Amazon.com
One reason Rick Bragg won a Pulitzer Prize for his feature articles at the New York Times is that he never forgets his roots. When he writes about death and violence in urban slums, Bragg draws on firsthand knowledge of how poverty deforms lives and on his personal belief in the dignity of poor people. His memoir of a hardscrabble Southern youth pays moving tribute to his indomitable mother and struggles to forgive his drunken father. All Over but the Shoutin' is beautifully achieved on both these counts--and many more.
Book Description
A haunting memoir about growing up dirt-poor in the Alabama hills--and about moving on but never really being able to leave.
The extraordinary gifts for evocation and insight and the stunning talent for story- telling that earned Rick Bragg a Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 1996 are here brought to bear on the wrenching story of his own family's life. It is the story of a war-haunted, hard-drinking father and a strong-willed, loving mother who struggled to protect her sons from the effects of poverty and ignorance that had constricted her own life. It is the story of the life Bragg was able to carve out for himself on the strength of his mother's encouragement and belief. And it is the story of his attempts to both atone for and avenge the mistakes and cruelties of his past.
All Over but the Shoutin' is a gripping account of people struggling to make sense and solidity of life's capricious promises. A classic piece of Americana, it is made vividly, movingly particular by Rick Bragg's searching vision, generous humor, and richly nuanced voice.
Customer Reviews:
Ignore the man behind the curtain!.......2007-09-05
I read this book before I remembered that Rick Bragg had resigned in ignominy from The New York Times in May, 2003, after reports surfaced that he had relied almost exclusively on reporting from a free-lance writer to produce an article, and that he had relied similarly on reportage from stringers and interns to construct other articles he had supposedly written himself and took sole credit for. I liked, and was moved by, the stories this book tells well enough but thought his writing style and punctuation that of a lazy person, for the most part, oddly enough. The stories he tells about his upbringing in the most limited and wrenching of circumstances (and his drive to overcome his birthright ever since) are heartbreaking and inspiring up to a point. As other reviewers have pointed out, his reports of the abuse done to him, his mother, and his brothers by his alcoholic father are credible enough, and reports of violence and political upheaval from Haiti and other distant locales are brilliant and emotionally charged, but one has difficulty grasping how he himself feels about what he is seeing with his own eyes in these unsettling situations. (Perhaps that is because he wasn't actually there??) Bragg seems to have gotten by in many situations throughout his life via bluster and bravado, having never actually had the credentials (i.e., a college degree, for one thing) to function, otherwise, as a respected journalist. He does indeed wear his childhood of poverty and neglect, and, for whatever reasons, his inability to form sustained and commited relationships with others, like a hair shirt that he dares anyone to look underneath.
I loved it. Really loved it........2007-07-27
Although I could relate to his childhood a bit I felt the pain of Rick's mother more then anything. I felt I have somewhat walked in her shoes and the determination to do anything so your children do not have to go without embraced me. It was a great book that pulled at my hear strings. His descriptions were so vivid that it took me there. Great Job!
Superbly written.......2007-05-06
This book is a glimpse into the author's life, of days gone by and of life as it was (and in some places still is) in the south. In reading you felt his family, the occasions he wrote of, and could visualize the surrounding it all took place in. He is truly gifted as are those for whom he writes. I also recommend Ava's Man, also written by him. Both are must reads.
So, so good.......2007-05-01
I listened to this. My husband recommended it. I had just finished "Prodigal Summer" by Barbara Kingsolver and was in a southern frame of mind. How life in the south has changed, life in the world.
To plagerized Frank McCourt, what's interesting about a happy childhood? Like Angela's Ashes this is a powerful memoir and a tribute to a mother's love and family. Although Rick Bragg had some supportive family on his momma's side. I also thought of Dorothy Allison and "Bastard Out of Carolina."
I stepped out of my California life during the 60's, 70's, 80's, on...this was not my life, nor the life I often saw depicted on TV or in movies. As a writer I am inspired to keep typing, keep plugging, continue to honor my momma and love my children and fellow human beings...
Well written, provactive and well worth the read (audio).
All over but the Shoutin' .......2007-04-11
If you can get only "one book" I implore you to get this one. I cannot remember the last time I cried when I finished a book. I cried for him. I cried for myself. I cried for its truth and his courage in telling it. I cried because it could have been me. I cried because in many ways it was me. Read it and weep. Read it and rejoice. Read it and SHOUT!
Average customer rating:
- Amazing Visuals, Informative Text!
- Another Gee's Bend book
- An exciting look at quilts as modern art
- Gee's Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt by Paul Arnett, William Arnett
- A great book on a legendary art
|
Gee's Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt
Paul Arnett ,
William Arnett ,
Bernard Herman ,
Maggi Gordon ,
Diane Mott ,
Dilys Blum ,
Lauren Whitley ,
Amei Wallach , and
Joanne Cubbs
Manufacturer: Tinwood Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 African American
| Regional
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Museums & Collections
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Museums
| Museums & Collections
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Exhibition Catalogs
| Museums
| Museums & Collections
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Textile & Costume
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Folk Art
| Schools, Periods & Styles
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Quilts & Quilting
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Quilts of Gee's Bend: Masterpieces from a Lost Place
-
The Quilts of Gee's Bend: 30 Postcards
-
Mary Lee Bendolph, Gee's Bend Quilts, and Beyond
-
Nancy Crow
-
Quilt National 2007: The Best of Contemporary Quilts (Quilt National)
ASIN: 0971910456 |
Book Description
In 2002, Gee’s Bend burst into international prominence through the success of Tinwood’s Quilts of Gee’s Bend exhibition and book, which revealed an important and previously invisible art tradition from the African American South. Critics and popular audiences alike marveled at these quilts that combined the best of contemporary design with a deeply rooted ethnic heritage and compelling human stories about the women. Gee's Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt is a major book and museum exhibition that will premiere at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), in June 2006 before traveling to seven American museums through 2008. The book's 330 color illustrations and insightful text bring home the exciting experience to readers while displaying all the cultural heritage and craftsmanship that have gone into these remarkable quilts.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing Visuals, Informative Text!.......2007-09-17
This book is gorgeous!!! It includes large photographs of tons of quilts, in a size that allows you to see the smallest details, such as topstitching. It also includes inspirational photos of details of the town. However, it's not your typical coffe table book, because it has probably equal parts very informative text and visuals. Since it's not small enough to carry with me on the train, it's been hard separating myself from this book-- it is beautiful!
