The Autobiography of Leroi Jones [Paperback]

Amiri Baraka (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1556522312 | ISBN-13: 978-1556522314 | Publication Date: March 1, 1997 | Edition: 1ST

The complete autobiography of a literary legend.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

First published in 1984, this is a revised edition of The Autobiography of Leroi Jones, which includes the original text (restored by the author) as well as a new introduction. Born Leroi Jones in 1934--he became Amiri Baraka in the mid-1960s---he is one of the seminal figures of contemporary black writing, a poet, playwright, novelist, critic, and political activist. Even more than those labels indicate, however, Baraka has been at the heart of literary and ideological ferment since the 1950s. Early in his career, he was strongly influenced by the Beats. During the cultural upheaval of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s, he moved uptown to Harlem, changed his name, and embraced a religion that was a hybrid of Islam and traditional African principles. And then, in the 1970s, Baraka turned his back on Black Nationalism and embraced Marxist Leninism. The autobiography, written in Baraka's inimitable style, one that we might call word-jazz, ends there.

From Library Journal

Although this edition of Baraka's autobiography restores substantial cuts made to the original Freundlich Books publication (LJ 1/84), the basic structure of the work remains unchanged: it covers Baraka's youth in Newark, stint in the air force, Beat years in Greenwich Village, role in the Black Arts movement, and conversion from black nationalism to communism around 1974. It is puzzling that this edition continues to disguise key people and publications. For instance, Baraka refers to his ex-wife, Hettie Cohen, as Nellie Kohn; poet Diane DiPrima as Lucia DiBella; and the Partisan Review as the Sectarian Review. What purpose can this obfuscation serve when How I Became Hettie Jones (LJ 2/15/90) has already named names? It will be interesting to see how DiPrima's forthcoming autobiography deals with the same scene. Recommended for libraries lacking the earlier edition.?William Gargan, Brooklyn Coll. Lib.,
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books; 1ST edition (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556522312
• ISBN-13: 978-1556522314
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #148,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars frankness, humor, self-examination ...., August 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Autobiography of Leroi Jones (Hardcover)

Autobiographies, even by poets, rarely reach the depths of honest self-examination one finds in their poems. One has only to think of Kenneth Rexroth's tall stories or William Carlos Williams' evasions.

But Mr. Baraka's is different. His has been a journey from a middle class background in Newark (keeping in mind that it was not a white middle class), through Howard University's elitist social structure, the racism of the Air Force; his beginnings as a poet & his drift into Charles Olson's powerful gravity. Many of America's best white poets were among his friends & he did much to promote their careers along with his own. Then his turn toward leadership of the great Black Awakening of the Sixties, his move "uptown," his embrace of socialism & subsequent return to Newark where he continues to influence young writers & activists of all colors & ethnic backgrounds.

There are also his controversial plays, his feuds, marriages & arrests. Also his witnessing of the Newark Rebellion (the full deadly story never accurately reported in the press), his deep understanding of American culture & respect for authentic expression.

That's a lot to cover, but Baraka does so with frankness, humor, self-examination & an occasional willingness to admit error without loading up on pointless regrets.

A fine account of a fallible man who, even in his most angry moments, gives the world beautiful things. & that anger is usually over our failure to see the beauty of justice.

Bob Rixon, WFMU-FM

4.0 out of 5 stars He could have been one of the greatest world writers if only..., September 28, 2010

By 

Sasha Lazarios "MixedTrickBaby" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Autobiography of Leroi Jones (Paperback)

Amiri Baraka's life was both a great story, but has been having a long, tragic ending since 1965. He is brilliant and talented and could have been one of the world's greatest writers-but after years of dogging his ex-wife Hettie and when it ended her attitude being "You looked better going than you did coming", he never seemed to get over her getting over him. He seems to have been regressing into an abyss of a strange obsession poorly veiled with extreme political stances-he has let this ruin his career (that rant "Ugly" that the Jewish community in Newark misinterpreted and took away his position of poet laureate for was a poem to his ex-wife (one of the lines from it is is "Just look between your legs") and it is painful to see that clip on his site. The brothers I showed that clip to in my town of Philly says in it he looked and sounded like a crackhead on Broad and Erie.) He is also dying of prostate cancer right now possibly triggered because of not letting that one go. He is being exploited and robbed of royalties with printers around the world right now by internet publishing scams as well. I loved his books the Dutchman, the Dead Lecturer, etc-and it hurts my heart what's happening to him now from this hanging on so long to a dead horse. He was brilliant, talented, and had great potential. I hope someday he can finally have salaam before he passes.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dutchman, February 22, 2006

By 

R. Walden "student/actor/innovator" (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Autobiography of Leroi Jones (Paperback)

I've read the script and seen the video. Fascinating, well-written examination of behavior, race, and social standards. Should be more well recognized as a great black writer.