No comments about The Educational Thought of W.E.B. Du Bois: An Intellectual History.

3 comments about Madumo, a Man Bewitched.

1. The complexity and problems in the lives of South Africans in the newly minted post-apartheid state are richly interpreted in Madumo, both by westerners like Adam Ashforth and Africans he has known in Soweto. Witchcraft is taken up by both westerners and South Africans as an active encapsulation of these struggles, and the relevance of witchcraft to a modern life and a modern future is debated.
   As Ashforth says, "Despite the dawning of democracy, people were still suffering. Yet the task of interpreting the meaning of misfortune was becoming more complex." (9)

   Madumo describes the conflict of a modern man trying to honor his ancestors: "the problem with us that we Africans, when life picks up and things are going smooth for us, we normally forget about our ancestors. Because we are trying to follow western culture." (24). The youth are ignorant of tradition, especially in an era of rural exodus, and a plethora of dangerously creative witchdoctors reflects this. The elder members of the society are still expected to govern and judge the plans of youth, however: one witchdoctor, Dr. Zonki, reflects that in the normal course of events, but especially with regards to witchcraft, Madumo must "approach the elders of [his] family and do this in the proper way" (199). This shows a more resilient side of ancestor worship, and witchcraft�s role in preserving tradition, however shabbily.

   The recent "deluge of witchcraft" (98-99) points out just how people use bewitchment to come to grips with living in a new South Africa. As a tool, it not only reinforces gender roles and traditional life, it has proven capable of innovation and has been profitable for many. It has also survived the secularism of the new South Africa; Dr. Zonki himself mixed potions for the fighting Inkatha in the hostel of Soweto, and yet has no trouble because of this past in the new pluralistic state. A space for the interpretation of social and physical ills, as attributable to malevolent forces outside of ones control, has survived the fall of apartheid as well.
   "For all the talk of ubuntu, or �African humanism� by the new African elite, on the streets of Soweto the practice of everyday life was tending ever more towards the dog-eat-dog"(232).

   The new era puts blacks in conflict over housing and electricity, which are no longer free as a concession of the apartheid government against violence. The difficulty of everyday pursuits is reflected in the "university-thing" comments of Madumo�s relatives, who are impatient with his pursuit of his new opportunities. These sentiments might be echoed by any working family struggling with a devalued Rand and the expensive prospect of academics (17). The rise in witchings and witch doctors is also related to the emergence of AIDS, which is sweeping the country.

   Ashford notes that "none of the dispositions of professionals writing about Africa seemed to make much sense" (244). While I might agree with him, I want to hear more about how he sees the western tradition, which itself is based upon histories of occultism and itself has religions grounded in the invisible and the transubstantiated, as reflecting possible egress from the problems facing these South Africans. Should we come down upon "folk wisdom" which anchors witchcraft, or should we subscribe a movement towards the "folk wisdom" of Western modernity (245) which supports secularism and "enlightenment"? Ashforth gives us a detailed and localized view of witchcraft as an institution and inescapable fact of South African life, but the modern era and its changes are probably having an increasingly positive and liberalizing effect upon this tradition.

   Although this is perhaps equally as much memoir of Ashforth as it is social history of Sowetan bewitchment,
   the book is fairly straightforward, and the writing is succinct and modest. We may find ourselves wondering just how useful this book is, however, as something beyond candid reportage. Can we really understand what motivates the ongoing crisis of identity in Africa? Ashforth is right at least in that we should, because the implications of African demise will affect us all in coming years, from AIDS to terrorism. It is also worth considering, as this book does, what tradition can really do for people.




2. Although he is now a professor in the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, Adam Ashforth has spent much of the past ten years in Soweto, living there full time until the elections of 1994, and then going back for three months each year. He has friends there, so he goes to South Africa for his vacations. _Madumo: A Man Bewitched_ (University of Chicago Press) tells the story of one such friend, and the extraordinary lengths toward which friendship goes. It is a warm, generally happy book blending memoir, reportage, and sociology. It is steeped in witchcraft. Madumo, a friend from Ashforth's first stay in Soweto, has been thrown out of his house because a prophet of the Zion Christian Church told Madumo's younger brother that Madumo had used witchcraft to murder their mother, and Madumo had been thrown out of the family home.

