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What's Going On [Paperback]

Nathan McCall (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)

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Book Description

December 29, 1998
   With the same personal authority and exhilarating directness he brought to his account of his passage from a prison cell to the newsroom of The Washington Post, Nathan McCall delivers a series of front-line reports on the state of the races in today's America. The resulting volume is guaranteed to shake the assumptions of readers of every pigmentation and political allegiance.
   In What's Going On, McCall adds up the hidden costs of the stereotype of black athletic prowess, which tells African American teenagers that they can only succeed on the white man's terms. He introduces a fresh perspective to the debates on gangsta rap and sexual violence. He indicts the bigotry of white churches and the complacency of the black suburban middle class, celebrates the heroism of Muhammad Ali, and defends the truth-telling of Alice Walker. Engaging, provocative, and utterly fearless, here is a commentator to reckon with, addressing our most persistent divisions in a voice of stinging immediacy.

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Former Washington Post reporter Nathan McCall won critical acclaim for his autobiographical Makes Me Wanna Holler, the story of his troubled youth, his criminal career as a young man, his three-year prison sentence for armed robbery, and his struggles to put his life together after his release. In this collection of essays, McCall addresses social issues and problems, filtering his comments through the lens of his own experience. Thus his commentary in "Gangstas, Guns, and Shoot 'Em Ups," recalls his youthful infatuation with The Godfather, and criticizes the dead-end fantasies of gangster rap. In "Men: We Just Don't Get It," he recalls the times he sexually assaulted women and looks at his own daughter with love and fear. He hopes she'll find someone who loves her, but is afraid she'll meet men who don't treat women with love and respect. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

McCall, who has been to prison, journalism school, the Washington Post, and the best sellers lists (Makes Me Wanna Holler, LJ 1/94), is back with essays ranging from the dangers of rap to the politics of gun control.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage (December 29, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0375701508
  • ISBN-13: 978-0375701504
  • Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.5 x 7.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #774,932 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

31 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (31 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A+ from a white guy, February 4, 2002
This review is from: What's Going On (Paperback)
Makes Me Wanna Holler shocked me a couple of years ago. I still feel haunted by it, but the shock is over and now I can enjoy McCall's writing without feeling sick. He is a great writer, he is angry, and he "tells it how he sees it." Although, I have a feeling that McCall would be angry even in a perfect world; but I still think every white person should read his books. I have learned a lot about my African American friends and neighbors from his writing. Unfortunately, after reading What's Going On I realized that it is only African American's who can pull themselves out of this mess. I think I would be accused of being a racist no matter what I would try and do. Hopefully some good African American leaders will emerge as soon as Mr. Jackson and Mr. Sharpton give up their thrones. I am convinced that many white folks really do want things to to get better for African Americans. We just don't know what to do!
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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Inciteful & True, February 12, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: What's Going On (Paperback)
I absolutely loved this book. I could not put it down. Nathan McCall's views were well-thought out, and much to my surprise showed no signs of hypocrisy, instead, his views were the end result of learning through experience. I was able to connect with McCall's real life experiences as a young African-American & Washingtonian. The fact that he has roots in DC made me able to connect on a more personal level with his experiences, (i.e., his references to Georgetown, and parts of middle class Maryland and Virginia) I was always taught by my parents about the true histories and traditions of this city and the elimination of upscale African-American neighborhoods from a history we made. However, McCall idealizes the underlying concepts that apply to the African American culture anywhere in this country. Even if the DC element is extracted, his words apply to any location. I found that the book kept on a continuum rather than skipping over issues and losing its tone, every chapter making equal offerings to the book as a whole. It taught me a great deal about the ways of political change, and I also took from it a sense of responsiblity, that it took McCall the majority of his adolescence to gain. It's one thing to protest something (i.e., McCall's reference to "gangsta rap") but it's a totally different thing to back it up with logic. Even if readers disagree with some of the details of McCall's thinking, his outlook plays on the mind and welcomes another outlook, backed by occurances and explanations given. I felt that McCall explored every aspect of his role as a African American delinquent youth turned respected father and professional, and that alone deserves respect in this autobiographical piece. I suggest that both black men and women read this book, I promise you will gain something of great personal value from it. Knowledge which brings power. I highly recommend this book.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Lucid And Somewhat Refreshing Resemblance, December 30, 2000
This review is from: What's Going On (Paperback)
Interestingly, I kept McCall's first book on my shelf for at least three or four years. I have a very heavy schedule and just couldn't find time to read it. I did blindly recommend it to a relaitive of mine who had made a mistake and ended up doing time. About two weks ago, I finally decided to read it. After finishing MAKE ME WANNA HOLLER, I was really upset that my relative didn't read. The book is a wonderful depiction of one of the most misunderstood segments of American life. The author came forth as honest as he could be. There were traces of Eldridge Cleaver, George Jackson, and Malcolm X. Only traces though - McCall's political concerns were not steeped (not yet). WHATS GOING ON reveals a more political minded author. I will place these essays on my shelf next to his first book. The author and I are the same age and we both grew up as black males in a most-times psychologically imbalanced society. We KNOW what the dangers are. So many of his thoughts are common to my experience. Reading both books make me look way back and reflect upon events that I thought I had safely placed away. This guy's an excellent writer. Some reviewers feel as if he's not telling the whole truth - but who really does? McCall should continue writing, continue to take on life as it comes. He should continue exposing the truth about the life so many of us know. The truth told in the clear way that he tells it.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
While riding through a wooded park in Arlington, Virginia-where the bike trails are longer and more scenic than those in my neighborhood-I came across a group of white boys shooting hoops on a crowded court. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
negative rap, black homeowners, gangsta rappers
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Old Town, Mount Vernon, Itchy Booty, George Washington, African Americans, West Ford, The Color Purple, Alice Walker, Biggie Smalls, Darryl Taylor, Muhammad Ali, Prince Georges County, United States, Eudora Lyles, New York, North Fairfax Street, Queen Street, Civil War, Vessie Taylor
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
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