No comments about African American Communication: Ethnic Identity and Cultural Interpretation (Language and Language Behavior).

5 comments about Diana Ross: A Biography.

1. 
   This must be the ultimate Diana Ross biography. The author of this book seems to know the legendary singer all too well. In fact, if you look at his credentials, I think you'll be quite impressed: Mr. Taraborrelli begin following her career when he was just barely a teenager; he wrote countless of articles on her for various publications; he's interviewed dozens of her closest friends and family members throughout the years, including Diana Ross herself; he wrote two previous books on her, and, as proven with this book; he's an exceptionally talented writer.
   
   What's great about this biography - as in the case with virtually all biographies - is that you learn more than just about the "biographee." You learn about other people, places, and events. In this case, you learn about The Supremes, Motown Records, Berry Gordy, the sixties, the music industry, the movie industry, and much more. So to some degree, this biography is really a history book with an emphasis on entertainment, and where Diana Ross is the main subject. This is the sort of book that once you start reading, you can't put it down. And even though I'm not a huge fan of Diana Ross or Motown Records, I found this book captivating, fascinated by her life story.
   
   I think readers will be pleased with Taraborrelli's in depth look at Diana Ross' life: her personal life and relationships; her music career and other business ventures; and her family and children. Yet, even though the author admits to be a great fan of Diana Ross, this book doesn't seem to reflect that. The author holds nothing back. In fact, he gives us a very sincere portrayal of Diana Ross, and not a manufactured one. He tells us about her good side and bad side, her failures and successes, her good times and bad times. Some authors may be tempted to be a little bit biased, but not Taraborrelli in this case.
   
   My one and only disappointment is that there is no mention of Michael Jackson's song "Dirty Diana." Was it really a song about Diana Ross? I was hoping he would set the record straight and maybe even get Diana's own reaction to the song, but that didn't happen. Maybe he's got something written about that in his Michael Jackson biography, which I'm eager to read. But besides that, I found this book excellent all the way through. If you're even remotely interested in Motown Records, The Supremes, and of course, Diana Ross, I think you'll truly enjoy this book. As for me, I look forward to reading more books from this author.



2. An unabashed fan of Ross and the Supremes, the author of this bio lets all his own biases show. The writing is a little too gushing in places and the uncritical judgments seldom tempered. Still, if you don't already know this familiar story, there's interesting fodder here because the author has been an insider more or less for decades. The early years of the Supremes are well dissected and readers learn much, not the least of which is how much the group recorded beyond the hits. Ross's later years are also well documented and her somewhat sad decline and recent DUI chronicled. This is a very long book, so be prepared to wade through.



3. Even with Randy's third opus on Miss Ross I haven't any more of a clue as to who or what she really is but if you've bought the previous two books don't think this is just a rehash. It's a new book and impeccably researched and impeccably written. He's done his damnest to try to bring the complete person to the pages. Ross' own book showed she hasn't got a clue about who she really is (and, good grief, all the information and dates she had wrong or confused) and that she is the center of her universe, not the most sensitive to the feelings or viewpoint of others she's worked with. Since she'll never write the whole story, this book will do nicely. The most significant observation Randy makes is Ross' multiple personalities--almost every star in show business has them, a combination of sheer guts and ambition and power with total insecurity. It drives everyone around them nuts. (But not every star is a bundle of contradictions--some are in show business but not of show business and live their lives right side up.) As for Ross, I love her work--a fabulous career still chuggin' ahead--but I'd never want to get in her way.



4. As for readability, I'd give this book 5 stars. It read like a novel - with dialogue and drama and character exploration. But, is it really a "biography?" - that's not how it came across to me. I thought it read more like one obsessed author's suppositions, speculations, fantasies and desire to dish a bit of dirt. For example, he'll ascribe a motive or intention to some action Diana took. C'mon, as if he (or anyone but her) knew what she was thinking at that point in time. Buy it as fun read.....but go into it knowing that the author has filled in a lot of blanks with his own biases.



