A grab-bag of pieces from the long-time poet, critic and
provocateur, drawing inspiration from tall tales, sci-fi, Beat
poetry and wild abstraction.For better or worse, Baraka is now best
known for voicing anti-Semitic 9/11 conspiracy theories in his poem
"Somebody Blew Up America," delivered while he was New Jersey's
poet laureate. This collection, drawn mostly from Baraka's work
over the past two decades, goes a long way toward reminding readers
of the breadth of his talents-his prose bears by turns the
influence of Ray Bradbury, John Coltrane and '60s leftist tracts.
But though his writing is colorful and overflowing with ideas, the
stories collected here often feel maddeningly unfinished or
didactic. The 1975 story "Neo-American," which follows the black
mayor of a New Jersey town on the day of the president's visit,
makes some obvious points about power's corrupting influence and
the disconnect between black leaders and the communities they
serve. "What Is Undug Will Be" is that story's near-polar opposite,
an act of automatic writing that seems divorced from logic. ("It
wasn't just I, but I & I, but you was only half of you.") But
he also offers a few laughs (and shrewd observations about race) in
a handful of brief stories describing a man's out-there
inventions-a device that takes you to wherever a song of your
choice is playing, a ray gun that clothes you in whatever you
imagine and a "pig detector" that identifies nearby cops. And he's
a solid craftsman of more conventional works like "Mondongo," about
two Air Force buddies on an ill-fated hunt for prostitutes in
Puerto Rico, and "Norman's Date," a story that originally appeared
in Playboy, about a one-night-stand gone wrong. Elsewhere, though,
he dismisses the latter piece as a potboiler; for Baraka, telling
the story straight is a rare (and suspect) tactic.A perfect
encapsulation of a sui generis writer-work that is often as
frustrating as it is enlightening. (Kirkus Reviews)
Comprised of short stories spanning the early 1970s to the 21st
century, this collection reflects the astounding evolution in
America's most provocative literary anti-hero.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
