Blues Vision : African American writing from Minnesota / Alexs Pate, editor ; Pamela R. Fletcher and J. Otis Powell?!, coeditors.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Pate, Alexs D., 1950- editor.

Bush, Pamela R. Fletcher, editor.

Powell?!, J. Otis, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

African Americans--Minnesota--Literary collections.

African Americans.

American literature--African American authors.

American literature.

American literature--Minnesota.

Minnesota--Literary collections.

Minnesota.

Genre:

Literary collections.

Literature.

Physical Description:

xiv, 286 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Saint Paul, MN : Minnesota Historical Society Press, [2015]

Summary:

"A rich Minnesota literary tradition is brought into the spotlight in this groundbreaking collection of incisive prose and powerful poetry by forty- three black writers who educate, inspire, and reveal the unabashed truth. Historically significant figures tell their stories, demonstrating how much and how little conditions have changed: Gordon Parks hitchhikes to Bemidji, Taylor Gordon describes his first day as a chauffeur in St. Paul, and Nellie Stone Johnson insists on escaping the farm for high school in Minneapolis. A profusion of modern voices-- poet Tish Jones, playwright Kim Hines, and memoirist Frank Wilderson-- reflect the dizzying, complex realities of the present. Showcasing the unique vision and reality of Minnesota's African American community from the Harlem renaissance through the civil rights movement, from the black power movement to the era of hip- hop and the time of America's first black president, this compelling anthology provides an explosion of artistic expression about what it means to be a Minnesotan. Alexs Pate, an award- winning novelist, playwright, and writing professor, is the president of Innocent Technologies, LLC. Pamela R. Fletcher is associate professor of English at St. Catherine University. J. Otis Powell!? is a poet, performance artist, and curator working in an aesthetic rooted in Afrocentric lore and culture"-- Provided by publisher.

"A rich Minnesota literary tradition is brought into the spotlight in this groundbreaking collection of incisive prose and powerful poetry by forty-three black writers who educate, inspire, and reveal the unabashed truth"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Scene 1 Heart

Birth of the Cool: Minnesota / Philip Bryant Bryant, Philip 3

from A Choice of Weapons / Gordon Parks Parks, Gordon 4

Poetryapolis / Roy McBride McBride, Roy 9

Tracks / Tish Jones Jones, Tish 11

Ottawa, MN, Cemetery-1992 / Philip Bryant Bryant, Philip 15

Coming to Minnesota / Susan J. Smith-Crier Smith-Crier, Susan J. 17

Anybody But Me on Grand Avenue / Mary Moore Easter Easter, Mary Moore 28

Afrika / E. G. Bailey Bailey, E. G. 30

Kenwood 1964 / Frank B. Wilderson III Wilderson, Frank B. III 31

Scene 2 Remembered

God's Chosen People / Lloyd Brown Brown, Lloyd 39

Apology for Apostasy? / Etheridge Knight Knight, Etheridge 45

from Swallow the Fish / Gabrielle Civil Civil, Gabrielle 46

Migrations / Angela Shannon Shannon, Angela 48

Glitter Lions / David Haynes Haynes, David 49

Autobiographia / G. E. Patterson Patterson, G. E. 59

Shameless Lutherans / Mary Moore Easter Easter, Mary Moore 60

St, Peter, Minnesota: Barry Harris / Philip Bryant Bryant, Philip 61

Granny's Story / Shá Cage Cage, Shá 62

Scene 3 Places

from The Slide / Alexs Pate Pate, Alexs 67

Our Grandmothers / Shá Cage Cage, Shá 76

Tongue Swallow / J. Otis Powell? Powell?, J. Otis 78

Christmas Tale / Conrad Balfour Balfour, Conrad 80

Creating Change / Andrea Jenkins Jenkins, Andrea 84

All the Information We Have / Shannon Gibney Gibney, Shannon 87

from I Believe I'll Run On ... and See What the End's Gonna Be / Kim Mines Mines, Kim 89

As You Leave Me / Etheridge Knight Knight, Etheridge 101

Home Delivery / Anthony Peyton Porter Porter, Anthony Peyton 102

Scene 4 Felt

When a Cat Goes Out / J. Otis Powell? Powell?, J. Otis 107

Heartsong for Our Father / Louis Alemayehu Alemayehu, Louis 109

OnScene / Tish Jones Jones, Tish 112

Love Across the Middle Passage / Shannon Gibney Gibney, Shannon 115

It's Like a Miracle / David Grant Grant, David 123

At the End of Myself / Rohan Preston Preston, Rohan 137

Lilac Week / Roy McBride McBride, Roy 139

The Bank Robbery / Carolyn Holbrook Holbrook, Carolyn, Steven Holbrook Holbrook, Steven 141

Mama / Evelyn Fairbanks Fairbanks, Evelyn 148

Scene 5 Faces

from Born to Be / Taylor Gordon Gordon, Taylor 157

Kwame J.C. McDonald / Kofi Bobby Hickman Hickman, Kofi Bobby 163

My Rites of Passage / Kemet Imhotep Imhotep, Kemet 166

Decay / Taiyon Coleman Coleman, Taiyon 169

I Hear Myself Say (MMA) / Rohan Preston Preston, Rohan 171

The Night Before / Craig Green Green, Craig 173

The Brawl in St. Paul / Kofi Bobby Hickman Hickman, Kofi Bobby 180

Akhenatens Dream: SunRise! / Louis Alemayehu Alemayehu, Louis 183

The Pork Chop Wars / Laurie Carlos Carlos, Laurie 188

Off to the Big City / Nellie Stone Johnson Johnson, Nellie Stone 193

Scene 6 Heard

Stones and Sticks / Carolyn Holbrook Holbrook, Carolyn 205

Who Would You Be? / Arleta Little Little, Arleta 209

In the City Homelessness / Davida Adedjouma Adedjouma, Davida 211

Smart Enough for Ford / Clarence White White, Clarence 214

Zombies, by Andre Lord / Kyra Crawford-Calvert Crawford-Calvert, Kyra 217

Sabotage / Anthony Peyton Porter Porter, Anthony Peyton 221

On Performing "Berlitz" / Gabrielle Civil Civil, Gabrielle 223

Liberia / E. G. Bailey Bailey, E. G. 234

Job / G. E. Patterson Patterson, G. E. 237

Scene 7 Spoken

Mary / G. B. Patterson Patterson, G. B. 241

Bad / Pamela R. Fletcher Fletcher, Pamela R. 242

Inland Sea / Roy McBride McBride, Roy 244

Preston's Dream: Version No. 1 / Philip Bryant Bryant, Philip 245

To Be Black in America / Ralph Remington Remington, Ralph 248

Don't Blink / Libby Green Green, Libby 251

Unbuckling / Rohan Preston Preston, Rohan 253

Reminders / Louis Porter II Porter, Louis II 255

The Stagnant Reassurance in the Communication of the Dead / Taiyon Coleman Coleman, Taiyon 260

Carrying Home / Angela Shannon Shannon, Angela 262

Anniversary / J. Otis Powell? Powell?, J. Otis 263

Lifeline / Pamela R. Fletcher Fletcher, Pamela R. 265.

Notes:

"Co-published with the Minnesota Humanities Center."

ISBN:

0873519736

9780873519731

OCLC:

897468554

Publisher Number:

99962680543