5. OK, there has been so much written about Miss Ross (most of which I have read) including this authors previous efforts. I couldn't put this one down, it is very well written and easily read. Although I have previously read much of what has been written on Diana Ross and have been an avid fan since she began her career, there was still some information in this piece with which I wasn't familiar. It saddens me that the one group whom I and millions of others so adored experienced such conflict within their ranks. RT clearly doesn't put the blame on any one "Supreme" for the turmoil that was evident through most of their time together. Towards the end of the Bio, even Scherrie Payne, a singer with the group after Diana left, and one of the singers that Diana invited to join the Diana Ross and The Supremes 2000 Return to Love Tour, voiced how she hopes that someday Diana, Mary and Cindy can look beyond their differences and once again give the fans an opportunity to see one of the premiere groups in the history of music. I for one would pay far more than the $250.00 asking price for that ticket. Whether or not you are a Diana Ross or a Supreme fan treat yourself to a well written biography about one hell of a stunning star! I was fortunate to have seen her numerous times over the years, including her performace at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles in 2004 and I already have my tickets for her show at the Gibson Universal Theatre in November of this year. At the risk of sounding cliche' Diana Ross ia a survivor and I know deep down that there is more to come! A great read! Highly, highly recommended.

5 comments about The Life And Legend Of Leadbelly.

1. There's some great information here, and the authors present the fruits of some painstaking research into Leadbelly's early life. We find out the true story behind his prison stints (and escapes) and releases. We also learn about a possible ultimate source for Goodnight Irene. The stories of Leadbelly's experiences with the Lomaxes are much more detailed and richly told because Lomax wrote many letters and kept an extensive record of his travels with Leadbelly.
   
   But a more attentive editor could have helped a great deal. For example, two dates for Juneteenth are given. Bruno Hauptmann's name is misspelled. Some clunky phrases are repeated within a paragraph of one another. The chronology of Leadbelly's trips around the Northeast is muddled and hard to follow at times. The information is all there, and it is great to read all about it, but it could have been much more clearly presented.



2. After reading this book you will have a real sence of leadbelly, the man and his music.
   A true original and free soul



3. very well put together biography based on a variety of sources. the authors present the myths and the 'facts' in a very cogent and objective manner allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions. not only is leadbelly explored in detail, but this book also contains great descriptions of the places, times and character of leadbelly's world.

   this book is also a nice read for those interested in john or alan lomax.

   i only wish there had been more photos - but those that survive are accessible on-line.




4. This is a fascinating biography of one of this century's truly seminal artists, from his days in the Shreveport red light district to his jail terms in Huntsville and Angola, LA., on through his "discovery" by John and Alan Lomax. The book is exhaustively researched and will delight both blues fans and history buffs.



5. This well-written, well-researched book is THE source for Huddie Ledbetter/Leadbelly information.

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.

5 comments about Revolutionary Suicide: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) (Penguin Classics Deluxe Editio).

1. As a white middle class generation x'er, I knew nothing of the Black Panthers or Huey Newton that was based on personal knowledge or experience. What I had heard was that they were radical, dangerous, and hated white folks. That seemed overly simplistic, so I decided to look into the black power movement for myself. Of all the books I read on the movement (Malcolm, Eldridge Cleaver, SNCC, Soledad Brother, etc...), Revolutionary Suicide was the best.
   
   First off, Huey is the best writer of all the writers I read on the subject. That includes both the primary books and the secondary interpretive books written by historians. Huey's writing reflects his life philosophy, he lives for the people and therefore writes for the people. He doesn't seek to impress the reader with a fantastic grasp of the english language. He writes simply and matter-of-factly, much as a good journalist does. This to-the-point writing style more engrossing than any of the other books I read on the movement.
   
   Second, Huey, unlike many other movement leaders, doesn't look to hog the glory for himself. He is very upfront about what he was responsible for and what he collaberated on with others. He passes the glory around liberally (some would say too much) to spread the power to the people.
   
