Average customer rating:
- wow
- Not the best edition to have
- Searching for Humanity
- Read it for the second time!
- Hearing Wright's Life and Our Own
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Black Boy (The Restored Text Established by The Library of America) (Perennial Classics)
Richard A. Wright
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
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ASIN: 0060929782 |
Book Description
With an introduction by Jerry W. Ward, Jr.
Black Boy is a classic of American autobiography, a subtly crafted narrative of Richard Wright's journey from innocence to experience in the Jim Crow South. An enduring story of one young man's coming off age during a particular time and place, Black Boy remains a seminal text in our history about what it means to be a man, black, and Southern in America.
"Superb...The Library of America has insured that most of Wright's major texts are now available as he wanted them to be tread...Most important of all is the opportunity we now have to hear a great American writer speak with his own voice about matters that still resonate at the center of our lives."
--Alfred Kazin, New York Time Book Review
"The publication of this new edition is not just an editorial innovation, it is a major event in American literary history."
--Andrew Delbanco, New Republic
Customer Reviews:
wow.......2007-09-29
This is my all time favourite book ever. I'm sure there are literary drawbacks to it somewhere; but overall I think its an amazingly well written book. Poignant, stark, and unfathomable. Reading it made me so hungry, you wouldn't believe.
Not the best edition to have.......2007-09-15
Much as I love and admire this book--a must-read in American literature--this is not the best edition to have. Wright originally wrote the book in two parts: "Southern Night," about his experiences in the South; and "The Horror and the Glory." His original title for the two-part book was AMERICAN HUNGER.
When it was selected as a primary selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club--a great honor at that time, which tripled the sales of the book--he was asked to remove "The Horror and the Glory" and just publish the first section, "Southern Night." That was the book he retitled BLACK BOY. It is a pure memoir of his life as an aspirational but deeply alienated black growing up in the South.
Recent editions of the book have restored "The Horror and the Glory" to the text, and you might think this is a good thing. I don't think it is, in this case. That section purports to continue his memoir with his experiences in Chicago. However, unfortunately--and ironically--the Book of the Month Club editors were right from an artistic standpoint. "The Horror and the Glory" is completely different in tone. It largely recounts Wright's involvement in the Communist Party of the 1930s, and is deeply enmeshed in party politics. It embodies Wright's own feelings of devotion to Communism and Communist ideals even as it recounts his repudiation of the party.
I have nothing against Wright having been a Communist per se; my objections are not political at all but purely artistic. This second part of the book has none of the directness and immediacy of the first part; it is far less entertaining, and much more of a chore to read. Actually, the first part of the book (about two-thirds of its length) does indeed stand alone as a cohesive, coherent narrative. This is how it was issued, and, actually, it's how it should be read. The second part merely dilutes the artistic impact of the first part, rather than adding to it.
"The Horror and the Glory" was published originally in a motley of smaller articles, in the Atlantic Monthly and elsewhere. The issues it raises--internal Communist party politics and their relationships to the John Reed Clubs and their associated writers' groups--are somewhat interesting historically, but dated and ultimately irrelevant. It feels very much like commentary on facts and events you're expected to know about, but don't.
I suggest readers either purchase an edition that is true to the first edition, and contains only what in this edition is called "Southern Night," or else consider just reading the first part and letting the second part go. I think it's a better book the way it was originally issued.
Searching for Humanity.......2007-06-26
Richard Wrights autobiographical book is all the more remarkable in so much that it exists and was written by a man born to fail by society and given every hinderence to his thirst and love for life and reading.
Wrights book never becomes mawkish or pious.It simply tells it how it was;deep south society at the turn of the century and the black peoples place in it. Wright is open about his own failings-taunting jews, his childhood alcoholism-but there was no escape for him no matter how hard he tried to get ahead. A painful scene comes when young Wright thinks he is 'getting ahead' by selling newspapers to have a wiser black head point out he is actually selling ku klux klan literature. His love for books is hampered by the law banning blacks from libraries.
He comes across liberals who try to help him, but there is only so much anyone can do in a society swamped by prejudices.
The sad end is when Wright traveled up to the north; Chicago, where 'Blacks are free' The memoir ends here, but further reading of Wrights work-and that of his admirers and contemporaries such as Ralph Ellison-makes you aware that this was just another myth.Yes,life wasn't as oppressive as the south, but the 'liberals' liked the blacks to stay in the 'black belt'(a favourite term of Wrights) and used all means at disposal should they get 'Uppity'.
Wright inspired Ellison and Baldwin amongst others, but I feel sure he must have inspired MLK as well, as all Wright ever really wanted was human dignity for all mankinds peoples.
Read it for the second time!.......2007-04-25
This book is an early years autobiography of Richard Wright, the famed and accomplished African American author. I read all of Mr. Wright's books when I was in junior high school and wanted to share them with my teenage daughter. In doing so, I picked up "Black Boy" and couldn't put it down until I read it again.
Richard Wright was raised in the South in the 1920's. He experienced the hardships, poverty, and racism of those days and relays these experiences descriptively yet simply in the book. The reader can can see and feel the events without being bored.
"Black Boy" is a quick one- or two-day read, and I recommend it highly. I also highly recommend one of Mr. Wright's fictional novels, "Native Son."
Hearing Wright's Life and Our Own.......2007-04-05
Peter Francis James's performance of Richard Wright's autobiography brings many of its aural qualities our ears, qualities we may not notice in a silent reading of the book. These CDs enable both the visually impaired and the sighted to enjoy Wright's classic and to ponder why after sixty-two years the book still provides insights about American culure.
