The LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka Reader

A brilliant collection of his greatest and diverse works.

Amiri Baraka was an activist, writer, artist, controversialist and prophet.These complexities are highlighted in the LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka Reader. It clearly shows the various phases of his thought and writing.It can be difficult reading but to learn about the founder of the Black Arts Movement in America, this is the place to start.

This book was a gift fr a person who is a big fan of Leroi Jones/ Amiri Baraka. They enjoyed the book very much.

One of my favorite people/ authors. Brilliant.

I've got great memories of this author from when I was in highschool. This book is exactly what I was looking for plus some.

As a native of Newark, N.J., I grew up taking Amiri Baraka for granted. It wasn't until I moved to Maryland and finally read this book that I understood who I had met all those times.This is an EXTRAORDINARY work that details the growth and development of a significant American artist. Its editor takes much care in selecting samples that allow us to see divergent aspects of Baraka.Especially significant among the many gems within is the text of his eulogy for James Baldwin and his essay on Jesse Jackson. Those works are required reading for those needing to understand the 20th century African-American experience, particularly those who wish to do so as writers.This book has guided my view of the (African-)American writer's role.

Buy this book. It's that simple. This book provides the reader with a developmental history of one of the greatest LIVING revolutionary minds this country has ever produced. He hits you in the heart without bashing you over the head. You may not agree with everything he says, or how he may have lived portions of his life, but you will be affected (in some capacity) by his wit, intelligence and the fierceness of his conventions. A must for anyone who thinks that they are " a radical" or "an activist."This book is rated UR and may not be suitable for un-realistic audiences.

this man is the reason why i became a writer. to know leroi jones is to see the struggle etched into his face; to know him is to hear his voice, sometimes reeling with jazz and blues, others, like a hanna-barbera cartoon. he is the struggle continuing, showing you the america, mtv, cnn,and bet refuses to show. he was a beatnik, then a black nationalist and now a maoist, but always a poet. i have met him twice, and was amazed by his brillance each meeting. his words are about freedom. any of his books will tell you that. read all of them.