County of Kings [Print] [Paperback]

Lemon Andersen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2009

A jarring and poignant coming-of-age memoir told in a unique voice that seamlessly flows from hard-edged drama to urban poetry. This poetic and often times gritty narrative creates a vivid portrait of Lemon's difficult, yet at times humorous experiences growing up in New York City. Praise for COUNTY OF KINGS the staged-memoir "The perfect Off-Broadway piece!" --Ben Brantley, NEW YORK TIMES "Compelling and well-performed!" --John Lahr, NEW YORKER "[5 Stars] Electrifyingly Fresh!" --TIME OUT NEW YORK "More energy than any stage can contain." --NEW YORK POST

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: County of Kings Publishing; 1ST edition (November 1, 2009)
• Language: English, Spanish
• ISBN-10: 0976140101
• ISBN-13: 978-0976140108
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #898,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

LEMON ANDERSEN is a critically acclaimed and award-winning renaissance artist. As a poet he has the greatest number of appearances on HBO'S RUSSELL SIMMONS PRESENTS DEF POETRY--Eight times in six seasons. He is also an original cast member of RUSSELL SIMMONS PRESENTS DEF POETRY JAM ON BROADWAY--in which he won a TONY award for his writing and performance, as well as a Drama Desk Award nomination. He has been a mainstay in the spoken-word and theater scene for the past decade, performing in and selling out venues such as the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Apollo Theater, Chicago Theater, and Hollywood's Kodak Theater. He received a standing ovation after a stellar performance in front 500,000 people at Philadelphia's Live 8. His film credits include THE SOLOIST, starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr., a feature film which Lemon also wrote for. He was also featured in Spike Lee's MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA, SUCKER FREE CITY, SHE HATE ME, and the major motion picture INSIDE MAN, which Lemon appeared in opposite Denzel Washington, and Clive Owens. His theater credits include SLANGUAGE, which was directed by Jo Bonney, and premiered at the New York Theater Workshop to rave reviews and sold out shows. Lemon has taught performance art workshops at a countless number of colleges, universities and institutions through out the nation, including Harvard, Princeton, Umass and Sing Sing prison, just to name a few. He has studied master acting with the honorable Wynn Handman at Carnagie Hall. Lemon Andersen is also the author of READY MADE REAL: POEMS, a collection of his most prolific poems to date. The self-published title includes some of Lemon's most popular poems, as well as original material. Nike hand picked Lemon to write a piece to help them sign Basketball star Lebron James. In the summer of 2009 Lemon studied Shakespeare at The Public Theaters intensive Lab program. He is currently touring his staged memoir, COUNTY OF KINGS which premiered at the Public Theater and received praise from the top critics of The New York Times, Variety, The New Yorker and Associated Press. Lemon was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he currently resides.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A memoir for the ages., January 3, 2010

By 

Dominican Pie (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: County of Kings (Paperback)

County of Kings by Lemon Andersen is definitive tale of coming of age in New York City during one the most tumultuous times of modern history. Amidst the birth of hip-hop, the proliferation of drugs, and an unthinkable disease Lemon shows the reader how he struggles helped him to find his voice, his purpose in life.

Breathlessly intertwining poetry and prose to create a one of a kind memoir that can only be described as the rhythm infused child of the classics Down These Mean Streets and the House on Mango Street. County of Kings is sure to become a classic not only for its powerfully poetic verses that conjure not only a different place and time but often different characters. The narrative prose gives the readers insights into multidimensional characters that are difficult to describe but easy to fall in love with.

County of Kings is not only the story of a young boy coming into his manhood, but the story of a poet and writer finding his voice and honing his talent. In a lot of ways this book is a love story to the all of the pieces of literature that deeply influenced the author.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone whether reading is your thing or not. Whether you grew up in Brooklyn or not. This is a story for the ages.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an engaging & fresh memoir in verse, December 19, 2009

By 

C. O. Aptowicz (NYC, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: County of Kings (Paperback)

I was lucky enough to see Lemon Andersen perform in the Public Theater's run of "County of Kings," the autobiographical one man show on which this book is based. I was familiar with Andersen from his stand-out performances on the HBO TV show, "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry" and the related stage show, "Def Poetry Jam on Broadway." He has a charming, easy bravado on stage, which compliments his sly and intimate poetics.

His one-man show was a perfect evolution of his short form work, and his performance in it was so sure-footed & open that the entire audience was on its feet at the end. When I heard that he was releasing a book version of the show, I was eager to pick it up. But I have to admit, I was worried that the magic seen on the stage might not translate to the page.

But I am happy to say, "County of Kings" (the book) is just as fantastic. The hour & half long show is broken down into almost four dozen poems, which tell Andersen's entire life story -- from his mother Millie (a loving mother trying to do her best to raise her sons in a tough section in Brooklyn), to his adolescence (where struggled not be kicked out of school while wooing neighborhood girls), to his descent into crime, his stints in prison and his wonderful & heartening redemption through poetry.

The story of Andersen's life is surely remarkable, but how he translates it to the page & stage is simply astonishing. Combining prose poems, with tightly rhymed verses, with found poems of news broadcasts, with finely-tuned, slang-filled persona pieces (the book comes with a glossary of terms), Andersen keeps the audience / reader on their toes & utterly engaged. His poetry allows us not only an insight into Andersen and his life, but also into the lives of people living in some of the tougher neighbors in New York City and beyond.

It is a honest and unflinching work, that is nonetheless is heartening and inspiring by the end. Andersen is a fresh new voice -- both on the stage and on the page -- and this book is wonderful showcase for his latest project. Kudos!

5.0 out of 5 stars I must buy for Poets and poetry lovers!, June 5, 2011

By 

Q - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: County of Kings (Paperback)

I've been a fan of Lemon's for many years, but unfortunately I missed the off Broadway production of County of Kings. Purchasing this book was the next best thing and it surpassed my expectations. I laughed, cried, nodded, shook my head but at the end felt that my lesson was learned. This is a raw and beautifully written depiction of his life with vivid imagery that brings you from Coney Island, to Rikers Island, Columbus and back again. I can only imagine how powerful it would be if I saw the play in person, but the book has definitely quenched my thirst for a Lemon drop. A definite buy if you're a fan of poetry in its purest form.