Book Description
Actor and social commentator, Joseph C. Phillips, speaks powerfully to life as a conservative African-American husband, father, and American citizen.
As a young student, Phillips overheard someone say of him, "He talk like a white boy!" He never thought that speaking correctly would cause others to question his authenticity as an African- American. Little did he know what lay in his future. His choices in music, politics, faith, and family have given rise to many accusations of his not being "black enough." As an actor, Joseph has encountered even more pointing fingers, this time for not being liberal enough for Hollywood. With a frank voice and a loving heart, this brilliant and outspoken man presents a series of funny and thought-provoking essays that examine the simple fact that authenticity is far more complicated than one's choice of words or music.
Customer Reviews:
Sorry, I talk like a white boy........2007-07-26
"...pleasantly surprised by the writing skills and command of the English language that Mr. Phillips demonstrated..."
Ouch...
It's like two sides of the same coin, I tell you...
An interesting read that gets you thinking... .......2007-06-15
The hard thing about reviewing books like these is figuring out what context to put it in. For all intents and purposes, this is a book about Mr. Phillips. It's about his perspective on family, the state of the world, and religion, among other things. Since it's about him and how he views the world, it would be hypocritical for anyone to review the book based on his views and personality (no one can say that they are perfect in every way).
That said, I found this book to be very engaging. At times, I found myself laughing out loud about situations that occurred between him and his kids and wife. I found that I could relate to situations that he went through (as a matter of fact, the reason I bought the book is because the title is something I've heard a number of times before), and even when I couldn't, I still found that I had to keep reading at times. I do not completely agree with a number of his views, such as his religious stance and Republican affiliation (I view myself an independent). But he did get me to think about a lot of issues, and that is one of the most important things to get out of a book. This book is probably not going to go down in history as one of the greatest books of all time, but, because of how personal the book was for him, its unique perspective, and its humor, it is something that you can pick up and enjoy at any time, and maybe learn a thing or two.
Oh dear.......2007-02-26
I saw Mr Phillips on C-Span talking about this book. It should not be entitled "He Talk Like A White Boy", it should be "He Talk Like a Dittohead".
His prescription to what ails us? Why "America-first, UN bad, the world hates us, believe in God, moral relativism is bad, my country right or wrong" Blah, blah, blah, Republican talking points, blah blah and some more blah.
Oh, if stealing is ALWAYS bad, ALWAYS wrong - Mr Phillips quotes this to be a moral absolute, why coming from Nottinghanm in the UK was I brought up to revere Robin Hood? Why is the US a Republic and not still under the Crown? I'm sure one of Mr Phillips' moral absolutes is "respect your leaders".
Sorry Mr Phillips, we're not buying this brand of political pap and homily today.
Please note I didn't say "Shut Up And Act".
Observations and reflections paint quite a different view of the black male in modern America .......2006-08-20
HE TALK LIKE A WHITE BOY: REFLECTIONS ON FAITH, FAMILY, POLITICS AND AUTHENTICITY comes from an actor, writer and social commentator best known for his role on the Cosby Show, who is tired of the limits impose on black individuality and the pessimistic vision of black America. He's not a politician or an academic, but a father, an actor, and a conservative black man: his opinions, observations and reflections paint quite a different view of the black male in modern America than many titles and provides many candid assessments a wide audience will appreciate.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
He Talk Like a White Boy.......2006-08-05
Reflections on Faith, Family, Politics, and Authenticity
"...I was determined that if I didn't learn to like rap, I would at least develop a working knowledge of the music so I could discuss it intelligently. I dashed out to the music store and bought CDs by Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, and a list of other artists who were hot at the time. The only ground rule I set was that I had to play each album all the way through at least once. As an illustration of my lack of commitment, I soon decided that playing an album all the way through didn't necessarily mean I had to be in the same room while it played. Strictly speaking, so long as the album played all the way through. I didn't even have to be in the apartment. I will never forget putting NWA (Niggaz with Attitude) on the stereo. I almost broke my neck sprinting across my apartment to turn the volume down when 'F**k the Police' began blasting through the building."
The above quote is one of the many reasons completion of this book was mandatory (for me). By its very title, this book makes a provocative statement which is ably reinforced by its content.
The book is a collection of essays divided into the following themes:
- Character
- Family
- Faith
- Idealism; and
- Identity
The author's love of his country is interwoven throughout the book. His dispair for the incremental demise of the family rings loud and clear as well as his battle to be all he can be: as a man who is black, is educated, is a conservative, is a husband, is a man of God--but most of all as a man who wants to be a good father.
He declares his political views with such conviction, that whether you agree or disagree with his stance, you're left with a sense of admiration for someone who is not afraid to stand tall and proud for their beliefs. At times the weight of the author's burden to push himself to the next level, while wading against the tide of unpopularity of his political beliefs, exhibits itself as a tad overbearing or maybe even a bit pompous. But right at the point that you're about to say, "Enough already," he pokes fun at himself with a scene like the one above which compels you to laughter; (out loud on a crowded bus) or another moves you to tears, (again on a crowded bus) and yet another fills you with gratitude and pride in being an American. (Swelling of the chest thankfully not readily apparent on said crowded bus.)
This book does what a good book should: it prods you out of your sense of complacency with your accomplishments in life and causes you to question whether you're trying to be all you can be for God, man and country.
