Proverbs For The People: Contemporary African-American Stories [Paperback]

Jewell Parker Rhodes (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

"Proverbs are potent truths embodied in a grain of sand," says Jewell Parker Rhodes in the foreword of this delightful collection of age-old sayings enhanced and writ large by a legion of African American writers, both renowned and unknown. Gathering nearly 60 short stories that probe subjects as wide ranging as ancestry, May-December unions, and the politics of working nine to five, the editors deftly weave a tapestry of humor and truth. Each short story begins with a proverb whose origins might have come from as far away as a Senegalese village or as close as a dusty township in Georgia. Using riddlelike textures to speak the truth, sayings like "Never declare war unless you mean to do battle" illustrate "First Thing Monday Morning" (Gwynne Forster), the story of a woman constantly threatening to leave her husband until he beats her to the draw. "Back Then," by Michael P. Fuller, the reminiscence of an adolescent betrayal, carries the wisdom of an Ethiopian proverb. Each entry in this irrepressible anthology offers a contemporary tale gift-wrapped in the delectable wit of ancient lessons. Terry Glover
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Tracy Price-Thompson is a Brooklyn native, Desert Storm veteran, and the author of three novels, Black Coffee, Chocolate Sangria and A Taste of Hunnie. She has also contributed to several anthologies, including Bensonhurst: Black and Blue (S&S, 1999).

TaRessa Stovall is a Seattle native, former public relations director for Spelman College in Atlanta, and the co-author of A Love Supreme: Real-Life Stories of Black Love (Warner, 2000). TaRessa has contributed to several anthologies, written articles for USA Weekend, BET.com, Emerge and HealthQuest magazines and is a contributing author for the New York Public Library African-American Desk Reference and Staying Strong: Reclaiming the Wisdom of African-American Healing. TaRessa has been featured on Oprah! and in the Emmy Award-winning documentary Black Women On: The Light, Dark Thang. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758202873
• ISBN-13: 978-0758202871
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,754,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional stories, June 19, 2003

By 

BookRemarks (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Proverbs For The People (Hardcover)

Wow! The contributions to this anthology are breathtaking and thought-provoking. Travis Hunter makes a solid impression with his contribution -- a touching and honest family-type story that keeps it real, and provides a future and a hope. Tanya Marie Lewis paints a vivid description of prison and a certain shocking way that a man seeking forgiveness breaks out, and Margaret Johnson-Hodge plants hope inside those who might be ready to give up. This anthology is filled with strong and important writings; it's a must-have and should be added to your book collection pronto!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!, July 1, 2003

By 

DeDe (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Proverbs For The People (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book. All of the stories are wonderful and the connection to the proverb that they all wrote about was simply masterful! I particularly enjoyed the story Franklin White gave us. His proverb dealt with "no matter how long a log stays in the water, a log it will remain." His story about a black actress in Hollywood who did everything under the sun to become more mainstream was brillant. I will not spoil it for others but the story really made me think about all the black actresses who have to jump through hoops to finally get a part in a mainstream movie. After they read this story-maybe they won't be so hard pressed to get in the mainstream!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Work, June 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Proverbs For The People (Hardcover)

I think this book was long overdue. This is what the AA community needs. Travis Hunter, who is head and shoulders above any other writer in the business right now, brings us a story so filled with love I cried. Omar Tyree's story needed some work but he tried. I loved Pearl Cleage's story as well and Margerette J. Hodge touched my spirit. She's a great writer too. I liked Tonya Marie Evans story. This should've been made like the coffee table books so everyone could read it like a conversation piece.