Martin Luther King Day...Any Reading Suggestions?

[B-Mental]

Hello, just wanted to say that today is Martin Luther King Day in the good ole US of A. In fact, the entire month is Black History Month! I am looking for good books to read...but I have 3 suggestions, should you be color blind like me and only see in black and white...like the pages of a good book. What good books would you read?

1.) Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison If you liked Catcher in the Rye...you might very well love this book...It is about isolation from the world...Beautiful... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Man

2.) Dreams of My Father ~ Barack Obama I haven't read, but I will. In so far as this is a book by a man that is a politician...please no political talk on this thread. Read about it at wiki...here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreams_from_My_Father I once saw a man reading this book in an airport. He was standing there for an hour reading in line, sitting, walking, thinking. I asked, "Well, what are you doing there reading non-stop from Alaska to Minnesota?" He showed me the book and said that, "This book was so interesting, he couldn't put it down."

3.) For those that Want a Black History Lesson: Find the movie... When We Were Kings http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118147/ This is a documentary about two of my Heroes...I love Ali, and Big George....imagine the drama, and I was only so young I didn't even know about boxing...think how proud this title is!

Happy Martin Luther King Day...!!! And please celebrate Black History Month...B

[Virgil]

Yes, a great man. If you're looking for a novel, perhaps a Tony Morrison novel, B-M.

[kiz_paws]

I had a book in mind, but I have re-thought it, as it offended many back in the 60's (apparently), and may do so today. So, with this in mind, that would be counter-productive to what B-Mental was trying to accomplish.

[B-Mental]

wwell, just PM me with it Kiz...thanks.

[Shea]

Roots, by Alex Haley is also an excellent read. Certain parts were tough to get through, not because it was slow, or unclear; on the contrary, the mental images, particularly of the voyage on the slave ship still stand out clearly in my mind. The tough part was knowing that people could be that cruel to each other.

[AuntShecky]

B-Mental, don't forget the poems of Langston Hughes. There are other great poets grouped in the "Harlem Renaissance" also. Among more contemporary poets, I like Maya Angelou, but I have to say I prefer the works of Gwendolyn Brooks (first African-American author to win a Pulitzer Prize) and the joyful lines of Nikki Giovanni.

I'm glad that there is a re-surgence of interest in Zora Neale Hurston, though I'm sorry to admit that I don't own any of her novels @ present.

One of my favorite novelists in this genre-- (though this kind of segregation is deplorable! I'll say "novelists" Period.--)
is Charles Johnson, please try to read:
Ox-Herding Tale
and
Middle Passage.

Too many people think they "know" Martin Luther King from his eloquent speeches "I Have a Dream" and "I've Been to the Mountaintop," etc. But you don't really get to appreciate the utter genius of the man until you read
"Letter from Birmingham Jail."

Thank you, B, for bringing up this important topic.

[Shea]

My favorite Hurston book is Thier Eyes Were Watching God. I've read it a couple of times.

Hmm, I have The Color Purple on my shelf and haven't read it yet. I think I'll read that one next.

[kiz_paws]

A very good read might also be I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, written by Maya Angelou. I really enjoyed that book. Read what WIKI has to say (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Know_Why_the_Caged_Bird_Sings)

Good thread, B! :thumbs_up

[B-Mental]

oh kizzlie, I love that one too.

[B-Mental]

I picked up a Gaines book In the Company of Old Men. Really, really good writing and reading. B

[Kafka's Crow]

A very good read might also be I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, written by Maya Angelou. I really enjoyed that book. Read what WIKI has to say (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Know_Why_the_Caged_Bird_Sings)

Good thread, B! :thumbs_up

I don't like reading literature on such grounds but there is one book that I had to read for my coursework back in 1999. It is called The Native Son by Richard Wright (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Son), absolutely horrifying story. I remember the general hush and quiet mood as we discussed this book in our class. A very powerful and scary read. The images from this one book are imprinted on my psyche and I think about it every day. I bought Maya Angelou's book (mentioned above) 12 years ago but never read it.

[papayahed]

Colored People by Henry Louis Gates. I read it years ago and I think I thought it was pretty good.


http://www.amazon.com/Colored-People-Henry-Louis-Gates/dp/067973919X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202604992&sr=8-1

[kiz_paws]

I bought Maya Angelou's book (mentioned above) 12 years ago but never read it. She is a delightful writer, Kafka, go for it! ;)