   Finally, this book will give you a primary understanding of who Huey P. Newton was and what he was really about. Did he hate white people? Did he advocate armed revolution? Was he a murderer and thug? Read it for yourself.



2. This book is one of the first and only unaltered accounts of the Black Panther Party by somebody who was in it. The book is in Huey's compassionate voice. This book dispells rumors about the BPP Huey set the record straight. This is my favorite book of all time its a book for the ages.



3. What can I say, that hasn't already been said? Huey P. Newton was a very complex individual, and I find myself reading a section over a second time to digest what was written. It's worth it no doubt. When you start to read this book, you will not be disappointed, Newton sheds light on even personal matters like falling in love, and views on family. This is great if you want specifics on Mr. Newton himself, and not just the BPP as a whole.



4. If you want to attempt to get into the mind of Huey Newton, then read this book. Reading his autobiography gave me a view of the Party I have never felt. This gave me an understanding of how and why the organization was started and also some insight on the life of Huey. You will defintely have a different view of the Party once you have read this. So read, read, read, and keep reading, and educate yourself about this incredible man and organization.



5. If you're going to study the Black Panther Party, you of course must check out a story of its preminent leader. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. He gave me an understanding what it meant to be a radical Black activist during the 60s and 70s. It meant that you had to be courageous, committed, and five steps ahead of the cops, the FBI, and informants.

   Of course, now, this is Huey's account of the Party. While his is seriously important, the works of other Panthers and scholars who are now publishing works about the Panthers must also be studied. For now that I'm reading a biography on another Panther leader, Geronimo Pratt, I'm very interested in understanding more about the political split that took place in the BPP. Why did Huey expell Pratt from the Party? Why did Eldridge Cleaver turn out to be so reactionary? I look forward to reading other books on the Panthers to answer these and other questions.

5 comments about Ticket to Exile.

1. With reading and storytelling as important background themes, we learn how one intelligent, sensitive and creative young black man survived Jim Crow's pre-WWII south. In Adam David Miller's memoir, "Ticket to Exile" we stand in an important American literary tradition that began with the slave narratives and carried on through the transitional work of Frederick Douglass, James Baldwin, Alex Haley's "Roots" and even the the wild (yet deeply humane) work of Eudora Welty, Flannery O'Connor, Harper Lee, and Zora Neale Hurston. In Orangeburg, South Carolina, the separation between whites and blacks was not so much a ghettoized apartheid as a separation enforced by the banal daily routines of institutional racism: humiliation, the constant aura of violence, and "laws" and customs meant to enforce powerlessness and subservience, both economic and cultural. In this south, blacks and whites lived near one another, their lives constantly intertwining and mutually influencing. Northerners often don't get this. Miller's writing places us smack-down in an "anytown" America through its uncanny descriptions of that rural/village setting, filtered through a child's lens. Here, people know each other's business all too well, and petty prejudices and stifling status markers play their painful roles. Neverthless--and here is the memoir's comic relief--people (and Miller) get by on their imaginations: storytelling lends a balance to harsh realities; even the stories of catching and eating vermin are not entirely repelling because of the oddly compelling form in which the memories are recounted. Miller's soft-spoken worldliness shows us, too, how West African roots express themselves in southern culture; I'd like more of this in our telling of American history. I love the details of how families and neighbors got along (or didn't) and Miller's understated poetic prose--there's nothing show-offy here, thank goodness. I had a visceral awareness of this time and place, and even when the going was exceptionally rough, I felt the writer's confident hand. The book left me with a deeper vision of race in America and of humanity in its larger sense, for, if anything, the book showed me how the manufacture of "race" always limits our humanity. This book should be required reading in schools, book-groups, and the halls of our political leaders.



2. VERY INTERESTING MEMOIR,THE IMPACT THAT DRIVE UKNOWN LIMITS TO COLOR PEOPLE,THIS STILL UNRESOLVE, THIS BOOK GIVES YOU THE BIG PICTURE HOW, BACK IN TIME THE WOLRD START TO DISSECT THEMSELVES AND NOT BEING RESPECTED AS REAL HUMANS BEING.



