Having gone from spectacular fame to enforced oblivion in his own lifetime (his name was even stricken from sports books), Paul Robeson is now long overdue for reconsideration. This is probably the best biography that could have been written for young people at this time; certainly it is a vast improvement over Shirley Graham's life of Robeson (revised in 1971) with its fulsome prose and uncritical adulation. It's nevertheless too bad that it is necessary to go to such lengths to defend Robeson's Fifth Amendment stand and his right to have views which "coincided with" those of the American Communist Party; and though Hamilton discusses Robeson's romanticized view of the Soviet Union and admits that this stand eventually alienated him from many American blacks, her tone is rather too cautious. Otherwise Hamilton effectively captures the magic and the heroic stature of the man. It is difficult nowadays to imagine a time when a black man acting in white-authored plays (especially the musical Showboat) could have had a revolutionary impact; or to imagine the fervent reception of "Ballad For Americans"; or even to imagine why many of his statements on black solidarity should have seemed so shocking. All these — as well as the Peekskill Concert, the Progressive campaign of '48 and Robeson's HUAC testimony — come alive here; as well as the tragedy of a man who could achieve adulation but never acceptance. A considered, mature, dramatic evocation — we're lucky to have it.
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1974
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Harper & Row
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1974
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
For every dreaming girl (and boy) with a pencil in hand (or keyboard) and a story to share.
A multiaward–winning author recalls her childhood and the joy of becoming a writer.
Writing in free verse, Woodson starts with her 1963 birth in Ohio during the civil rights movement, when America is “a country caught / / between Black and White.” But while evoking names such as Malcolm, Martin, James, Rosa and Ruby, her story is also one of family: her father’s people in Ohio and her mother’s people in South Carolina. Moving south to live with her maternal grandmother, she is in a world of sweet peas and collards, getting her hair straightened and avoiding segregated stores with her grandmother. As the writer inside slowly grows, she listens to family stories and fills her days and evenings as a Jehovah’s Witness, activities that continue after a move to Brooklyn to reunite with her mother. The gift of a composition notebook, the experience of reading John Steptoe’s Stevieand Langston Hughes’ poetry, and seeing letters turn into words and words into thoughts all reinforce her conviction that “[W]ords are my brilliance.” Woodson cherishes her memories and shares them with a graceful lyricism; her lovingly wrought vignettes of country and city streets will linger long after the page is turned.
For every dreaming girl (and boy) with a pencil in hand (or keyboard) and a story to share. (Memoir/poetry. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-25251-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
Essential.
A guidebook for taking action against racism.
The clear title and bold, colorful illustrations will immediately draw attention to this book, designed to guide each reader on a personal journey to work to dismantle racism. In the author’s note, Jewell begins with explanations about word choice, including the use of the terms “folx,” because it is gender neutral, and “global majority,” noting that marginalized communities of color are actually the majority in the world. She also chooses to capitalize Black, Brown, and Indigenous as a way of centering these communities’ voices; "white" is not capitalized. Organized in four sections—identity, history, taking action, and working in solidarity—each chapter builds on the lessons of the previous section. Underlined words are defined in the glossary, but Jewell unpacks concepts around race in an accessible way, bringing attention to common misunderstandings. Activities are included at the end of each chapter; they are effective, prompting both self-reflection and action steps from readers. The activities are designed to not be written inside the actual book; instead Jewell invites readers to find a special notebook and favorite pen and use that throughout. Combining the disruption of common fallacies, spotlights on change makers, the author’s personal reflections, and a call to action, this powerful book has something for all young people no matter what stage they are at in terms of awareness or activism.
Essential. (author’s note, further reading, glossary, select bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-18)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7112-4521-1
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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