   Much of the book has to do with the counter-witchcraft Ashforth helps Madumo hire, through a medicine man named Mr. Zondi. Madumo has to be washed with herbs and earth from Madumo's mother's grave. There is a ritual cutting of Madumo's hands and legs, with mercury rubbed into the cuts. A white hen is slaughtered in a pre-feast to assure the ancestors of goodwill and more to come. Other herbs induce vomiting, the sort of purgative that has been favored in folk medicine for centuries, but which makes Madumo seriously ill. Ashforth tells a surgeon friend about what Madumo is going through, and the surgeon explains the danger. The vomiting can cause dehydration, kidney failure, and bleeding from the esophagus. Ashforth seriously worries if he had been too simple-minded in endorsing the Zondi cure.

   The treatments bring improvement for Madumo. The improvement can't promise him a new place in his family, or within the South African economy, however; the strange daily life and business ways of the Sowetan community are a constant theme in this unique memoir. The main theme is, of course, the pervasive belief in witchcraft, and Ashforth explains how as a form of belief in the supernatural it takes its place with other religious ideas as a way of trying to make sense of the world. Ashforth is often asked if he believes in witchcraft, and he resoundingly doesn't. But he also knows that there are no arguments persuasive enough to make believers think that Madumo's treatment is placebo any more than those who pray can be convinced that prayer is not a real interaction with the divine. Trying to argue Madumo out of his beliefs would have availed Ashforth nothing, while paying for the treatment did give his friend a new life. Thus the materialist harnessed counter-witchcraft to help a bewitched friend, and brought results.




3. Maduma is a young South African accused of using witchcraft to kill his mother - his act falls under the local police's special 'Occult-related Crimes Unit' and his friend, author Ashforth, helps him search for a solution. Spiritual and social issues blend in a fascinating biographical and cultural coverage.

3 comments about They Call Me Big House.

1. Big House was one of the first persons I met when I was a freshmen at WSSU. Reading this book brought back some great memories. This is an Outstanding read that anyone would enjoy.
   K.B.



2. very compelling Book about Big house and His legacy which has him as One of the winningest Coaches Ever in College Basketball. but this Book reflects on the struggle and Bridiging the gap socially and spiritually. Humor keeps things into perspective in the Book,but what Big House had to deal with in Jim Crow America,etc... is no laughing matter and this book pulls no punches,but it speaks directly about the game on the court and the game of life and so much else in between. very Powerful.



3. Big House was a great coach - the fifth best in history of college basketball but more importantly he was a guy with a sense of values and a good sense of humor. He knows basketball as well as anyone in the country and has some candid comments about how to improve the game. But his real commitment was to the students he coached. He experienced the bitter bite of segregation - working for an HBCU called Winston Salem State - but his memoir is better than a rant - it is a reflection of his insight and integrity.

No comments about There When We Needed Him: Wiley Austin Branton, Civil Rights Warrior.

2 comments about Capirotada: A Nogales Memoir.

1. Sometimes you just want to read something that warms your heart. Something that is so rich and abundant with kindliness and warmth that you have to pause several times in your reading to ponder and absorb. The author must have been a very "nice boy." A nice boy with kaleidoscope vision and compassion.

   Nothing fancy. Just plain home-cooking, albeit sometimes spicy, like the chilaquilas recipe in the book, which incidently, is wonderful!




2. I have never read a book about my hometown. This book took me back to my childhood days, and what it meant to grow up in a border town where everyone knew each other, everyone was friendly, there was no racism and you could sleep with the door unlocked, leave your keys in the car and it was safe. It also brought sadness at the same time, since Nogales is not the same Nogales of the fifties, sixties, seventies and even part of the eighties. It has grown extensively, has crime, and is no longer the little friendly town I once knew and loved.