3. Ticket to Exile The book, Ticket to Exile is a rare intimate portrait of an intelligent mind trapped in an ignorant world. As I read this book I found it to be thought provoking and inspiring. As a person of color, I kept comparing my life to Mr. Miller's childhood. I was amazed by how resilient and resourceful my elders were in stark contrast to how easy my life is today. Ticket to Exile opened my eyes to the subtle and damaging aspects of internal and institutional racism as it was at that time and it made me reflect on how it continues today. If this book doesn't change your mind I hope that it changes your heart. As it has mine. Ticket to Exile is an affirmation of life. Thank you Mr. Miller! I highly recommend this book for all readers, book clubs and especially High School students.



4. Adam David Miller's new memoir is a startling look back at a valuable life that was nearly extinguished by ignorance and fear. The book is a multi-faceted look at the human condition and how we treat one another in a world that would often have us consider one another the enemy. The fact is that Mr. Miller does himself great credit by not hammering on the idea that only white people were dangerous to existence, and emphasizing that race is not the only issue, but difference of any sort. This, despite the central fact that his tale is one of fear and oppression by white people. This lack of hyperbole gives credence to the basis for his story. Here is the tale of a man almost lynched by a mob of white men during the early 40's in the Jim Crow South, a tale that takes the time and care to cover all the ways in which human beings demean and punish one another for their individuality. In doing this, Mr. Miller makes it quite clear that there are good folks and bad folks, although he does not use that nomenclature, but that the hierarchy of oppression from white to black is only one sort of bigotry, and that horror begins with fear of difference. The central and underlying concept of the book impresses anyone who picks this volume up with its certain knowledge of what centuries of oppression does to those oppressed: to turn those of white skin against those whose blood contains so little as "one drop" of African-American blood, those of lighter color against those who have darker skin, male and female against one another, those with education and social standing against their less well-educated, well-heeled neighbors, those from one side of a town against those from the less-desirable address, and homophobes of whatever sexual orientation who fear they might become tainted by what a person does in the privacy of his or her own body against love, and those with the desire for love, however that might be defined. This moving book is the story of a town in the Jim Crow South, but it is also the story of anytown anywhere in the United States of its time - and of anytown anywhere today (despite the current emphasis on politically correct phraseology practiced in public). It is also the story of a boy turned man in one second by circumstances beyond his control, and beyond his ken at the moment he is betrayed. Mr. Miller's young life is held forfeit in the hands of a group of men who know him and his family and yet consider killing him because of his skin color. In addition, it is the story of all of us at that age (19) - bored with our hometown, looking for some new and interesting person/thing/idea, we leave the local setting and set out on our journey to human independence. The difference here is that Mr. Miller is thrown from one sort of exile into another, as much against his journey as his ancestors were against theirs. For most of us growing up with a wish for independence, we find ourselves in new territory, but Mr. Miller finds himself in terrifying new territory in the city jail, and later in completely new territory, both mentally and physically. It is a journey to independence as a human being, and Mr. Miller makes the telling of his odyssey with rare grace and aplomb. We can thank the framers of the Declaration of Independence (some of whom were slaveholders) for the quote "...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...," but we owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Miller for having continued the tradition of citizens who fought for independence so that they might live in a way that honors the individual bravery and honor of all. This reminder is all the more ironic coming from a man whose ancestors were ripped from their own country and culture and exiled into enforced enslavement. Bravo, Mr. Miller! Next installment please!



5. What an immensely readable treasure. I smiled, I cried, I was provoked, riled against the injustices, 'bled' from the scab of hurt living with this history in my lap. I was kept on the edge of my seat for two nights even though the book is structured with the 'ending' first--what an accomplishment just on that note alone. I'm deliciously confused how the author kept the suspense and incredible tension going in flashback. So all this to say, I'm waiting for the 'next installment...' (a memoir covering the next period of years?)

