Customer Reviews

The Autobiography of Leroi Jones

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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

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.

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.