   Albert was at Nogales High School at the same time as I. He has truly written a BEAUTIFUL memoir of what my little childhood town was.I knew his family, his father married my husband and I and his mom pierced my ears. I was saddened by the fact that his father had passed away,(since we moved to culture shock California 10 years ago,I don't have much contact with Nogalians). But, believe me,you don't have to be from Nogales to enjoy this little marvel of a book.

2 comments about Woman in the Crested Kimono: The Life of Shibue Io and Her Family Drawn from Mori Ogai's Shibue Chusai.

1. This was a delightful read, one I'd come across by chance when it was mentioned in Hanley's Everyday Things in Premodern Japan. It tells the story of a woman named Shibue Io, who lived during the mid-19th century and died in the 1880s, her life spanning the late Edo period and the early Meiji. She was the wife of a scholar-physician named Shibue Chûsai, the subject of a long and very detailed biography by the great Meiji writer Mori Ôgai. McLellan, rather than translating Ôgai's book itself, extracted only those parts concerned with his remarkable wife, Io, and then interpolated his own musings and commentary on the woman and her times. He also provides excellent documentation in the form of endnotes, which give the book a necessary grounding in historical research. We follow the life and times of Io as she marries the well-respected Chûsai, bears a sizable brood (not all of whom lived long), raises and educates her children, is widowed, and endures the hardships that came to families associated with the samurai (or bushi) class during the time of the Meiji Restoration. This exceptional woman was extremely well educated for her time, and several of her children were themselves involved in scholarly pursuits. Io was not only intellectually inclined, she also--having been given martial arts training--had considerable physical bravery, as described in several vivid anecdotes. The book pursues the story of her husband, and each of her children, and by the time the volume concludes, after only 150 pages of narrative, we feel we have come to know not only Shibue Io, but her entire family, and a number of persons closely associated with the Shibue. Moreover, we get a marvelous picture of what life was like for an upper middle-class Japanese family living in Edo during the closing days of the shogunate, and how topsy-turvy things became when it had to adjust to the social, economic, and political upheavals surrounding and succeeding the Restoration. McLellan's commentary has just the right touch; knowledgeable and sensitive, and always helpful in engaging the reader's interest in and sympathy for the cast of characters whose story he (and Ôgai) is telling. He keeps the narrative clear, reminding the reader of who individuals are when they reappear in the story, and continually offering valuable insights into the cultural and historical circumstances of the times, including the place of women. This is a book that anyone interested in 19th-century Japanese life should read; since it was published in 1985, I regret not having known of it before, but I'm delighted to have finally made its acquaintance.



2. Working from Mori Ogai's biography of Shibue Chusai, a 19th century Japanese doctor in service to the Tsugaru Shogunate, the author of this book focuses rather on the extraordinary life of his wife, Io. Supplementing Ogai's text with his own research, McClellan covers the span of her difficult and remarkable life from her marriage to Chusai, the births (and deaths) of her children, the death of Chusai, and her latter days spent moving all over Japan with her family, trying to eke out a meager living. Japan at this time was going through significant changes as power was wrested from feudal landlords and "restored" to the Emperor Meiji. As a result, Io's entire life changed; born to privilege and affluence, she and her family lost both their status and their income in the restoration. What is amazing about Io is how unconventional she is, and how her story resists the stereotype of the demure, powerless woman (especially in 19th century Japan). Io is not afraid to carry a dagger and pull it out and threaten to use it on thugs who would harm her. And after her husband's death she declines invitations to live with relatives, opting instead to maintain her autonomy even with its threat of greater poverty. She is exceptionally well educated, and learns to read English in her sixties. But McClellan is also careful to place Io's story within its historical context, reminding us of the real limitations she faced because of her sex. He still surmises, however, on her opinions on the issues affecting her quickly changing society, such as women's voting rights and Western scholarship. Above all, Io is portrayed as a woman who combines qualities of strength and courage with tolerance. These are the exact qualities one needed to survive in the world she inhabited, and her possession of them ensured, no doubt, her remarkable success.