Another Gee's Bend book.......2007-05-13
I like this book because it is full of information about the construction of the quilts and alot of trivia about the makers of the quilts. Very beautiful pictures! A great book for learning.
An exciting look at quilts as modern art.......2007-02-08
This book illustrates the link between the incredibly beautiful quilts produced by five generations of African American women in the South to the architecture they saw around them and to their own artistic vision. Their personal stories, contained in chapters toward the end of the book, are very moving and inspirational.
Gee's Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt by Paul Arnett, William Arnett .......2007-01-12
Wonderful book full of pictures and inspiration, and the story of the Gees Bend Quilts.
A great book on a legendary art.......2007-01-04
This book shows the Gees Bend quilts in all their gorgeous and unself-conscious art, as well as telling the story of these women, descended from slaves in an isolated community, who created this amazing abstract art. A wonderful book, with many color photos of the quilts.
Book Description
Since the 19th century, the women of Gee’s Bend in southern Alabama have created stunning, vibrant quilts. Beautifully illustrated with 110 color illustrations, The Quilts of Gee’s Bend includes a historical overview of the two hundred years of extraordinary quilt-making in this African-American community, its people, and their art-making tradition. This book is being·released in conjunction with a national exhibition tour including The Museum of Fine Art, Houston, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Customer Reviews:
exceptional.......2007-03-30
I remember the first time I saw photographs of the quilts of Gee's Bend in a magazine about seven years ago. I couldn't wait to learn about the amazing artists whose vision the quilts portray. This book is more outstanding than I imagined it could be. It is powerful, beautiful, sensitive, and historically accurate. I recommend The Quilts of Gee's Bend to anyone with an eye for artistic genius and a love for discovering a community of women willing to express themselves outside the box of convention. How refreshing and inspiring! Simply Exceptional!!
.........a superb keepsake of a memorable trip. .......2007-03-08
Who is more qualified to help provide us with a book about the quilts of Gee's Bend, but Mr. Bill Arnett who has championed the makers of these quilts and their works since 'discovering' them years ago in the tiny community of Gee's Bend about thirty miles southwest of Selma, Alabama?
The quilts first went on tour in 2002 and have been touring ever since. I learned of the ladies of Gee's Bend and their quilts from a PBS documentary first aired in 2003 and have anxiously hoped they would one day come to my part of the country. When, earlier this year, I found the quilts would indeed be coming to the Orlando Museum of Art, I purchased, The Quilts of Gee's Bend: Masterpieces from a Lost Place, documenting the quilts, and the lives of their various makers, with beautiful, full-color illustrations of the quilts.
In February, 2007, when I was finally able to enjoy the quilts in person, I was happy to discover the book had accurately depicted the quilts, and their makers, paralleling an exhibition that should be seen and appreciated by all.
I purchased a copy of The Quilts of Gee's Bend: Masterpieces from a Lost Place, for the art teacher of my children's school. This beautiful book encouraged her to take her middle and high school art students to the exhibition. The book helped the students to first see and read about what they were going to view and then became a superb keepsake of a most memorable trip.
The Quilts of Gee's Bend.......2007-03-08
This is a beautiful book about both the women and the quilts of Gee's Bend. The photos make me feel as if I am back at the Gee's Bend Quilt Show.
Memories which must be kept 'real'.......2007-03-08
This book is already a treasure and one I can love and then bequeath to another art and tradition and people lover...
At the end of October in 2003, I was in Milwaukee to see this Quilt exhibition. Friends of Art from Indiana University drove to Chicago and then on to the marvelous museum in Milwaukee to experience the Quilts. What an awakening! That day I bought a Video. Since that time I have purchased the DVD and (when I found it online) the hardback book The Quilts of Gee's Bend! What a treasure! I am overjoyed to have this book and to have had the viewing experience! [I also use the USPS stamps and the book of postcards!] --Sarah K. Robinson
The Heart and Souls...........2007-01-27
The heart and souls of women are exposed in this poignant book of quilts, along with their "stories" past and present---of slavery on through the civil rights era, and now, life as it is in rural Alabama. The quilts, made out of necessity for their warmth, have become acclaimed Objects d' Art throughout the Art World. Having seen the documentary on television and the Quilt exhibit in San Francisco, I was compelled to purchase this beautiful book containing a compilation of these quilts and self-expressed comments from the community of women who have kept their quilt-making alive. I have purchased this book for myself and several others as gifts.
Book Description
R. W. Apple, Jr., of The New York Times credits third-generation Alabamian Frank Stitt with turning Birmingham into a "sophisticated, easygoing showplace of enticing, southern-accented cooking." His southern peers think his cooking may have a more profound sense of place than any of theirs. His food is rustic and homey, but sophisticated in method.