Rating:
This book earned 4 out 5 stars for humor, honesty, faith, marital perseverance, parenting efforts, and writing style. However, I would have liked to see a few less big words.
Recommendation:
I am glad to have had the opportunity to share a piece of the author's heart and soul. I encourage you to purchase yourself a copy.
"Joseph. Thanks for sharing."
Customer Reviews:
A Must Read For All Educators And Parents!.......2007-09-07
This book, along with Jawanzaa Kunjufu's books, is a must read for all educators. If you want to make a positive change in the lives of African American males, it is important to understand the "powers" that are in place that hinders the growth of not just our African American boys, but all of our children, because without the positive influences/gifts of these young boys, everyone will suffer.
TRUTH.......2007-08-13
As an educator, I can whole-heartedly agree! Thank you for putting this into print. PLease seek 60 Minute & 20/20 for an audience. Give them the direction to investigate & and PLEASE follow through! I am buying this book & referring it to all of my co-workers. Ouch!
Thank you for enlighening me .......2007-06-10
This book is very informative about our african american boys and men. I'm a single parent with a 17yr old (son), and have gone through half of the problems that is going on in the school system. advicing my son that he needs medication for his behavior program, through the special education program etc. It is something that every african american parent should pick up and read.
Blessings
Kill Them Before They Grow: The Misdiagnosis of African American Boys in America's Classrooms.......2007-02-16
This book is right on target. The more I read, the more I could identify with Michael Porter's words.
Thanks you - Mr. Porter for putting in plain text the Truth.......2006-11-20
It sometimes appears hopeless, that people will view the truth for what it is and not be hampered or biased based on what side of the fence one finds himself/herself on (be it racial or social economic). As I read Porter's book, I found myself and my own personal experience within the American Public School system. I can only thank Mr. Porter for daring to put into text such an ugly truth that really needs to be addressed, diagnosed and dealt with by all (especially those who are victimized by that truth).
Customer Reviews:
i cried so many times..........2007-01-23
this is such an amazing book that really flips the perceived norms of race. so many things happened to this boy as he was growing up that it is a miracle that he was sane enough to write a coherent memoir. there were so many times that literally moved me to tears. i emphatically recommend this book, you won't regret it.
One of the best books I have ever read.......2006-12-27
Life on the Color Line should be required reading for every American, especially anyone who wants to put their life's problems in perspective.
This is the most moving book I have read in a long time and I read a lot! William's account of his childhood truly woke me up to how fortunate I am to have the life I have, despite losing my mother at age 20. No one should have to endure the painful struggles of racism, poverty, rejection, parental neglect and abandonment that Williams did, as well as a dysfunctional family to top it off. Whether Williams dated black girls or white ones, he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't.
Life on the Color Line contains many harrowing scenes. One that stood out for me was when William's white maternal grandmother refuses to pass along her daughter's messages to her children after she has left the family. She calls her own grandchildren "niggers" and refuses to let them live with her in a nice section of Muncie only a few minutes away from the black ghetto where they reside with a family friend Miss Dora.
One question that remains unanswered after reading this book is why William's mother only took her younger children with her when she left her husband. Why did she leave Gregory and Mike with their alcoholic father? It doesn't make sense that she would take some of her children to safety with her, but not all of them. The only explanation I can come up with is that Greg's mother figured her older boys were mature enough to fend for themselves. Towards the end of the book, their mother's inability to understand what kind of life she left her boys to leave left me wanting to throw rocks at her and give that woman a good beating.
I am in awe of the author's maturity, courage, and sheer will power that enabled him to overcome all these obstacles. His experiences put my own life in perspective.
I borrowed this book from the library, and now that I've reached the last page, I will definitely be buying it on Amazon!
To Read and Talk About.......2006-11-01
I learned about this book in an article in the Baton Rouge newspaper. LSU has assigned it as summer reading for many of their students and a group is working to get others in Baton Rouge to read it as well. At our church's partnership group with a local African-American church we decided to read it as a group project, and I'm glad we did. Williams' memoir tells the fascinating story of a young man who is born into the lower-middle class white world of suburban Virginia only to learn when he is about six years old that his father is the son of a mixed-race couple from Muncie, Indiana. Circumstances resulting from this news takes the boy, his father and his brother to Muncie where they live among their African-American (or colored as they were called in the 1950s) family. Billy's (or Greg) father Tony (or Buster) is an alcoholic, which makes life no less difficult as he's scorned by his white classmates and, with his white skin and Caucasian features, standing on shaky ground in his own colored community. A good-hearted woman named Dora raises the two boys as her own, as their birth mother spurns her now-black children. Dora's kindness and Greg's determination to do more than survive are inspiring.