1 comments about Dona Tules: Santa Fe's Courtesan and Gambler.

1. The author seems to have found documents amounting to almost all we'll ever know about Tules. Was she important in the transfer of power in 1846? We still don't know, but do know she was friendly with the Yankees and in a position to be helpful. The author seems to over-rate the wealth coming from a placer gold find and miss the fact that Santa Fe Trail wealth was emerging from deep within Mexico. I'm a little disappointed that the author second guesses Josiah Gregg, our most reliable reporter on the Santa Fe Trail. But, now at least we know she was Tules because she was slender as a reed. Not perfect, but helpful and interesting.

1 comments about Unveiled Voices, Unvarnished Memories: The Cromwell Family in Slavery And Segregation, 1692-1972.

1. A compelling story from a family's records and letters about the slave markets of Maryland and their escape to professional careers over three generations.

5 comments about Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman's Journey Through Depression.

1. This is definately an excellent read. I originally had to read this book for school but now that I have read the book, I purchased the book to add to my personal collection. Excellent depiction of what a black woman encounters when she suspects that she has depression.



2. After experiencing several bouts with depression throughout my 30s--I am now 38 and the daily battle continues, this book caught my attention from another message board. I checked it out from my local library and finished it within 2 days. I could so relate to the author. Her story was very poignant and I appreciated her honesty. While medication has not worked for me I am trying a daily balance of selfcare to work with my depression. This is a book I will buy. Continued success to the author, her family and circle of friends.



3. I bought this book and didn't want to read it at first. I thought it would be too sad. But I read it anyway. I am sure glad I did. This book gave me the courage I needed to go find help for my own depression. Thanks Meri.



4. Reading the excerpts of this book on your web site got me thinking deeply about my wife, who is presently looking for a place of her own. I just sent her the url to the excerpts and hope she will read it and change her mind and stay. Thanks for saving my marriage!



5. I read this book after going through a bad break-up with my fiance. It's wonderful to read about a black woman being totally honest about her emotions, her illness and her reality. I appreciated Meri telling her story without wearing the "Superwoman" mask mainstream America forces on black women. This was an eye-opening book and it helped me to realize that I don't have to wear the superwoman mask. It inspired me to be brave enough to be honest about my own emotions and vulnerabilities! Black women and men should read this book, and everybody else should too! Dispel the myths!

2 comments about Civil Wars.

1. In Civil Wars, poet and activist June Jordan explores political issues through a very personal lens. This collection of essays, speeches, and letters, previously published but presented in this text with contextualizing annotations, masterfully blends public and private spheres. Jordan looks at critical issues such as race, homosexuality, linguistic differences, and violence by drawing on events in her own life and telling her intersecting story through vibrant prose. For instance, Jordan examines the power differential between "White" and "Black" English by discussing her novel His Own Where in relation to Shakespeare and questioning the linguistic hierarchy that values particular codes over other alternatives. Civil Wars is an engaging, moving text that will make you think deeply about social justice through a personal perspective. A must read!



2. June Jordan's collection of essays spans almost twenty years of her life, from her days as a young mother "learning to see" the world around her and beginning to make her own actions seen and voice heard, through her growing involvement in Civil Rights demonstrations, the beginnings of her teaching career, and later on in her life as a Black woman still fighting for justice using her weapon of choice: words.

   This book explores Jordan's perspective on and experience with a variety of topics, including race riots, urban housing, educational language policy, children's rights, university Black Studies programs, African liberation, land reform, and the politics of publishing. Her combination of social political commentary and personal reflection is thought-provoking and accessible to a diverse audience of readers. Her writing is clear and passionate, and most pieces, previously published, are prefaced by background information that places them historically.

   This is a book to be savored both for what it says and how it says it.