Now, Alabama's favorite son has written a long-awaited cookbook that features his enticing Provençal-influenced southern food. More than 150 recipes range from the traditional--Spicy Green Tomato and Peach Relish, Spoonbread, and Pickled Shrimp--to the inspired--Slow-Roasted Black Grouper with Ham and Pumpkin Pirlau and Pork Loin with Corn Pudding and Grilled Eggplant. Desserts such as Bourbon Panna Cotta and Sweet Potato Tart with Coconut Crust and Pecan Streusel elevate the best of the South for cooks everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing cookbook.......2007-08-20
I'm just a regular mom who likes to plunk down with a really good cookbook and try new gourmet recipes to amaze and delight my family. Lets just say that my 3 year old toddler and husband look forward to dinner every night that I pull out Frank Stitt's cookbook. Some recipes make me crazy, especially when I have to flip through 3 different pages to get various related recipes such as sauces, but oh what heavenly delight if you persevere and see the recipe through to completion. I can't say enough good things about this book - makes one appreciate the time, effort and loving care that is evident in the recipes. The sauce gribiche is worth the price of admission. The book feels like an old friend, calling me every few days to try another recipe. What a fantastic chef. This cookbook rivals my other beloved and tattered cookbook " The French Recipe cookbook" by Clements and Wolf-Cohen. You will NOT be disappointed if you get this book. 5 star rating all the way.
Southern Splender on a Plate.......2007-01-31
Wow!! This cookbook rocks. I've recently bought over a dozen Southern cooking cookbooks and this is the BEST hands down. Frank Stitt's recipes are inspiring. No longer does Southern Food need to be somewhat bland and heavy. I'm ordering my Gourmet Cook daughter a copy for her birthday in a couple of weeks. I know she'll love it.
Review.......2007-01-30
I have this cookbook, ordered another for a friend and it was in perfect condition, as stated.
A Masterpiece - The Crown Jewel of my Cookbook library.......2006-11-15
Frank Stitt's Southern Table is truly a masterpiece. I am a Southerner and was raised on the wonderful flavors that form the recipes in this book. I love that Stitt showcases humble vegetables that can be found at any Southern farmer's market and presents them in impeccable fashion. His philosophy on using the freshest, in-season ingredients is wonderful advice for all cooks. I also keep this book on my coffee-table and I often read his charming writings on Southern food and the culture that surrounds cooking and eating in the South. I recommend this cookbook above all others. My family has adored everything I have made from this cookbook. I recommend the Lowcountry Red Rice, Pimento Cheese, All the cookie recipes, Spiced Pecans, and the fabulous section on perfectly mixed cocktails. This cookbook has got me planning a trip to Birmingham for the sole purpose of eating at the Highlands Bar and Grille.
Very colorful, informative & complete!.......2006-11-14
This is a very thick book on the upscale restaurant Bottega in The Highlands area of Birmingham, Alabama. Soon I intend on actually visiting the restaurant, but until then, this book keeps me in tune with the restaurant. I can make their food at home as well as get a clear idea of the environment, cuisine and patrons who visit.
Average customer rating:
- great book
- Great Author
- AMAZING SOUTHERN STORY AND WRITER!
- underappreciated debut
- Brilliant Writing!!!
|
Gods in Alabama
Joshilyn Jackson
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Comic
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Mystery & Thriller Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Between, Georgia
-
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
-
The Glass Castle: A Memoir
-
One Mississippi
-
The Same Sweet Girls
ASIN: 0446694533 |
Book Description
When Arlene Fleet headed off to college in Chicago, she made three promises to God: She would never again lie, never fornicate outside marriage, and never, ever go back to her tiny hometown of Possett, Alabama. All God had to do in exchange was to make sure the body of high school quarterback Jim Beverly was never found. Ten years later, Arlene has kept her promises, but an old schoolmate has recently turned up asking questions. And now Arlenes African American beau has given her a tough ultimatum: introduce him to her family, or hes gone. As she prepares to confront guilt, discrimination, and a decade of deception, Arlene is about to discover just how far she will go to find redemptionand love.
Customer Reviews:
great book.......2007-09-29
This is a refreshing, in your face book that is fun to read, but has some serious heavy stuff that the protagonist is dealing with. I am part way through only, but am going slow and savoring every page.
Great Author.......2007-08-06
I just happened upon this book while perusing the book store aisles. I love reading books set in the South, so I bought it, not knowing what to expect. I absolutely loved it. I loved Joshilyn's writing. If you haven't read her blog, it is just as fun as the book. This is my first book to read from her. I can't wait to read more - I just bought Between, Georgia.
AMAZING SOUTHERN STORY AND WRITER!.......2007-07-19
Joshilyn Jackson is the best thing to happen to Southern fiction in a coon's age! If the book didn't have a story I'd still beg my friends to read it just to be entertained by her amazing writing and prose! But what an extraordinary story Jackson has crafted for the reader! When its quirky protagonist, Arlene (Lena), who ran away from her hometown and family after high school, is forced to go home to "literally" face her ghosts and visit her dysfunctional family after a ten year absence, you'll feel like you are in her skin experiencing all the emotions of taking Burr, her precious African American boyfriend,(Gotta love this guy!) home to meet the bigoted folks in the small Alabama town of Possett. This book is a thriller on top of everything else! Throughout you are wondering where the heck is the body or if the victim disappeared or did he really die? And believe me a part of you will be hoping this despicable character did die a slow and painful death! But another part of you will be so concerned about the killer being found out and sent to jail, you're hoping he walked away. When you reach the surprise ending of this book and discover the truth, which I can assure you will be in a couple of days because it's impossible to put this book down, you will love the book all the more! I believe Jackson has written the best example of unconditional love I've personally ever read in a novel! The Candidate: A Novel
underappreciated debut.......2007-07-16
I eschew Chick Lit, and I hesitate about potentially melodramatic thrillers. Fortunately, this is neither. Ms. Jackson has created full, complex and sympathetic (if not always likeable) characters with comprehensible motives. In so many ways, this is a story about family, loyalties and the things you will do for someone you love. Funny, serious and remarkably, not schmaltzy or overwrought, Ms. Jackson has crafted a real, if not politically correct, depiction of adolescent sexuality and expection.