In the flesh, the man is a wonder........2006-10-02
I had the unusual pleasure of hearing him speak at a public function when this book first came out. In fact, that's how I got my free copy. The story of this man's life is simply amazing. That came through in his honest and heart-felt reflection of the hardships he's had to overcome growing up. I've lived in San Francisco most of my life, attending public school with the normal cross section of the city's diverse ethnic crowd. I can say with a degree of certainty that I'm culturally aware of the African American experience. So it is with a bit of sadness that I regret not having met more people with Williams' ambition and determination when I was younger. To be fair, the circumstances in which his life unfolded would probably be hard to duplicate in this day and age, especially in San Francisco. But regardless, I truly believe young blacks of today, regardless of where they may live can draw inspiration from his story. We all still face a huge amount of inequality and injustice in our society today. With such polarization along political and religious lines in our national conscience as I'm writing this, it is critical to remember that race still matters. The other day, the biology department chair at my school presented a slide show of New Orleans where here Alma Mater was severely damaged by Katrina a year ago. She's a parasitologist with a Ph.D from Tulane University. The contrast between the French quarter/downtown and the poorer residential areas are striking. Those who've read Williams book would immediately draw parallels with the stark geographic division along racial lines of Muncie, Indiana - where Williams grew up. How many other cities in America are New Orleans waiting to happen? If something unthinkable should happen in Muncie today, how will the citizens of that city fare today? Will the impoverished blacks of Hunter's point/Bayview in my own city suffer the same fate as those of the lower 9th ward when the "Big One" strikes California? If more of my fellow black San Franciscans can aspire to be like Williams and strive to lift themselves and their community out of poverty and strife, we just might have a chance at doing better. One can hope.
GREAT READING FOR MANKIND.......2006-07-28
GOT TO MAKE THIS A SHORT REVIEW. STILL READING. CAN'T PUT IT DOWN!!!! ALSO READ "COLOR OF WATER" AND IT WAS GREAT READING!!! BACK TO WORK. CAN'T WAIT TO GET BACK TO "LIFE ON THE COLOR LINE".
I DON'T READ A BOOK MORE THAN ONCE BUT THESE ARE WORTH READING OVER AGAIN. I THINK THEY WOULD MAKE GREAT MOVIES!!!
Amazon.com
Kaffir Boy does for apartheid-era South Africa what Richard Wright's Black Boy did for the segregated American South. In stark prose, Mathabane describes his life growing up in a nonwhite ghetto outside Johannesburg--and how he escaped its horrors. Hard work and faith in education played key roles, and Mathabane eventually won a tennis scholarship to an American university. This is not, needless to say, an opportunity afforded to many of the poor blacks who make up most of South Africa's population. And yet Mathabane reveals their troubled world on these pages in a way that only someone who has lived this life can.
Book Description
The Classic Story of Life in Apartheid South Africa
Mark Mathabane was weaned on devastating poverty and schooled in the cruel streets of South Africa's most desperate ghetto, where bloody gang wars and midnight police raids were his rites of passage. Like every other child born in the hopelessness of apartheid, he learned to measure his life in days, not years. Yet Mark Mathabane, armed only with the courage of his family and a hard-won education, raised himself up from the squalor and humiliation to win a scholarship to an American university.
This extraordinary memoir of life under apartheid is a triumph of the human spirit over hatred and unspeakable degradation. For Mark Mathabane did what no physically and psychologically battered "Kaffir" from the rat-infested alleys of Alexandra was supposed to do -- he escaped to tell about it.
Customer Reviews:
A Must read.......2007-09-18
I picked up this book after watching the movie "Tsotsi". I was looking for a book about apartheid in South Africa and stumbled upon this one. And I am so glad I did. The author has done a great job in detailing his childhood and the struggle he and his family went through. Half-way through the book I found it extremely depressing and decided to stop. Later that night I realized that people have courage to actually go through and I can't even complete reading the book? People in Africa still go through horrifying experiences...Yes, it was a depressing read but a definite MUST. An absolute eye opener...
Excellent.......2007-07-19
A truly heartwrenching tale of what life was like growing up under the oppressive system of apartheid in South Africa. Great resource for history classrooms and an excellent read, Mathabane relates a story that was hard to put down.
unique look at apartheid.......2007-07-13
A very valuable, intimate inside look at apartheid direct from the eyes of a poor black boy, aged 6 to 18. Not a view point we in the west often get.
Kaffir Boy: The Balls in his court.......2007-01-29
Kerry O'Callaghan... Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane was truly an eye-opening novel. The author tells his story about being a young black boy in Apartheid, South Africa, and how they used to think, no matter what, dreams would never be successful for the blacks living there. Mark's father then got a new job, which led Mark to go to school, where he succeeded and started to play tennis. Kaffir boy was an amazing novel that led me to understand things that i had never known before. Hearing about the horrible circumstances that happen every day to Black people, even in their own country, where they should feel safe and at home, but in almost all cases, dont. I would reccomend this book, because I feel that people need to understand whats going on, or what did go on in the world that they live in.
Searching for an Escape of Apartheid.......2007-01-29
Honestly, when I chose this book, I thought it was going to be a "whatever" book, like any other autobiography. I expected that I would feel sympathy for reading his the experiences in his life of apartheid, but I ended up feeling so much more than that. The way that Mathabane describes his hardships of the beatings he beared and living in poverty was descriptive, real, and takes an effect on the reader. Mathabane's strength was definitely getting the reader to imagine that one was acutally watching the obstacles he dealt with. There weren't any weaknesses that I personally noticed. Although, in order for the reader to get the full effect of what he went through, Mathabane was graphic and vulgar in his writing. Certain scenes were very graphic which can be uncomfortable to read, but it's showing the reality of this world, how it's nowhere close to perfect. I am interested in reading other books that Mark Mathabane has written, especially after reading Kaffir Boy. This book was very inspiring and motivating. It really showed how if you focus yourself and become determined to achieve something, your chances are great. After reading this autobiography, I feel thankful for everything I have today and anyone who reads this should feel the same.
Book Description
From award-winning writer David Mitchell comes a sinewy, meditative novel of boyhood on the cusp of adulthood and the old on the cusp of the new.
