Award-winning actor Clifton Davis reads the newest collection of stories by John Edgar Wideman, who has been called "the most gifted black novelist of his generation." In stories like All Stories Are True, Back Seat, and A Voice Foretold, Wideman depicts life in urban black America -- a youth's first sexual experience, visiting a son or a brother in prison, or the thoughts of a newborn child as she is thrown to her death by a desperate preteen mother. Compassionate and expansive, Wideman reaches into the back alleys and prison yards of American culture to find truths we can all learn from.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In the 35 stories collected here Wideman continues to chronicle the black experience in urban America with great intensity and lyricism.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
All stories may indeed be true, but some are truer than others, as in this outstanding collection. In each story a different voice reveals another dimension--often an intimate, psychological dimension--of life in black America. "Voices are what we must listen to," says one of Wideman's characters, "if we wish ever to be heard." The character speaking is a newborn infant who has been murdered by its teenage mother, indicating the range of Wideman's voices, each of which is scored like a piece of music, for in Wideman's monologs the how is inseparable from the what . He is fortunate that actor Clifton Davis narrates those voices with such consummate skill, never missing the humor behind the pathos, ably feeling his way into the music of Wideman's prose. Not every story is successful--ironically, an account of a trip to Africa fails precisely because it forces the same style that fits the rest of the book so naturally--but these are minor flaws in a major achievement. Although not yet as famous as some of his contemporaries, Wideman's tremendous linguistic talent, driven by a keen sense of justice, a penetrating intelligence, and a courageous imagination, is sure to earn him a prominent place in the cultural history of our time. Highly recommended.
- Peter Josyph, New York
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Peter Josyph, New York
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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More About the Author
JOHN EDGAR WIDEMAN is the author of more than twenty works of fiction and nonfiction, including the award-winning Brothers and Keepers, Philadelphia Fire, and most recently the story collection God's Gym. He is the recipient of two PEN/ Faulkner Awards and has been nominated for the National Book Award. He teaches at Brown University.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth Owning,
By Okla Elliott (Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: All Stories Are True (Paperback)
The best stories in this collection are simply amazing, but there are some that leave the reader a little cold (though isn't that the case with every short story collection?). All in all, it is worth the purchase. And Wideman is one of the most imporant contemporary authors and therefore merits reading just to know what's going on in literature these days.
[Side Note: I had the good fortune of doing a workshop with Mr Wideman, and he is also a wonderful human being--kind, funny, intelligent--so you can rest assured that your money is going to a good place.]
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
thumbs down,
By SMack (Culver City, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: All Stories Are True (Audio Cassette)
I was disappointed in this collection and just want to warn anyone else considering it--especially Clifton Davis fans, DON'T do it!
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