Brilliant Writing!!!.......2007-07-06
I picked up this book the other day and finished it in two sittings - if I hadn't had to get off the airplane, it would have been only one. This is the most interesting, well written book I have read in years. Joshilyn Jackson creates a totally believable set of southern characters and all the uniqueness that goes along with them. There is such a depth of emotion and thought and the plot provides enough twists to keep even the most stawart critic of pacing happy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book - immediately bought the next - which I am reading now, and can't wait for her next.
Book Description
In the summer of 1860, more than fifty years after the United States legally abolished the international slave trade, 110 men, women, and children from Benin and Nigeria were brought ashore in Alabama under cover of night. They were the last recorded group of Africans deported to the United States as slaves. Timothy Meaher, an established Mobile businessman, sent the slave ship, the Clotilda , to Africa, on a bet that he could "bring a shipful of niggers right into Mobile Bay under the officers' noses." He won the bet. This book reconstructs the lives of the people in West Africa, recounts their capture and passage in the slave pen in Ouidah, and describes their experience of slavery alongside American-born enslaved men and women. After emancipation, the group reunited from various plantations, bought land, and founded their own settlement, known as African Town. They ruled it according to customary African laws, spoke their own regional language and, when giving interviews, insisted that writers use their African names so that their families would know that they were still alive. The last survivor of the Clotilda died in 1935, but African Town is still home to a community of Clotilda descendants. The publication of Dreams of Africa in Alabama marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Read .......2007-08-21
This book is wonderful, excellent. This book is so educational and knowledge filled, without being an academic bore. I don't even know where to start. I will say buy your hard back copy now. This author deserves financial support through the purchase of this book. The story of the Clotilda Africans should be known.
Dreams tell us about the lives and the journey of 110 Africans who were brought from Dahomey, known today as Benin in West Africa. A schooner by the name of Clotilda was built and dispatched from Mobile Bay to the Kingdom. A newspaper article had appeared in the Mobile Press Register that the King of Dahomey was doing a brisk sale in Africans.
Timothy Meaher, a wealthy businessman in Mobile, had commissioned the building of the Clotilda for the journey to Dahomey, even though the transportation of Africans was abolished in 1808. However, Africans were still being brought into the country.
The Africans were primarily spoils of warfare and the raids of villages. They came from various ethnic groups and cultures. However, the core group, were Yorubas. The Yorubas live in what is now Benin and southwest Nigeria. They had names like "Kossola,, Abache, Abile, Omolabi, Kupollee, Kehounco, and Arzuma."
Ms. Slyviane tells us their story primarily through the eyes of the last survivor of the Clotilda Africans, Cudjo Lewis aka Kossola, a Yoruba. He survived all of his children, wife, and shipmates.
This is a fascinating story of African American history, American history, and African history. Cudjo and his shipmates had dreamed and planned to get back to their homeland, but it never happened.
What makes this book so fascinating is that we actually know the slaver, the captain, the ship, and where they came from. Not only that, about 30 of the Africans lived on Meaher's land. So there is first hand information and resources from the slavers, the Africans, and their descendents
A reference book, a novel, a history book - highly educative, encompassingly tender.......2007-08-10
I cannot recommend this book any more feverishly. It is incredibly well researched and written. The author lays down the historical facts in a clear manner and then leaves the characters to entice you into their lives and speak to you. The stories are never sensationalized, if anything, it is this lack of dramatization that enables the stories to unfold naturally.
The book clearly shows how within a relatively short space of time certain aspects of a culture may vanish, but other aspects which form the core of a community's make-up are improvised regardless of the circumstances and continued down the line (the communal spirit of the Africans, reverence to authority, conflict resolution etc). Cudjo's life was the one delved into in the greatest detail and it evolved to be as remarkable as it was melancholic.
After the last of the African deportees dies, I can only imagine the loneliness that would have haunted him - being alone in America, a land that he had lived in for three quarters of his life, but one that was still alien to him, one where no other local born Africans were in his immediate vicinity would surely have quelled his tenacious will and defiant spirit. For him to have lived the rest of his years, not being able to converse in his native tongue or to express his innermost feelings in a manner capable of being immediately understood by his neighbors would surely have been unbearably painful. There is an African proverb that states that "you know who a person really is by the language they cry in". When all he had ever known was gone and he lamented for them in his native tongue, I wonder, did the people around him understand the depth of his despair? After all his personal losses and tragedies in America, he finally relents of his desire to go back to Africa and surmises that he was indeed alone on earth - his family in America was no more and he figured that his family in Africa would also be no more - an unbearable set of circumstances to accept. The author should be commended for unearthing and bringing to life such a great story, but even more importantly, for doing so in as lucid a manner as is possible. My only question is how on earth do we let a story as remarkable as this just dawdle with no attempt to publicise it more. It would be great if we could have a children's book on the story.
A trip to AficaTown in Alabama is in the offing for my family.
Wonderfully researched personal stories.......2007-07-17
Dreams of Africa in Alabama is a beautifully written and meticulous book. It's evident that Ms. Diouf spent a considerable amount of time and detail with her research. The author describes the Alabama slave trade and the events that lead to the maiden voyage of the modified schooner, Clotilda. She devotes two chapters to the lives of the "shipmates" - one prior to their capture and the other chronicling their imprisonment in the barracoons (slave pens) and their subsequent Middle Passage voyage. The remaining chapters recount the lives of the deported Africans during their enslavement and post emancipation.