1 comments about Warrior Poet: A Biography of Audre Lorde.

1. Alexis DeVeaux presents a comprehensive account of self-described feminist, lesbian, and poet warrior, Audre Lorde. The author pulls together a myriad of published documents, unpublished journal entries by Audre Lorde herself, and a host of interviews with personal friends and family members to create a well documented look at the poet's life. The book is divided into two major sections called "lives." The first life begins prior to Audre's birth, and highlights some aspects of her parent's early life, their eventual marriage and move from the Caribbean to the United States. This family background helps readers understand Audre's nearly lifelong quest to come to terms with her relationship with her often emotionally detached parents. This portion of the book also details information about Audre's childhood, educational background, and young adult life. We learn about Audre's marriage to a white, gay, man and their eventual divorce and follow her process of "coming out" regarding her own lesbianism. Her long-term relationship with a white woman, Frances Clayton, and the challenges associated with raising a bi-racial son and daughter in a lesbian household during an era of rampant, overt racism and sexism was also discussed. DeVeaux also takes time to highlight some of Audre Lorde's flaws, thus providing a somewhat more balanced view of the author. Her professional career as a poet develops slowly, and the evolution of her writing career parallels the evolution of her political views and personal growth.
   
   The second section of the book, "The Second Life," continues to explore her career development, chronicles her battles with cancer in more detail, and ends with her death. Audre Lorde supported freedom and equality for all, regardless of race, gender, class, or sexual orientation. However, because of her strong views and personal lifestyle, she often found herself on the fringes. Many white feminists were uncomfortable with her views on race, while those involved in the black power movement tended to be uncomfortable with her feminist ideology and her lesbianism. Yet she used her own struggles, particularly her battle with cancer, as a means to educate, motivate, and inspire.
   
   I enjoyed WARRIOR POET and was impressed by Alexis DeVeaux's attention to detail and the time she spent helping readers understand the social and political climate of the times. There were times when I felt she went a little too far "setting the stage" and wanted to read more about Audre and less about other poets, or politics. Audre seemed to use her identity to take on very public battles for women's rights, gay rights, and so forth. But I found myself wanting to know more about how her children handled their mother's public persona. I also wondered how her very conservative, Catholic mother and her other siblings responded to Audre's lifestyle, and this issue was surprisingly never addressed. In spite of its sometimes academic feel, this is a must read for anyone that wants to learn more about an important literary figure.
   
   Reviewed by Stacey Seay
   of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

5 comments about Marvin Gaye, My Brother.

1. In this bio about his brother, the late Frankie Gaye makes constant references to the Seventh-day Adventist Church as being the church the Gay family grew up in. As a lifelong Seventh-day Adventist myself, I can safely tell you that this poor man has us mixed up with someone else. The Gaye family actually belonged to the House Of God, Inc. (a Hebrew Pentecostal sect); while they are similar to Seventh-day Adventists in their beliefs about the Sabbath, dietary laws, and the state of the dead, there are other differences. When he started talking about the dos and don'ts of their faith, I said, "Oh no! Those weren't Adventists! We have our standards, but they are nowhere near that strict (not even for the era he grew up in)! I have read the official website of the House of God, and they do not site their origins as having any connection with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I'm so sorry that the author is deceased and unable to correct this error, although I'm quite sure he meant no harm.
   
   I will say this, that I enjoy the music of Marvin Gaye, especially as an adult. His was a wonderful talent. I was 11 years old when I heard of his murder, and I thought it was such a sad way for his life to end. If only his family wasn't so dysfunctional, if only he hadn't gotten hooked on those stupid drugs (what a robber of human life drugs are in our communities!)! What else can we say but "Makes Me Wanna Holler", "Mercy Mercy Me", and "What's Going On"? Thank God we have his music as a legacy!



2. WHen I read this book, I was a little disappointed with a few things. First to know that Marvin Sr. got really no time for commiting murder. Weather of not, Marvin pushed him did not give him any excuse to pull the trigger. I felt that Marvin Sr. was probably jelous of all the attention or that some of his songs were about sex.
   I honestly thought that Marvin My brother was pretty well written and pretty interesting.