Black Swan tracks a single year in what is, for thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor, the sleepiest village in muddiest Worcestershire in a dying Cold War England, 1982. But the thirteen chapters, each a short story in its own right, create an exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque realpolitik enacted in boys’ games on a frozen lake; of “nightcreeping” through the summer backyards of strangers; of the tabloid-fueled thrills of the Falklands War and its human toll; of the cruel, luscious Dawn Madden and her power-hungry boyfriend, Ross Wilcox; of a certain Madame Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, an elderly bohemian emigré who is both more and less than she appears; of Jason’s search to replace his dead grandfather’s irreplaceable smashed watch before the crime is discovered; of first cigarettes, first kisses, first Duran Duran Lps, and first deaths; of Margaret Thatcher’s recession; of Gypsies camping in the woods and the hysteria they inspire; and, even closer to home, of a slow-motion divorce in four seasons.
Pointed, funny, profound, left-field, elegiac, and painted with the stuff of life, Black Swan Green is David Mitchell’s subtlest and most effective achievement to date.
Download Description
David Mitchell is the author of
Ghostwritten,
Number9Dream, and
Cloud Atlas, the last 2 finalists for the Booker Prize. Granta magazine named him one of Britain’s best young novelists in 2003. He lives in County Cork with his wife and daughter.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
For all adolescent boys, and the people who love them.......2007-10-09
This book took me inside the mind of a witty, scared, and dear adolescent boy with some of the best (often internal) dialogue since George V Higgins
An enjoyable read, but not for everyone........2007-10-02
Black Swan Green: A Novel
"Black Swan Green" By David Mitchell.
"Black Swan Green" chronicles one year in the life of 13 year old Jason Taylor who lives in a small town in England named Black Swan Green in 1982. The book is broken into 13 chapters with each chapter devoted to one month in Jason's life starting in January and ending in January (January man).
This book was very good and I rate it on a par with "Catcher in the Rye" or "A Separate Peace". Be warned this book is not for everyone and is a little bit of a sleeper. Initially it was slow going, a book about the trials and tribulations of a 13 year old yada yada. Right when I thought I was getting bored with the book the hooks were in. The initial part of the book which seemed a little slow was the necessary character building stage and after that the characters were alive and I cared about them and had to find out what happened. I say it isn't for everyone and this it true. This story isn't an action packed thrill ride and it isn't filled with mystery or violence or sex. What it is full of is very life like realistic characters that you come to see could have been you or someone you knew growing up. If you enjoy character driven stories you will probably like this however if you need action etc, this may not be for you.
The Good: As stated the characters are superbly written. Not a lot to elaborate on. This is a character driven story and the characters are excellently drawn.
The Bad: A little slow at first but the patient reader will be rewarded.
Overall: I recommend this book. It was very enjoyable and worth giving a read!
Good story, reads quickly.......2007-09-19
I enjoyed this book very much. I liked how the story was constructed over one year in the boy's life, and there were several interesting plots going on, that all seemed to resolve by the end. I found myself laughing out loud from time to time. It was a fast read for me, and I thought that the 13-y/o's narrative made it even more interesting. I liked all the characters that came in and out of the novel, especially the old woman who was going to teach French. I was shocked by the depravity of some of Taylor's "friends" and their families, though I guess I shouldn't have been...that's everywhere. I wish this story didn't end!
Couldn't get into this book.......2007-09-08
This book was recommended to me because I enjoyed Middlesex, no comparison. I gave up reading "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell in the middle of chapter one. I started reading again, put it down picked it up and finally..........Yes, it was that dull. However, the New York Times has a positive review of "Black Swan Green". I could find only one negative comment in the entire review
What is it REALLY like to be a 13-year-old boy? .......2007-08-19
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell answers that very question. I choose this book to read because it was listed as a New York Times Notable book in 2006, and I'm certainly glad I did!
Black Swan Green is the name of the small village in Worcestershire where 13-year-old Jason Taylor lives. It's a sleepy little village minus the swans. The year is 1982, and Jason is trying to navigate his way through a maze of difficulties: bullies at school, trying to blend in, overcoming a stammer that could label him forever, parents at war with each other, an older sister that calls him "The Thing", a war in the Falklands, and gypsies that have taken up residence is the village. Can life really be so difficult at 13? You bet it can!
Eliot Bolivar is a poet that submits his writing to the local parish magazine. He is talented and writes eloquently. And he is actually Jason Taylor, our 13-year-old antagonist. But really, could a kid hold up his head in school if he admits to being a POET? I think not!
This book is chocked full of insight. It is exactly one year in the life of Jason Taylor. Mitchell's writing is so fantastic, you can actually see through the eyes of this boy. At first, it was a bit difficult to understand some of the British phrasing and terms, but that didn't stop any enjoyment I felt reading this book. When Jason was called on to read aloud in class, I actually could FEEL his fear in the pit of MY stomach. Trying to navigate through school without being seen, not popular enough to be part of the in-crowd, and not detested enough to be one of the lepers, Jason tries hard to fit in. And he has to fit in in a way that lets him live with himself.
One of my favorite passages in the book comes right at the end: "The world's a Headmaster who works on your faults. I don't mean in a mystical or a Jesus way. More how you'll keep tripping over a hidden step, over and over, till you finally understand: Watch out for that step! Everything that's wrong with us, if we're too selfish or too Yessir, Nosir, Three bags full sir or too anything, that's a hidden step. Either you suffer the consequences of not noticing your fault forever, or , one day, you DO notice it, and fix it. Joke is, once you get it into your brain about THAT hidden step and think, Hey, life isn't so bad after all again, then BUMP! Down you go, a whole new flight of hidden steps. There are always more."