In 1808 the United States abolished the international slave trade. In order to circumvent the law, many Southerners modified existing ships to camouflage their true intent and evade naval officials. The Clotilda was one such ship. Seeking to make a profit on the sale of Africans, the Meaher brothers and their associates went about the business of arranging a slaving run. Many of the captured Africans were placed into slavery as a result of lost tribal wars and/or suspect alliances between African Kings and European and American merchants.
When the humiliation and brutality of slavery was over, the shipmates endured Jim Crow, disenfranchisement and other forms of maltreatment. In spite of those obstacles, the Africans purchased land just outside of Mobile, Alabama, and became a self-sufficient community with a bank, farms, schools and churches. The shipmates limited their interaction with non-African people. Other than their contact with Americans and African Americans in the workplace, the Africans made little effort to interact anyone who wasn't from the continent in their personal lives. Intermarriages between Africans and African Americans occurred in small numbers. There were attempts to return to their families and homes in Africa; run-ins with the law; and a desire to dispel the rumors of their savagery and cannibalism.
This book is a sobering and painful account of some of the atrocities Africans endured. Ms. Diouf interviewed the descendants of the Mobile, Alabama slaves, and poured over mountains of archives in libraries and private collections to give the reader an up close and personal view of the lives of the shipmates of the Clotilda. There are many more stories and details to be discovered when you read Dreams of Africa in Alabama.
Book Description
For almost ten years, Samuel Mockbee, a recent MacArthur Grant recipient, and his architecture students at Auburn University have been designing and building striking houses and community buildings for impoverished residents of Alabama's Hale County. Using salvaged lumber and bricks, discarded tires, hay and waste cardboard bales, concrete rubble, colored bottles, and old license plates, they create inexpensive buildings that bear the trademark of Mockbee's work, which he describes as "contemporary modernism grounded in Southern culture." In a time of unexampled prosperity, when architectural attention focuses on big, glossy urban projects, the Rural Studio provides an alternative of substance. In addition to being a social welfare venture, the Rural Studio--"Taliesin South" as Mockbee calls it--is also an educational experiment and a prod to the architectural profession to act on its best instincts. In giving students hands-on experience in designing and building something real, it extends their education beyond paper architecture. And in scavenging and reusing a variety of unusual materials, it is a model of sustainable architecture. The work of Rural Studio has struck such a chord-both architecturally and socially--that it has been featured on Oprah, Nightline, and CBS News, as well as in Time and People magazines. The Studio has completed more than a dozen projects, including the Bryant "Hay Bale" House, Harris "Butterfly" House, Yancey Chapel, Akron Chapel, Children's Center, H.E.R.O. Playground, Lewis House, Super Sheds and Pods, Spencer House addition, Farmer's Market, Mason's Bend Community Center, Goat House, and Shannon-Dutley House. These buildings, along with the incredible story of the Rural Studio, the people who live there, and Mockbee and his student architects, are detailed in this colorful book, the first on the subject. "I tell my students, it's got to be warm, dry, and noble"--Samuel Mockbee
Customer Reviews:
Samuel Mockbee is a God..........2007-04-25
After reading this book, I for one would loved to have worked at Rural Studio under him. But the stories and the student work is what completes the book. If every community had a "Rural Studio" of their own no community would have homeless. The pictures are also fantastic, I can't wait to buy the next book.
Architect's Cause Related Marketing?.......2006-07-26
It has been nearly two years since the AutoCAD disappeared from my desktop. When I dropped by a new bookstore near my home, I looked for the architectural section. It is because I felt that I got too far away from architecture, my original work area.
But most architectural books were still in their old-fashion: planning manuals, master architects' theories, works of recent architects and architectural histories. In addition, some others are focused on the architects' political(?) intention. Consequently, I could hardly find a meaning of such publications, meaning that could be understood even by the general public.
This book gave me a meaning in two aspects; an architect should do his social responsibility and an architect should participate actively in communication with the general public like Sang Lim Lee, an architect who translated the book to Korean.
The style of writing is rough as is shown in blogs. But, in other words, it can be understood easily by the general public. We can see Mockbee's work both with a view of respect and a view of jealousy. Nevertheless, I would like to focus on his achievements in communication with regional community and in giving his students significant opportunities. His vision has not degenerated into profit-seeking one and has been sustained by his successors until now.
After reading this book, I got to think that an architect should not be exempt from cause related marketing.
inspiring.......2005-10-03
Maybe the most important architectural idea since the series of pattern language treatises by Christopher Alexander. I think this is a must read for anyone involved with real estate development. Surely a model for New Orleans. I'm planning to take a trip and pay homage. Mr. Mockbee was a genius.
Not To Be Missed.......2005-07-25
The evidence of Mockbee's brilliance and compassion. Proof positive that Mockbee deserved all the awards and acclaim. Great pictures of both the architecture and the house recipients. I love this book and share it often.
Rural Studio and the spirit.......2005-07-18
After my attempt to leave a mark on the Rural Studio, I went back to Auburn to better understand what I had learned. I realized that the Rural Studio had changed my life forever. This book helps explore the methodolgy, theory, and values that flourish in the Rural Studio. This gives an indepth look at the style of Mockbee Coker and some of the better architecture living in the south. An upclose and personal look will only better serve as an example of what architecture can really do, not even to mention the beliefs behind the firm and hearts of two men. The people impacted in their Sambo's strive to rid the world of man's small ambition and the Rural Studio is a product of that belief. I know that the Mockbee Coker style is flourishing today not just in Hale County but in the belief that one can make a difference through helping others and not just talking about,but taking action. For the Spirit of Sambo still lives. In each and every heart that believes in the Rural Studio, in Hale County, and believes that architecture can make a difference. My experience was one of the greatest of my life, and this book helps those maybe understand alittle of what this life is for. I hope that people will implore into the world of Hale County alittle more and help do something in their own lives.
