Urban youth gangs are typically viewed as no more than training grounds for thugs and felons. This breakthrough anthology presents a far different picture, revealing present and former gang members’ and street activists’ artistic impulses, emotional sensitivities, political beliefs, and capacities to assess the social conditions that created them. The Bandana Republic contains powerful writing: fiction and essays, poetry, and polemics written by adolescents from gangs like the Crips and Bloods and the Mexican Mafia. There's also creative work by ex-gangbangers who have become activists, artists, musicians, and movie stars. J. Sheeler’s “Seven Immortals” finds grim poetry in a young girl’s gang initiation. Jaha Zainabu’s “The Jungle (Blood Territory)” is a lacerating portrait of an L.A. Blood. Commander’s “The Brothas Gunnin’” piercingly profiles a neighborhood — and a world — under siege. These writings give voice to an American subculture far richer and more complex than the headlines indicate.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Raw Reality,
By Carl Palmer (University Place, WA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Bandana Republic: A Literary Anthology by Gang Members and Their Affiliates (Paperback)
Start anywhere... any page, any story, any poem. Just open it and read. Voices are heard in this anthology... screamed, whispered, sobbed, confessed. Scenes, instances, moments and lifetimes revealed. Like no other book you've ever read. Biography, thriller, journal... no specific category for this one, other than true.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a must read,
By Lynn "Scorpiana X" (San Jose, Ca) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Bandana Republic: A Literary Anthology by Gang Members and Their Affiliates (Paperback)
I got this book as soon as it came out. The poetry is on point. There are some really great essays in here from former gang members from the 1950s and 1960s. The writings in this book give slices of history. It also delves into the mindsets of why people join gangs. I also like that this book shows different perspectives, in addition to the gang members and former gang members, this book also features pieces from those affected by gang life, the mothers, sisters, girlfriends.
Ok, I do have to admit, I have a poem published in this book, but I would have bought this book regardless.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
We are born into this world innocent and eager to learn yet as time goes on society does burn . . . our minds, our hearts, our ideals, our uniqueness, such a cruel world it is time we spoke up for our people our people that cry, our people that mourn,and our people that are poor, let us not fall to the ground because others knock us down let us stand up for our people let us speak the words our ancestors died fighting for one body, one voice, one soul, together we can take over the world. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
fieya kun, street organizations, street nations, zip guns Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Michael Jackson, Hip Hop, Big Tommy, West Coast, Lower East Side, The Problem, Little Tommy, East Coast, Black Panther Party, Vice Lords, New York City, West Side, Puerto Rican, Downed Town, Corsair Lords, Black Panther Collective, Latin Kings, Ghost Town, Five Percent Nation, Spanish Harlem, Got America, Ball Busters, The Grim Reaper, Big Tookie, Gangster Disciples Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
We are born into this world innocent and eager to learn yet as time goes on society does burn . . . our minds, our hearts, our ideals, our uniqueness, such a cruel world it is time we spoke up for our people our people that cry, our people that mourn,and our people that are poor, let us not fall to the ground because others knock us down let us stand up for our people let us speak the words our ancestors died fighting for one body, one voice, one soul, together we can take over the world. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
fieya kun, street organizations, street nations, zip guns Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Michael Jackson, Hip Hop, Big Tommy, West Coast, Lower East Side, The Problem, Little Tommy, East Coast, Black Panther Party, Vice Lords, New York City, West Side, Puerto Rican, Downed Town, Corsair Lords, Black Panther Collective, Latin Kings, Ghost Town, Five Percent Nation, Spanish Harlem, Got America, Ball Busters, The Grim Reaper, Big Tookie, Gangster Disciples Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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