Life Lit by Some Large Vision: Selected Speeches and Writings [Hardcover]

Ossie Davis (Author), Ruby Dee (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 26, 2006

Ossie Davis, the celebrated civil rights activist, actor, writer, and director, is remembered for a film, television, and stage career of more than half a century. His awards include an Emmy Award, an NAACP Image Award for his work in the Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild, and a Kennedy Center Honor. The last two honors, like so many of his accomplishments, were shared with his wife and partner (in life and in work), Ruby Dee. Ossie Davis is also revered for his lifelong commitment to those social and political causes about which he was so passionate. Of all the gifts he possessed, perhaps none was greater than his ability to articulate the important issues of the day. He used his brilliant mind and his oratory skills to give voice to his concerns as a black man, an American, and a human being in the world, as well as to the individuals and communities whose concerns he made his own. This monumental book brings together many of the moving speeches, essays, and other writings as an ultimate gift to posterity. Life Lit by Some Large Vision includes some humor, some history, and some surprises: moving tributes to such luminaries as Malcolm X and Louis Armstrong; thought-provoking speeches on the treachery of the English language and the challenge of breaking through the "niggerization" process; letters to friends and fellow thinkers; essays that span decades of social thought and revolutionary positions; and the closing monologue from his groundbreaking 1961 play, Purlie Victorious. The unforgettable sound of Ossie Davis's voice is well documented in his work on film and television, but the words on these pages offer his heart and mind, and will be the next best thing to witnessing him speak in person. Ruby Dee contributes a foreword to the collection and introductory notes to the individual pieces, many of which were written and delivered with her at his side. The result is a comprehensive celebration of one man's extraordinary wisdom and generosity. This is a book that will enrich countless readers -- as a gift, an educational resource, a volume to be read aloud on special occasions, and much more.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Actor, playwright and civil rights activist Davis passed away in 2005, but this posthumous collection of his writing-including his speeches, essays, eulogies and letters-is a reminder that his legendary voice remains vital. Whether writing about the power of the theatre or the power of the people, Davis was gifted with an ability for remarkable, courageous speech: Calling for a new Constitution in 1968, he said, "Let us sit down and negotiate a peace treaty among ourselves." Davis did not shy away from controversy, be it in defense of the rights of known Communists, or in re-examining the history of African-Americans; writing in 1965, Davis states that "most of the stereotypes we know about Negroes were invented by Negroes for the purposes of survival and social correction." The writer's humor, humility and tremendous inspirational power shine, but suffer from a lack on context. Davis' wife of more than 50 years, the equally renowned actress and activist Ruby Dee, provides commentary at the beginning of most selections, but her notes are often too vague to illuminate Davis' writings properly. Not much elucidation is needed for Davis' eulogy for Malcolm X, perhaps, but subsequent eulogies for less-known figures like actors Godfrey Cambridge and John Randolph could use a biographical sketch. Quibbles aside, this is a great read by a luminous, much-missed American treasure.
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Review

"Ruby Dee's marvelous collection of speeches and writings captures the dignity, eloquence, and passion of Ossie Davis, who blessed us not only with great acting, but with a lifetime of fighting injustice. Life Lit by Some Large Vision will inspire everyone who wants to make a better world."

-- President William J. Clinton

"Ossie Davis is an authentic American hero. Through the pages of this book, I hear his rich, deep, melodious voice commanding us to continue to live, to learn, and to love."

-- Tavis Smiley

"Ossie Davis was the greatest artist/activist since the great Paul Robeson. Only Ruby Dee and Harry Belafonte today can be mentioned in the same breath! His courageous words are even more precious now that his life is our legacy!" -- Cornel West, author of Democracy Matters

"This lovely and inspiring book is a final love letter from a devoted wife to an adored husband. It is also a great gift to all of us who continue to learn from their shining example of what it means to be fully, passionately, engaged in all that life has to offer. As we read his words, and hers, we are acutely aware that we are in the presence of greatness."

-- Pearl Cleage, author of Baby Brother's Blues

"Ruby Dee produces for us the voice of her beloved, bringing an uncompromising truth, reminding us of the sound of a black man, bringing us, as he said, the 'scent of freedom.'"

-- Elaine Brown --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books (September 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743289889
• ISBN-13: 978-0743289887
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,103,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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