Average customer rating:
- A Boy Book that Girls will like, too, maybe
- In the wild...
- Alabama Moon
- Everyone That Reads "Alabama Moon" Loves It!!!
- Alabama Moon
|
Alabama Moon
Watt Key
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Action & Adventure
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Orphans & Foster Homes
| Family Life
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Death & Dying
| Social Issues
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Self-Esteem & Self-Respect
| Social Situations
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Boys & Men
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Bullies
| Issues
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Rules (Newbery Honor Book)
-
Hattie Big Sky
-
The Higher Power of Lucky
-
Black Duck
-
The Green Glass Sea
ASIN: 0374301840
Release Date: 2006-09-05 |
Book Description
I could trap my own food and make my own clothes. I could find my way by the stars and make fire in the rain. Pap said he even figured I could whip somebody three times my size. He wasn’t worried about me.
For as long as ten-year-old Moon can remember, he has lived out in the forest in a shelter with his father. They keep to themselves, their only contact with other human beings an occasional trip to the nearest general store. When Moon’s father dies, Moon follows his father’s last instructions: to travel to Alaska to find others like themselves. But Moon is soon caught and entangled in a world he doesn’t know or understand, apparent property of the government he has been avoiding all his life. As the spirited and resourceful Moon encounters constables, jails, institutions, lawyers, true friends, and true enemies, he adapts his wilderness survival skills and learns to survive in the outside world, and even, perhaps, make his home there.
In this compelling, action-packed book, Watt Key gives us the thrilling coming-of-age story of the unique and extremely appealing Moon.
Customer Reviews:
A Boy Book that Girls will like, too, maybe.......2007-10-17
My 11 year-old is a reluctant reader, but every now and then a book comes along that keeps his interest even when it is not "reading time". This is one of those books. Moon Blake is a compelling character, having grown up in the woods with his reclusive father. And his story is captivating. He just wants to be left alone to go to Alaska, but he's picked up and taken to a boys home instead. I love how the story evolves, how you see Moon change his ideas of the world, and how he deals with the abusive constable who won't leave him alone.
A terrific book you won't be able to put down.
In the wild..........2007-06-28
This book tells the journey of Moon Blake, who have always lived with his father. But when his father died, he must find a way to escape the outside civilziation and find his home. This novel has an exciting plot, wonderful research, and is a great read. By reading this book, one could also learn the meaning of friendship.
Alabama Moon.......2007-03-26
Alabama Moon by Watt Key is an exciting adventure story especially for boys - the dialog is crisp and revealing and the main character Moon is very well drawn, In a great opening sentence, "just before pap died, he told me that I'd be fine as long as I never depended on anybody but myself, the author quickly captures the reader's interest. Moon who is only ten has been raised to be a survivalist by his dad. He knows how to make a shelter, hunt and forage for food, and sew his own clothing from animal hides. As his dad is dying, he tells Moon that he needs to get to Alaska and join other survivalists. His father is delusional enough that he believes Moon can travel from Alabama to Alaska on his own without money or knowledge of a world beyond his forest home. He also does not account for the fact that Moon distressingly and immediately experiences loneliness for the first time, "loneliness was something I'd have to wait on to pass, like pap said it would".
In writing that is both descriptive and poignant, Key includes a lot of survivalist detail that in no way slows the pace of the story while at the same time it makes subsequent events all the more dramatic and realistic. When Moon is finally captured and incarcerated in a home for abandoned boys, Moon discovers some new truths like companionship can be enjoyable, new foods can be delicious and plentiful, and that soft beds and warm rooms can be very comfortable; nevertheless Moon can escape the home and return confidently to the forest to take care of himself - something two friends who escaped with him can't do. I could go on and on but this book is special and all readers should have the opportunity to experience the delights of this story for themselves.
Everyone That Reads "Alabama Moon" Loves It!!!.......2007-01-19
One of the best read in awhile. Adults and Children enjoy this book so much it is hard to put down. All of us in our household have read it and believe it will become a Movie. If you enjoyed Forest Gump you will enjoy Alabama Moon. The book gets better the further you get into the story. Well written and an especially exceptional story for a first novel. I believe this short novel will become a classic.
Alabama Moon.......2006-12-21
This is a great book written by Watt Key about a young boy named Moon Blake. He is living is with his father in a small house in the Alabama wilderness. Moon and his father are hiding from the government. But then his father dies and suddenly Moon is alone. Before his dad dies he tells Moon to head for Alaska, which he does, but he meets two other boys and they stay with him in the wild. I don't think I should tell you any more or you won't need to read the book. Thanks for reading
Customer Reviews:
Tuskegee Experiment & Crack Epidemic.......2005-12-27
Bad Blood points out that the US Surgeon General at the time was Hugh Smith Cumming. In 1939 he was responsible more than any other person for creating the system we now have in place that controls narcotics and other banned substances which San Jose Mercury News journalist and Pulitizer Prize Winner, Gary Webb, said was controlled by a handful of power elites through the CIA.
Fearing a race war when Webb's information was exposed, Bill Clinton, who apolgized for the Tuskegee Experiment, also sent CIA Director John Deutsch to LA to quell a groundswell of complaints among blacks who feared (rigtly) that their goverment was poisoning inner city youth with drugs.
Hugh Smith Cumming's close kin married Chase Untermeyer, the US Navy Officer who became the Texas State Representative from the exclusive Tanglewood area of Houston where GHWB had his disputed Texas address while in office. Untermeyer's bride is from the Hugh Smith Cumming family and was on the staff of GHWB's legal counsel. Untermeyer is now Ambassador to Qatar.
