finally takes his rightful place along with others of his era, Aimee Semple McPherson, Billy Sunday and Charles & Myrtle Filmore. The elements incorporated into Father Divine's mission are varied besides New Thought, Unity, Christian Science, there are also elements of the Society of Friends as well as Shaker spirituality. This book was a constant surprise and delight. Father Divine comes across as fully human with a nobility of spirit that persevered through several decades of rampant racism. Highly recommended.



2. Dr. Jill Watts has thoroughly taken the life of Father Divine and brought it to life. I knew little about Father Divine before reading this book and was intrugued by the challenges that faced him. Dr. Watts is an intelligent and articulate woman. I would recommend this book to anyone whether they are interested specifically in African American history or are not. I'm looking forward to reading her next book on Mae West.



3. This book provides the opportunity to learn about this highly controversial African American Leader of the 20th Century - and form ones own opinion if one is so inclined! Much that was written about Divine is sooooo old - and not very well researched - Jill Watts has done a fine job.

3 comments about Don't Let My Mama Read This: A Southern Fried Memoir.

1. Unless you want people to look at you because you will be laughing out loud while Hadjii explains what it was what like for him growing up in the South. I picked this up because I am teaching memoir to my students and I wanted a variety of examples. I read a portion of the chapter on school to my students and they loved it. Several asked to borrow the book when I was finished. Don't miss the chapter on Christmas! I am a white girl from California and I can relate to this. So can you!



2. When Hadjii says, "don't let my mama read this," that's exactly what he means. His southern-fried memoir, DON'T LET MY MAMA READ THIS, is bold, at times funny, and not for the faint of heart. He tackles issues like race and growing up in the south candidly and with an "in your face" style I couldn't help but appreciate. I laughed, shook my head and gave silent high-fives. This is definitely one guy who isn't afraid to say what's on his mind and, just in case you don't like what he has to say, he offers his apologies up front - sort of. Reading about his journey to manhood was entertaining, to say the least.
   
   Reviewed by T. Shelly B.
   of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers



3. Recently, the washington DC metro area lost one of our bookstore landmarks. Karibou books closed it doors during January 2008. This store provided books written about and by Black people for over 15 years. Well like most store closings, there was a huge sale and I happened to pick up "Don't let my mama read this". Makes you wonder how many more authors will not have the opportunity to showcase their works to the community before mass release. Now on to the book :-)
   
   I'm in the beginning stages of this book but already know that I will enjoy it. Hilarious, is all I can say. Thus far, I've worn a constant smile while reading this book and thinking, "I know exactly what you mean, Hadjii!"
   
   Even if you can not relate to his story, you are bound to laugh with him as you experience a slither of his life.