The entire book is filled with this type of writing and insight. The characters are all well-rounded, simple yet complex. This book will make you laugh and it will make you cry. And it will make you exceedingly glad that you never have to go through that horrible time in life again. I would recommend it whole-heartedly!
Book Description
Advice for parents, educators, community, and church members is provided in this guide for ensuring that African American boys grow up to be strong, committed, and responsible African American men. This book answers such questions as Why are there more black boys in remedial and special education classes than girls? Why are more girls on the honor roll? When do African American boys see a positive black male role model? Is the future of black boys in the hands of their mothers and white female teachers? and When does a boy become a man? The significance of rite of passage activities, including mentoring, male bonding, and spirituality, are all described.
Customer Reviews:
Let the truth be told and read!.......2007-10-04
All of his books are supported by extreme measures that are evidentiary. He is always straightforward and inclined to share his analizations with his people so that they can be more aware of the system and the strategies that are used to destroy African American males. You should read it.
Recommended to Everyone raising boys of color.......2007-07-17
This is my 3rd purchase of this book. I originally purchased the first 3 books (the series) in the early 90's, never read the books, raised a black male during this time and I am so sorry I didn't read it then. My now 28 yr old male-child is wandering thru life not knowing how to get to where he wants to be. I have since read the books!!
I recently purchased the second copy for my son to read and the third copy for my cousin who has 3 boys...13, 16, & 23yrs old. She has done everything for them, thus enabling them to be forever dependent on her.
This book is for everyone raising boys of color and even boys of the underclass. Dr. Kunjufu raises our consciousness to the unequal system created for our children, which sets them up for failure and to be non-productive citizens. His insight into the various methods used in this conspiratorial system will make you say "Ahhh" and raise your eyebrows, because we have seen these methods in action and without knowing it, have become co-conspirators in the implementation process.
As well, many of us are single mothers (like I was) with no idea on dealing with or raising male children. I didn't have brothers, nor male cousins my age, and no father. I was at a disadvantage with my son. Dr. Kunjufu outlines the behaviors we should tap into with our boys and how to foster for their wholistic growth. He discusses boundaries and expectations which are distant or unclear subjects for many of us, but so vital for our children's development.
If we want to do anything......something RIGHT NOW to help guide our boys (and girls) to be positive, productive citizens, Dr. Kunjufu's books are a must in your library. However, do read them when purchased or shortly thereafter!!!!
A Must Read.......2007-05-21
I bought this book about a year ago and it is very relevant to what is going on with our black boys today. Our black boys are falling behind and it is all around us. I enjoyed reading this book and hope that we can take a turn in the right direction for not only black boys but the black family in general.
Bottom line Black men need to spend more time with Black boys!.......2007-05-13
The book states that a woman can not raise a man. Of course she can love him , nurture him and bring him into adulthood. He will be an adult male, but he will not have the qualities of a man. There are significant moments between men and boys that help shape the boy into a man. A woman does not have these moments. Someone asked me why are these men leaving their children behind and my answer to them was that no man showed them how to be responsible for their children. These adults males were raised by women. The book makes this point clear with countless examples and studies. The man does not need to be the parent. He may be an older brother, cousin, neighbor, etc. Men have a responsibility to boys and they must commit to its fulfillment.
Required Reading!.......2006-07-30
I've read the complete series. The "Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys" series is REQUIRED reading for all parents of African-American children. The information contained within this series is priceless. I was especially impressed when Dr. Kunjufu talked about parents who need advocates to help them navigate through public school systems, as they relate to SPECIAL EDUCATION and their children! Parents, arm yourselves. Buy the entire series. Read the entire series. And, be enlightened by this highly annointed and practical body of work!
Customer Reviews:
Visionary ideas but a mediocre read.......2007-01-15
Teaching in high-poverty inner city schools is no easy task. In the classroom, one often tries to fight students' incredibly low achievement with solid remediation. However, it becomes painfully clear that school lacks relevance to students, who are faced at a tender age with poverty in their families and violence in their communities. One may wonder how to teach students the academic skills they need and invest them in schoolwork at the same time. Alfred Tatum, in this text, shows us that these two challenges can actually be tackled in one stroke.
Tatum's central idea is that a careful choice of texts in the literacy classroom can make this possible. For his black male students, texts that address "turmoil" - the word Tatum uses for violence, poverty, and a sense of powerlessness and invisibility in poor black communities - achieve this end. Tatum makes a convincing case for this by giving personal examples of how such empowering texts of the black male experience can change the lives of young black men. He recalls transformative experiences in reading from his own childhood and from his work with others that convincingly illustrate how certain texts can turn reading into a reflection on masculinity, coming of age, and being poor and black in a racist America. This gives reading a sense of relevance and authenticity impossible with most traditional texts in American classrooms. Tatum combines this with copious reading lists (though I wish he would have compiled them into one long list for easy reference) that provide ample fodder for an English teacher planning a curriculum.
The greatest strength of this book is that it lets the reader peer into Tatum's own eighth grade English classroom, where he does the work of "closing the achievement gap" for his black male students. The seventh chapter brims with Tatum's own instructional methodology. His concrete methods for literacy skill development, infused oh-so-subtly with culturally sensitive cues that elevate them above mere decontextualized drill, were amazing. To me, this chapter felt like sitting down with a cup of coffee and talking shop with a first-rate teacher. As a high school math teacher, I became envious of the English teacher's situation, where skill remediation can be integrated so seamlessly with topics relevant to students' lives.