3. This book is very intersting, it let me know more about Marvin Gaye and his brother. I'm going through the book again.



4. This is the second book I have read about Marvin. This book had far more insight as it was written by his brother. Very good reading for fans of Marvin, Motown or Music.



5. I've read Divided Soul twice, once when it was first published and again in the late 90's. For me, it was the definitive Marvin Gaye book, until I read Frankie Gaye's book!
   
   Frankie Gaye's book is so compassionate and tender, so factual. After all, he was Marvin's best friend and confidante. Whatever you do, do not skip to the end. Read the entire book and when you get to the ending, you will have gone through Marvin's struggle with him, with Frankie. My only regret about this book is that I never bothered to know more about Frankie Gaye.

4 comments about Swinging At The Savoy The Memoir of a Jazz Dancer.

1. In the 1930s and 1940s, Swing jazz captivated America in a way no musical style ever had before. Swing was largely developed in Harlem and its driving beat made dance an inevitable component of this new music. The new dance created was the lindy hop, a non-classic couples dance largely created on the floor of the Savoy Ballroom.

   Swinging at the Savoy traces the life of Harlemite Norma Miller, who came of age just at the perfect time to invest her entire future in a faddish dance despite protests from her disapproving mother.

   Of course, Norma beat the odds and made a decent living as a performer, but this is not what the book is about. The real draw of this book is the chance to glean musical and dance history straight from the horses mouth. Indeed, Norma discusses the bands, the clientele, the lifestyle, the celebrities she met, and racial issues, but more often than not the bubbly Norma gets caught up in the warmth of her very dear memories.

   Swinging at the Savoy follows Norma through innumerable dance
   performances, which were far from dull thanks to infectious Norma's joy and enthusiasm for dance. However, I would have preferred that her performances had been given a bit less weight and more had been included a few more anecdotes on Duke Ellington and Chick Webb, more discussion on issues such as the development of the music and dance, and how interracial dancing was possible in the dark ages of the 1930s.

   Of course, the book is subtitled The Memoir of a Jazz Dancer and so I cannot really fault the book for putting the events of Norma's life at the center. Furthermore, the book is prefaced with an excellent essay by jazz expert Ernie Smith that provides a solid historical perspective on the music and dance of Swing.

   Swinging at the Savoy is a breeze to read and includes a good number of photographs that help bring the book to life. I recommend this book to anyone interested in African-American culture, jazz, dance, or U.S. history.




2. Norma Miller, the youngest member of the original swing dance troupe, Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, had to do some sneaking around in order to dance at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem some 60-odd years ago.

   If the spunk she has now is any indication of what she was like at 15, though, it's no surprise she helped invent a whole new dance form.

   This down-to-earth personal memoir by an effervescent woman whose first and last love is the excitement of swing is an invigorating read for almost anyone.

   It might make you want to drop everything and go out and dance . . .or it might just give you a better understanding of the history of Harlem and the extraordinary people who helped keep it on the map all these years with their artistic spirits and rich energy.




3. Forget those neo-swing books... this is the one to get if you want to know about the tales and stories from the start of it all. Wonderfully told from a first person account...



4. Norma Miller is one of the Whitey's Lindy Hoppers who danced at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. It has some nice Pictures and some great information ,although it is about her personal bio at the Savoy and other dance spots she was in over the years, it is a little biased about Norma (understandably) and The role that she and the Hoppers played in the Making of popular Lindy Hop. It could have had more stories about the other dancers and places. It is however a major recomendation for any Swing Dancer/Fan.

5 comments about Asian American X: An Intersection of Twenty-First Century Asian American Voices.