Webb's work shined a light on the Reagan/Bush backed CIA Iran-Contra drug distribution in the US. Webb's book DARK ALLIANCE, when combined with BAD BLOOD shows how close we have come to a Fascist State.
Remember that next time CNN, FOX or the rest report on the White House's interest in bugging your telephones.
Corpus Christi, TX
African-American Victims Of Government Laboratory Experiments!!!.......2005-09-16
One of the least known facts of U.S. history is the government sponsored syphilis experiment conducted upon 399 African-American men from 1932 to 1972. Over the course of these five decades, the U.S. Public Health Service exploited African-American sharecroppers in its effort to determine if the long-term affects of syphilis were different for black people than it was for white people. During the trials, the doctors who conducted the experimentations intentionally denied these men treatment; never informed them of syphilis' destructiveness to their health; and ignored the fact that these men were infecting their respective wives and sexual partners with the disease. As the experiments continued, doctors calculatedly deceived the subjects, informing them that they were suffering from what was categorized as: "bad blood". As the disease ravaged the minds and bodies of these unsuspecting men, no effort was made by the physicians of the Public Health Service to either inform them regarding the disease or provide them with treatment in an effort to curtail its devastating effects.
Jones presents a detailed, non-sensationalized writing that delves into the ignorance, racism and outright inhumanity that was entrenched throughout the United States; the medical arena; and society in general prior to and during these horrific experiments. He provides a plethora of documentation to substantiate the bigotry and callousness of the medical field during the era, and acknowledges the data provided by individuals who participated in the experiments or who conveyed valuable information. By the end of the experimentation, at least 28 of the men had died of syphilis; over 100 died of related complications; at least 40 of their wives had been infected, and over 20 of their children had been born with congenital syphilis.
Bad Blood should be read by all those who are of the opinion that the upper echelons of U.S. society (in this case, the medial profession and the government itself) are above despicable acts that border on genocide. Clearly there is no conspiracy "theory" here...instead we find conspiracy FACT! Perhaps former U.S. President Bill Clinton's statement regarding the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments encapsulates the incident best in his speech to the last eight survivors of the experiments in 1997: "The United States government did something that was wrong-deeply, profoundly, morally wrong. It was an outrage to our commitment to integrity and equality for all our citizens...clearly racist".
Something In This Milk Ain't "White" Blues.......2005-05-28
During the 40 years of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, the school had threee usa negroid ethnic presidents...
Dr. Robert R. Moton
Dr. Frederick D. Patterson
Dr. Luther H. Foster
Interesting, also is the little mentioned fact that more than 200 USA Negroid ethnic medical students and 600 USA Negroid ethnic nursing students did clinic rounds within the Syphilis Study...
Why did not one of these "professional and educated" Negroes sound the alarm that something was ethical wrong about what was being done to those 200 or so "sexually diseased "poor country" negroes"?
This story is less to do with so-called "white racism" but rather humankind's condition since it "climbed out or fall out" of the trees of that "misty and forever lost" Eden...
Which is the reality that...
Educated, powerful, "cold and greedy" human beings (dark pale or otherwise) will always screw "illiterate, materally poor and mentally weak" human beings - when the "High/Holy with little moral character" feel that they can get away with it.
Blues at you
or, How racism permeates..........2004-03-21
I am not a doctor, a researcher nor an ethicist. I am an African American woman who grew up in southern Virginia, has heard off-the-cuff references to the Tuskegee incident almost all of my conscious-life, and finally wanted to read its details. While I agree with one reviewer who pointed out that the text does not read like a "thriller," I found the writing easy to understand as an indictment of racism whether systemically or individually manifest. I appreciate that the author took great care to provide a general framework of how people respond to the medical establishment (e.g. "follow the doctor's orders") while also detailing the way by which the doctors deliberately manipulated that trust to ensure the compliance of rural black men and black members of the profession. The latter is important - the author shows compliance and allegiance among the black medical officials who were pulled into the experiment, subtly encouraged by monetary or status rewards. I also like how the author painstakingly pulled together the text of meetings, memos and memoirs to show how bureaucracy, tradition and group think work to create racist outcomes - it suggested a universality to it, not a "only in the medical establishment" or "only in the South" version of events. And the author's telling of how all the institutions and individuals, when caught, backpedaled or otherwise covered up their role in the experiment was just amazing... Highly recommended.
A Shocking Medical Experiment in the American South.......2003-05-04
This book was excellent and informative. However, readers should know that it is written in a research style, almost like a text book (sometimes putting the reader to sleep-and the reason I am only rating it four stars), as opposed to being written by an investigative reporter (and reading like a thriller). The book is extremely well documented. The author was intimately involved with helping lawyer Gray (Rosa Parks' lawyer) prosecute the case against the federal government, by providing much of the documentation given in this book. He began work on the book while a student in Harvard's bioethics program in 1972, and only subsequently becoming involved with lawyer Gray.
The book is a complete history from the conception of the experiment, until its termination, including the viewpoints of ALL participants. In addition to learning about the experiment itself, I learned a lot about life in the rural American South, which I had not previously known, and a lot about the disease of syphilis that I hadn't known. Some examples: I didn't know that 30-40 percent of blacks in the rural South were infected, nor that the disease crosses the placental barrier, which caused a lot of syphilitic babies. The book includes pictures of syphilitic skin lesions, and discusses multiple complications of the late stages of the disease.
The book also delves into the moral and racial issues extensively. There is an updated chapter at the end comparing the syphilis crisis to the AIDS crisis, and discusses why so many blacks are distrustful of doctors and hospitals-this experiment simply being one of the most recent examples of how this segment of our society as lied to, and taken advantage of.