Unfortunately, for the strength of its ideas, Tatum's text has many of the typical flaws of a text in academic education (or, more broadly, a text in the social sciences). It is cluttered with jargon, stilted classifications of simple ideas, and vacuous figures and diagrams. What takes Tatum pages to say would take only a few sentences in the hands of a better writer. Entire chapters seem to address esoteric theoretical aspects that never seem to get through to the reader. Tatum, the English teacher, is meticulous with his proofreading and grammar. Try to find a typo, dangling participle, or example of faulty parallelism: I have yet to find one. But his prose is surprisingly wooden, often tiring the reader with its deadpan repetitiveness. In a more egregious example, Tatum repeats an unepigrammatic sentence four times, interspersed with vague references to government research:
"Achievement gap data indicate that a large percentage of black males are failing to meet NAEP criteria for reading at the proficient and advanced levels. This is why I believe we need to strengthen text discussions with our black adolescent male students. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice tell us that a high percentage of black males are arrested or incarcerated. This is why I believe we need to strengthen text discussions with our black adolescent male students. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor indicate a high percentage of black males are unemployed. This is why I believe we need to strengthen text discussions with our black adolescent male students. Data from the U.S. Department of Education indicate that college enrollment is declining for black males. This is why I believe we need to strengthen text discussions with our black adolescent male students." (112)
It is too bad that Tatum lacks the skill as a writer to give his message a persuasive punch. Tatum's strategy to build literacy, self-awareness, and academic motivation through empowering texts is remarkable for its sensibility and promise. It deserves a wide audience and enthusiastic application in American inner-city classrooms.
Book Description
The Warrior Method is a program designed for parents and teachers to help young black boys to become strong, self-reliant, independent men. This program looks at a male's life as seasonal: spring, conception to four years old; summer, ages five through twelve; autumn, ages thirteen through twenty-one; and winter, age twenty-twothrough the remainder of the man's life. Within these seasons are the "Birthing Circle" for mothers and their newborns, and the "Young Warriors Council" as the boys get older.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics, black males die at a rate fifteen times higher than that of white males because of homicidal violence. In 1999, the Sentencing Project reported that 32 percent of black males between the ages of twenty and twenty-nine are in contact with the criminal justice system, whether it be through indictment, incarceration, probation, or parole. Using current rates of first incarceration, the justice Department estimates that 28 percent of black males will enter state or federal prisons during their lifetime. In response to these devastating statistics, psychologist, educator, and father Dr. Winbush has created The Warrior Method. It shows how to protect, educate, and guide boys safely through the minefields of a dangerous and prejudiced society.
Customer Reviews:
Poignant and Scholarly information of what is needed.......2007-05-01
I bought this book this past saturday and finished on sunday. I could not put the book down. It was sooo good. This book should be required reading for whole families to read. The great thing about this book is that it not only gives you guidance in raising Black children but as an adult and a parent it makes you evaluate your approach in dealing with your child and their education. Because we have been out of school for so long we as adults forget how in essence the educational curriculum is really not designed to enhance the identity and self esteem of children of color. White Children will never have to deal with the confusion Black Children have to come to terms with when they are tought for the 1st time that their people were slaves and treated in such inhumane ways. Families sold off, forbidden to learn, and calling other human beings master. I believe a totally breakdown of the educational curriculum is needed and until then we need books like Dr. Winbush to give us guidance and understanding to raise our Black Boys. We are in the midst of a crisis and we have to save our children. Thank you Dr. Winbush. Amazing book!!! I think for single mothers. this would be a wonderful book to read in raising and dealing with solutions to help guide your Black sons.
Must read for those concerned about 'Black Boys'.......2003-01-26
The author is excellent and deserves recognition. The book serves as an excellent guide to establishing a structured program to navigate boys to men and men to heroes
A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY AFRICAN AMERICAN PARENT.......2002-04-04
PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST HELPFULL BOOKS FOR BLACK PARENTS GOING INTO THIS MILLENIUM. THE WARRIOR METHOD GIVES YOU A GREAT PROGRAM FOR RAISING STRONG, HEALTHY, CONSCIENCE, & SUCCESSFUL YOUNG BLACK MEN. WE DON'T USUALLY LEARN ANY METHODS OF RAISING OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL, WORK, OR OTHER PLACES THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF OUR TIME. MOST NEVER EVEN CONSIDER OR KNOW ANY OTHER WAYS OF REARING OUR KIDS OTHER THAN THE WAYS SOCIETY TELLS US TO, AND THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE WAY THAT WORKS BEST FOR US. THE WARRIOR METHOD GIVES A STRONG ALTERNATIVE REARING METHOD THAT ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF OUR KIDS IN TODAY'S SOCIETY. EVERY BLACK PARENT SHOULD TAKE TIME OUT TO READ AND CONSIDER THE WARRIOR METHOD. THE READING LIST THAT IS SUGGESTED FOR THE PARENTS WILL TREMENDOUSLY BENEFIT YOU ALSO. CHECK IT OUT AND/OR GIVE IT AS A GIFT TO NEW PARENTS, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY.
A Timely Guide for Parents of Black Children.......2002-03-03
The Warrior Method is an excellent tool for parents raising black children. While it focuses on Black boys, the book provides meaningful strategies for parents raising Black Children in an environment which places them at the margin of society. Dr. Winbush's ten commandments for raising healthy black boys ought not to be ignored. His practical advice to parents represent a significant gift to Black families worldwide.