1. I ordered this book from Amazon months ago as a non-Asian who had questions about the experience of Asians in the US, and I have purchased other books on this topic, as well. While this book has some value, I find it is probably the least useful book for both Asians and non-Asians; the former because it's, for the most part, nothing each and every Asian American reading couldn't have written him or herself. A book that is along the same lines as this one but with more depth in terms of stories, experiences and backgrounds is "Balancing Two Worlds: Asian American College Students Tell Their Life Stories." I agree with the review by Charles Chea, basically--the lack of diversity in contributers hurts the book, as well. Too many stories sound the same. A lot of the writers are part-white/part-Asian; where are the part-black/part-Asian or part-Latino/part-Asian writers? What about more LGBT Asians and South/Southeast Asians? Asians who did not attend college? There are a lot of voices, and, thus, a lot of variety in experiences missing here.
   
   For non-Asians, particularly blacks and Latinos, we cannot help but notice how certain groups of people no longer exist. Many Asians and Latinos complain that they are left out of black/white binary discussions of race, but whenever I read stories by Asians (not just in this book) they do the same thing. "American" is defined as "white" and vice versa, and that's who Asians are concerned with in terms of acceptance and fitting in, the way many stories in this book and otherwise tell it. Yet, one of the more upsetting things to Asian Americans is not being considered/feeling American themselves. Too many stories repeated this theme of American-ness as whiteness and wanting to be American/like whites, though I'm sure this is very central to the Asian American experience...which is one of the reasons why I'm certain any Asian American could have written most of the stories in this book. At the same time, unlike a similar book about Latino college students entitled "Mi Voz, Mi Vida," in which many of the stories include the authors fessing up to racist ideas towards blacks and darkness in general among Latinos, and one contributer discusses her interracial relationship with an Asian, we get next to no sense of what Asians think of/interactions with blacks and Latinos (though we do get a sense of colorism among Asians). I think the focus on whites, in itself, reveals a lot about Asian Americans to a non-Asian reader, though.
   
   A few stories do stand out for originality, particularly an essay by a woman who liked to sing but felt that being Asian would hold her back if she pursued singing as a career and another essay about struggling with weight/body image issues as an Asian. There is (I think only) one story about struggling with sexuality, which also is more original and interesting than many other stories in the book. Aside from that, this book is probably most helpful to Asian Americans who are always in predominantly white environments or otherwise have very little contact with Asian Americans and just want to know other Asian Americans out there go through what they go through. It doesn't delve deeply into the Asian American experience or psyche on various issues/backgrounds, and it does next to nothing to convince someone who believes otherwise that Asian Americans experience racism or other forms of alienation or hardship to a significant degree in the US. As I mentioned before, "Balancing Two Worlds...," while still not necessarily showing the full picture of racial difficulty Asian Americans experience, does present more diversity despite the fact that its contributors attended an Ivy League school and demonstrates more complexity (again, not necessarily racially, but in life experiences).



2. The quality and thought put into each essay was excellent, though it could've been more diverse class and wealth wise.
   
   While there is an obvious effort by the editors to include South/Southeast/East Asians and Pacific Islanders in order to represent diversely, there seems to have been a lackluster effort to include young APIA voices who are of college-age, but not in college. This would've broaden perspectives, assuming that most of them come from less educated and poorer backgrounds, exposing ideas, thoughts, and desires less uniform.
   
   This a collection of APIA voices in college - hopefully, the editors will make better efforts to broaden the collection if they decide to create a second book.



3. I found this book immensly moving. It's not really because the quality of the writing is all that good. There aren't any deep or poignant metaphors, just real life. I think that's more important than anything. What I liked most about this collection of voices is that I found I related to exactly what people said. I wanted to read more about their lives just to learn more about mine. I recommend it to anyone, Asian or not.



4. This book provides insightful commentary on what life is like for young Asian Americans growing up in the United States. The collaborative treatment of the subject, driven by a group of talented writers, showcases a large spectrum of inspired voices. An enjoyable read.



5. Asian American X sets out to give its reader a broad understanding of today's Asian Americans, but I think it goes further. The collection of essays is really about what it means to be young and grappling with life's most important questions.