What was MOST shocking to me about this book was that I was born in 1955, and this experiment continued into the mid-1970's. The FIRST time it was questioned on moral grounds was about 1962, and throughout the 60's, most doctors did not even QUESTION the morality! The story was broken the same day as Sargent Shiver's having obtained psychiatric counseling-the latter story I heard about extensively, and the former not at all! Before buying this book, I had never even heard of this medical experiment, and I just can't believe things like this were taking place IN
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA until the mid-1970's!!!
Book Description
The gripping story of a well-known battle told from the perspective of the "other" side--the Confederates who just barely lost the fight for Little Round Top at the battle of Gettysburg.
The fight for Little Round Top on July 2, 1863, is forever etched in the annals of America's Civil War. The heroic defense of the high ground by Joshua Chamberlain and the men of the 20th Maine is one of the most famous incidents in American history, made more famous by its powerful depiction in the film Gettysburg. There are numerous written accounts of the Union defenders on Little Round Top but considerably less has been written--up to now--about the Confederate attackers who charged up the hill and faced an even more desperate challenge than those who defended it.
Unique and colorful, this new study brings to life the men and officers of the 15th Alabama who gathered that day to assault the Union flank. The lively narration of this dramatic engagement is both detailed and authoritative. Veteran Civil War author Phillip Tucker colorfully evokes the men and the times--from a description of the Alabamans' Chattahoochee River valley home to sketches of the lives and personalities of William C. Oates and other key members of the regiment.
Customer Reviews:
About as bad as a Civil War book can get.......2004-01-16
That a book purporting to be a detailed, comprehensive tactical study offers only one map pretty well reflects the carelessness, and lack of respect for the reader, with which this book apparently was produced. I've written thirteen books on the Civil War and Indian Wars myself, and I understand the importance of good maps. The prose also is sloppy, and the author repeats the same absurd premise - that a few more men in the ranks of one regiment might have changed the course of Gettysburg, and thus of the Civil War - so many times that one feels tempted to toss the book across the room. An absolute disgrace to the field of military history.
wasted words and no maps.......2003-02-21
The author, who did a good job with Burnside's Bridge, repeats himself over and over ad naseoum and fails to include maps or drawings to illustrate what he is describing. His main premise is, that had the 15 th Alabama been fully complemented with men and had it been supported by another regiment, Gettysburg would have been a Confederate victory. That is prepostorous, considering the number of reinforcements the Union had. Oates and his men deserve a lot of credit for their valor but so do the Union troops who put up one hell of a battle from prepared defensive positions. The author is capable of writing a much better product and must have been in a hurry to churn another book out.
Waste of money.......2003-02-05
I totally agree with [a negative reviewer]. I was very disappionted after waiting so long for the release. The authur constantly repeated things, trying to make the book longer. Plus Tucker seems to have a grudge against Joshua Chamberlain. In the last chapter he makes it sound like Chamberlain had nothing to do with the battle and lied about his contribution afterwards. He provdes no maps to prove his "research". He also states the 15th Alabama retired up Big Round Top after the battle. But wasn't Big Round Top in Union hands after the 2nd day? There's many things I didn't like about this book.
Expecting Much More.......2002-09-26
I had originally placed this order almost a year ago with much anticipation. After the publishing was delayed for months I had forgotten I even had it on back order. Well, I finally got my copy and I must say that it is a big disappointment.
To begin with, there are exactly two illustrations: one map and one seriously degraded photo of Col Oates. Unless you have the memory of an elephant it is very hard to get detail on timelines and troop movements/placements on text alone. This, to me, was perhaps the biggest disappointment.
Another area of concern is the, at times, seemingly lack of real research. One example of this is the claim made by the author that the hill, thus the entire battle, could have been won if the 15th ALA had had support, etc. He failed to explain where these units were supposed to come from, neglected to mention that by the time the 15th ALA had run out of steam there wasn't enough daylight left to mount another assault, any supports would have to come from over a mile away under fire, and he doesn't offer any gameplan as to how the Confederates were supposed to hold the hill once it was taken (given the fact that there were 1000s of Union troops within double quick distance). I don't mean to nitpick on one aspect but the entire book is written this way.
I was looking for a book that was going to finally explain the Confederate point of view in detail, with battle maps to accompany the text. But this reads more like a guy who is trying to defend his family's honor after someone hurled a staining insult at them. I agree that the Conf side of this legendary struggle has not been represented in enough detail and scope. I still feel that way.
Bottom line-the premise is a great idea; don't waste your money.
Books:
- All Together Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 7)
- America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It
- An Eye at the Top of the World: The Terrifying Legacy of the Cold War's Most Daring C.I.A. Operation
- Apache Agent: The Story of John P. Clum
- Apache Agent: The Story of John P. Clum
- Carry a Big Stick: The Uncommon Heroism of Theodore Roosevelt (Leaders in Action Series)
- Castle: Medieval Days and Knights (A Sabuda & Reinhart Pop-up Book)
- Century of Struggle: The Womans Rights Movement in the United States, Enlarged Edition
- Cinco de Mayo (Rookie Read-About Holidays)
- Corps Commanders of the Bulge: Six American Generals and Victory in the Ardennes (Modern War Studies)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Mary Celeste: An Unsolved Mystery from History
- Innocent in Death
- Basic Mathematics for the Health-Related Professions
- Courbet and the Modern Landscape
- Flash Journalism: How to Create Multimedia News Packages
- Innovation--The Missing Dimension
- Lee Bailey's Country Weekends
- Architecture in the Age of Printing: Orality, Writing, Typography, and Printed Images in the History
- Cities and Buildings: Skyscrapers, Skid Rows, and Suburbs
- Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener
Ava's Man
Somebody Told Me: The Newspaper Stories of Rick Bragg
An American Childhood
The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present
Normal Family Processes, Third Edition: Growing Diversity and Complexity