A must have for parents!!
A Must Read.......2002-03-01
This is a must read for anyone raising a black male in our "society". It is long overdue and I wish it had been available to me years ago. It is enlightening and thought-provoking.
Book Description
The Wild Boys is a futuristic tale of global warfare in which a guerrilla gang of boys dedicated to freedom battles the organized armies of repressive police states. Making full use of his inimitable humor, wild imagination, and style, Burroughs creates a world that is as terrifying as it is fascinating.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty standard for a post-Naked Lunch Burroughs novel.......2004-12-29
Burroughs is basically a love-him-or-leave-him writer. Using a slightly more lucid version of his "cut-up" style, The Wild Boys is a book about a group of, well, wild boys rising up in the face of a very oppressive society. Yes, there is lots of sex, most of it homosexual, but once past that Burroughs shows some interesting sociological insight. Burroughs is a satirist at heart, and in this case he is clearly on the Boys' side as he tries to "expose" the bedroom lives of the Moral Majority. However, Wild Boys brings more with a clear message to rebel against these oppressive forces and enjoy life.
We begin the book with glimpses of the corruption of the oppressing classes in a fantastical estate resembling a strange Neverland ranch. Rich people are invited to a long stay by the host where they eat, hangglide, and have sex. The starving masses are locked outside and taunted by the estate staff.
Then, we move on to the Boys' who also have their own bizzare society, but Burroughs tries hard to write it in a much more positive light. Ritualistic and spiritual, the Boys band together and fight back for their freedom.
Burroughs adds some interesting styles to the mix. Color plays a huge role and are often used to describe characters and places. Many times whole pages are nothing more than the same passage in slightly different variations written repeatedly. Sometimes these experimentations are interesting, other times they are tiresome. The plot, such as it is, starts and stops throughout the book. Some of the chapters are quite lucid and describe the war between the millitary and the Wild Boy tribes; other chapters, and the basic theme in these repeats, deal only with a few characters as they throw caution to the wind and succumb to their homosexual desires.
While this may not be the best Burroughs novel I've read, it's certainly memorable. There is a lot to discover here, but some may not be willing to wade through the uneven style or sex to find it.
Armed and dangerous.......2004-03-05
This novel reminds me of Kevin Esser's Dance of the Warriors and of the Venezuelan movie Sicario. They all deal with worlds in which gangs of teenagers are engaged in violence and sex. This is the best of the three. It is disturbing and is not for the conventional, and certainly not for the bleeding-heart types who want the United Nations to abolish the use of boys in war. Only Burroughs could have written it. The style is as unconventional as the theme. This is a world in which morality does not exist.
"Time to move into first place...".......2004-01-27
A square - a story inside other stories - the interaction of ghosts with the living - and the living with being reborn.
This was the first Burroughs I'd read. It read like a series of short stories connected like a poem. Burroughs language flows then stutters and then squares back on itself. The way he experiments with the sound and repetition of words - was exciting and something I find I do in my own writing.
I found myself keeping track of themes - St. Louis, and green (Greenbaum, Green Inn, Green Nun, Greenfield, Green Hat), and a constant reference to 1920. I haven't read much biography on Burroughs; that should come next.
Burroughs exploration of a future that becomes more primitive even as it advances, his unabashed and open erotic descriptions as a consequence of his future rather than as an expected sidetrip, and his clean and no holds barred language require that I read more of his work.
You All Are Beatnik Sheep.......2003-01-06
Quite simply this was the most tastless and ignorant piece of literature I have ever read. It seemed as if the book felt like convoluting any actual storyline with scenes of gratuitous and repetive sex. Is it just me or does everyone in this damned book seem to carry a tin of vaseline? I thought there were some interesting parts but, call me a prude or an ignorant little ... but I think this book was riding on the current of the Naked Lunch which has been the wave on which Burroughs had carried his wrinkly disgusting body upon. This book is pretty much like a David Lynch film. No one gets it, they just talk about it and pretend that they do so they look intelligent but quite simply they are just beatnik sheep ready for slaughter by the corporate identity you have tried so hard to avoid with your lies and propaganda of free intellectual thought, which is disguising your true ignorance and gullibility
A new world, of danger.......2002-03-13
This futuristic tale of a band of guerrilla boys fighting against the repressive police and government agents is told through Burroughs's imaginative style, which is more about creating atmosphere and using the language itself as part of the narrative web than about creating a sharply linear story. It's like an abstract painting through images and words, so it's difficult to elaborate on plot. Interspersed are pornographic scenes of gay sex between characters, which give the story a hallucinatory sensuality. The language rhythms become more accessible as the reader travels deeper into the story and enters the world Burroughs is creating, which isn't such a bad place to visit after all.
Books:
- Blindness (Harvest Book)
- Brokenburn: The Journal of Kate Stone, 1861-1868 (Library of Southern Civilization)
- Christine Falls: A Novel
- Conquering Arthritis: What Doctors Don't Tell You Because They Don't Know: 9 Secrets I Learned the Hard Way
- Control High Blood Pressure Without Drugs: A Complete Hypertension Handbook
- Deep Storm: A Novel
- DISNEY VILLAIN, THE
- Eldest (Inheritance, Book 2)
- Eldest (Inheritance, Book 2)
- Emotional Blackmail: When the People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation, and Guilt to Manipulate You
Books Index
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