Soulfires: Young Black Men on Love and Violence - Softcover

Seeing that it has contributions from some 30 black men-Michael Eric Dyson, Peter J. Harris, Brother Yao (Hoke Glover), Marc Nesbitt, Kevin Powell and others (among them the editor, and another son of novelist John Edgar Wideman)-one expects more than this book delivers. Soulfires, at more than 400 pages, is an abundant, though not necessarily rich, collection of essays, poems, drama and stories, all tied together by concern with the titular love and violence and by a distinct confessional tone. Each piece is marked by a desire to express passion and give voice to the story of black men. The style quality varies, though when it's good, it is very good. Nesbitt's "Dog pads skid to stop and I can hear her tattoos standing over me. She hot pants on my neck, aims slobber drip into my skull cracks. Eyes on my thighs and she's drawn away" hints at real promise. It is a thoroughly modern style that has learned much from rap and hip-hop music combined with the directness and clarity of James Baldwin or Chester Himes. Maybe the rubric under which these pieces were published is not entirely convincing, but anything that leads to the dissemination of these singular voices is worthwhile. One concern: Yes, this is "young black men on love and violence," but throughout, even in stories about women and about honoring black women, one still feels one has overheard half of what should be a dialogue.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Coming on the heels of the Million Man March of October 1995 in Washington, D.C., here is an open discussion with African American men, all under 40, on some of the burning issues facing them today: the miserable plight of black men in prison, black-on-black crime, the level of violence in society, and the men's relationships with black women, as well as with their fathers. Editors Wideman, a playwright and novelist, and Preston, a poet, offer a diverse collection of writings from poets, professors, journalists, novelists, and students. These authors write letters to their brothers, express love to their significant others, bond with their male friends, and reflect on their destinies. The testimonies, mostly from unknown voices, are rich and ripe for literary collections. As a companion volume, see the more comprehensive anthology Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America (LJ 3/15/95).?Ann Burns, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.