116. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

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Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Ballantine Books, 2009. 

289 pages.

Reviewed by J. d'Artagnan Love

Maya Angelou has a writing voice both melodic and forceful. In this memoir, she recounts her childhood, the mysteries of growing up in the deep south, the excitement and energy of spending time in cities like St. Louis, and the trauma of being raped. She reaches into the heart of her family system and the lives connected to the family like threads of a spider's web. 

My experience reading this book was visceral. In a traumatic scene, my stomach cramped and I broke out in a sweat. My chest felt tight and I had to breathe deeply. She pulled me so deeply into her life, it affected me physically. This is the first time I've experienced this from a piece of literature. 

When she describes the power of words, especially the power of the spoken word, it opened my eyes to how magical language truly is. I have always loved language but she made it clear just how important the spoken word is. How you can hold a word on your tongue, let it roll around a bit, let it seep in different vocal intonations so that the word becomes more than a word--it becomes an experience, an energy, an incantation. This Angelou's power with words. Her poetry shines even in her prose. 

RECOMMENDED FOR: Readers who can appreciate lyrical memoirs, readers interested in Black history, and readers interested in women's history. 

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR: Those who could be triggered by scenes of rape and assault. 

5 darts out of 5

97. "Loving Day" by Mat Johnson

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Johnson, Mat. Loving Day. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2015.
287 pages.
Reviewed by J. d'Artagnan Love

DISCLAIMER: I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

SYNOPOSIS: Warren's father has just died and he has inherited an old, historical house in Germantown, Philadelphia. The house is in horrible disrepair and Warren is broke having just gone through a nasty divorce. When he meets his daughter for the first time, life starts to get even more complicated.

WHAT I LOVED: Johnson does an amazing job of exploring mixed race identity. His writing is eloquent and purposeful. He depicts the inner conflict of his characters as a result of their outward appearance and the impact of cultural marginalization on self concept and worldview. There is an honesty in his story telling that is cutting and blunt.

There is also some dark humor that tickled me to no end. From ghostly crackheads to clumsy use of a taser, the humor made me laugh out loud and it caused ILS--inappropriate laughing syndrome (not an actual diagnosis). You know when you're in public and then you reflect on something funny in your head and laugh and people look at you like you're crazy? Yeah, this book caused this to happen in my life.

WHAT I LIKED: I liked the way the story explored alternative lifestyles and non-normative relationships in a way that neither demonized nor exoticized them. I liked that even though the story is framed from a male perspective, the depiction of women was not misogynistic.

I also appreciated the historical references. Not only was this a wonderful work of fiction but the elements of nonfiction presented learning opportunities.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Everyone. This is the first work of fiction I've read that explores mixed race identity so clearly, artistically, and sensitively.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR: I can't really think of anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

5 darts out of 5

37. "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker

The Color Purple is a classic and for good reason! Written in epistolary form, the book documents the life of Celie, a young black woman who experiences abuse, neglect, and a painful separation from her sister.

Blues music is an important theme throughout the novel as can be seen in characters like Shug, a blues singer that comes to live with Celie. The following is an excerpt from a paper I wrote as an undergrad about the role of blues music in The Color Purple.

The Purpose of Blues Music in Alice Walker's The Color Purple
J. d'Artagnan Love
March 8, 2007

In Alice Walker's The Color Purple, women often found strength through their music. Finding strength and an outlet for expression is essential to the process of personal transformation. Through the novel one can trace a personal transformation in Celie, the protagonist. With the introduction of blues music into her life, Celie is able to become whole.

Before Celie is introduced to blues music, she does not have a voice of her own. She does not use her voice to defend herself or to speak out against the oppression she is faced with daily. Celie is raped by her step-father repeatedly. Instead of fighting back she remains silent and does not reveal to her mother the identity of her children’s father. Along with her silence, she asks her step-father to take her and not Nettie as his sexual partner and dresses in clothing she thinks he will find attractive. After Nettie leaves, Celie becomes even more lost. She has not developed any sense of identity or autonomy and has now lost her main source of social support. Thus, her inner voice is muffled almost entirely by the oppression she faces as a wife to Albert who, like her father, beats her and treats her as property. . . .

Celie is introduced to blues elements with Sofia’s character. Such blues elements include those of womanhood, overcoming obstacles and fighting oppression. With the presentation of these blues elements, Celie begins a slow process of learning self-awareness. . . . Being exposed to Sofia’s strength allows Celie to form a connection with Sofia.

Blues is gradually integrated into Celie’s life with the arrival of Shug Avery upon which, Celie’s process of self-discovery and transformation beings to gain ground. Evidence of this process is seen in small acts of defiance performed by Celie against the patriarchal structures in her social network. An example of this can be seen when Celie learns the first name of her husband. After learning that his name is Albert, she has the option of choosing to refer to him as Albert rather than Mr. __. Instead, Celie continues to refer to her husband as Mr. __, thus defying his identity and the power that his identity holds over her. . . . Celie finds her own voice and expresses her own thoughts and opposition towards domestic violence. Celie has begun to build a foundation of self-acceptance and love.

While Celie builds an emotional foundation for herself, Harpo begins to build a juke joint and the construction of the juke joint parallels Celie’s emotional progress as well as Shug’s physical healing. The construction of the juke joint symbolizes blues music as a form of healing and rebirth for a collective group of oppressed people. By the time the juke joint is finished Shug is ready and well enough to start performing again and Celie, with Shug’s support and guidance, is beginning to experiment with the power of her own voice.. . .

If you would like to read the entire paper email me at:

j[dot]dartagnan[dot]love[at]gmail[dot[com.

5 darts out of 5

Bookshelf Project Status: Donated to a library

32. "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" by August Wilson

Wilson, August. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. New York: Penguin Group, 1985. Print.
111 pages
Reviewed by J. d’Artagnan Love

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is a play written about Ma Rainey and her blues band. The first thing I questioned as I was reading it was is it really a play? Does this not cross into the genre of musical as well? The cover of the text is labeled “play” but music plays such an important role through the entire story that I think it could also be considered a musical. I love it when texts move across multiple genres!

Ma is in Chicago with her band recording an album. In the process of recording audience members are exposed to tension between various styles of Black identity. The dramatic ending leaves audience members with a vivid image of the turmoil and pain certain characters’ face in trying to “make something of themselves” in an unjust society that does not always function in their favor.

Ma Rainey is a powerful lead vocalist. The majority of her band members respect her authority. Slow Drag, the bass player, especially shows her respect: “Don’t nobody say when it come to Ma. She’s gonna do what she wants to do. Ma says what happens with her” (Wilson 1.1).

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom explores many topics one of them being the topic of art. What is art and art’s role in society? Ma Rainey states, “White folks don’t understand about the blues. They hear it come out, but they don’t know how it got there. They don’t understand that’s life’s way of talking. You don’t sing to feel better. You sing ‘cause that’s a way of understanding life” (Wilson 2.1).

The text also explores the blurry line between truth and fiction. In several instances, characters’ would tell the same story but in slightly different ways. This worked to illustrate the ways in which “truth” can be quite subjective.

3.5 darts out of 5

Bookshelf Project Status: DONATE (donated to a library)