| Title | : | Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America--An Anthology |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0345383176 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780345383174 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 960 |
| Publication | : | First published January 31, 1995 |
| Awards | : | American Book Award (1995) |
The powerful opening excerpt by Frederick Douglass evokes his boyhood as a slave, and the collection closes with an eloquent discussion of the race problem today by Cornel West. A distinguished addition to black studies."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The purpose of this extraordinary anthology is made abundantly clear by the editors' stated "to create a living mosaic of essays and stories in which Black men can view themselves, and be viewed without distortion." In this, they have succeeded brilliantly. Brotherman contains more than one hundred and fifty selections, some never before published--from slave narratives, memoirs, social histories, novels, poems, short stories, biographies, autobiographies, position papers, and essays.
Brotherman books us passage to the world that Black men experience as adolescents, lovers, husbands, fathers, workers, warriors, and elders. On this journey they encounter pain, confusion, anger, and love while confronting the life-threatening issues of race, sex, and politics--often as strangers in a strange land. The first collection of its kind, Brotherman gathers together a multitude of voices that add a new, unforgettable chapter to American cultural identity.
Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America--An Anthology Reviews
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I think no clearer explanation can be given about this anthology of poems, essays, interviews, short stories, social histories, memoirs, anthologies etc than that said by the editors:
"to create a living mosaic of essays and stories in which Black men can view themselves, and be viewed without distortion."
Some of the pieces in this collection are abridged or shortened versions of noteworthy or classic pieces like: Brother Cornel West/Race Matters; Frederick Douglas/Narrative of the life of FD; Charles Johnson/Middle Passage; John Edgar Wideman/Brothers and Keepers; Miles Davis w/Quincy Trope/Miles: The Autobiography of... and many, many more.
The book is quite expansive and comprised of many parts and sections within those parts with such headings as: Forefathers (The Griot's Voice) / Trouble Man (The Permanence of Racism) and Sankofa: Past as Prologue (No Justice, No Piece).
It's a book I've referred back to now for over 20 years and I continue to find new and fascinating things within these 900+ pages. It's a wonderful collection and one you should certainly include in your library. -
This book introduced me to a wide range of great African-American writers about 25 years ago.
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This book is truly one to keep in your library for your children, grandchildren, friends and relatives to read. The black man internal truth about what he felt for slavery, and now what he represents as a black man in America.
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Brought for me by my ex-wife many years ago. A collection of writings and stories by and about Black men, never has a book been so heart-breaking, inspiring and enraging as this work. Worth having!
