A Hungry Heart: A Memoir (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "TWO OF MY close friends threw a fine birthday party for me..." (more)
Key Phrases: learning tree, New York, Martin Luther King, Elijah Muhammad (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

By any standard, Parks has led an extraordinary life as a photographer, filmmaker, composer, author, and eyewitness to the major events of the twentieth century. As a black man, born into poverty as the youngest of 15 children, his life is even more extraordinary. In this fourth memoir, Parks recalls the Depression and working with the Office of War Information. His exceptional talent as a photographer eventually led to a career as the first black photojournalist with Life magazine. He chronicles the social injustices, the rise of the civil rights movement, and friendships with major figures from Malcolm X to Muhammad Ali. His first book, The Learning Tree, was made into an award-winning film, leading the way to a career directing and composing the scores for Shaft and Leadbelly, among others. Drawing on excerpts from his personal diary, Parks recounts travels throughout the world, three failed marriages, and a steadfast belief in accomplishment in the face of racism. Now in his 90s, Parks offers an inspiring perspective on life, major events, and newsmakers. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Thanks to Gordon Parks, we are all blessed with a greater sense of the world and of ourselves through the art, the music, and the intuitive skills of his 'hungry heart.' What a blessing he is to us all! What a treasure to have the incredible voice and vision of Gordon Parks still 'hungry' enough to continue to teach us all. What an inspiration this renaissance man is to the world! Every page of A Hungry Heart is a feast and only makes you want to learn more from this living legend.... What a blessing! Hallelujah, Gordon Parks!"

-- Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Atria (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743269020
• ISBN-13: 978-0743269025
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #854,448 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Hunger for More, March 14, 2006

By	soulonice (Arlington, TX) - See all my reviews

When I first picked this up, I didn't know what to expect. All I knew about Gordon Parks was that he was a photographer. After reading it, I felt like a fool, because there was so much more to this extraordinary man. This book is well over 300 pages long, and I finished it in two days. There are many reasons for this.
For one, he has so many stories to tell, and, in a way, he has a way of placing you at the story he is telling. This book was published last year, and he does his best to reach back as far as possible to give the reader accurate accounts of his memories, good and bad. It tells of his humble beginnings, and some of the losses he experienced along the way. He talked about some of his earlier jobs, the undesirable conditions, but some of the people he came in contact with. At that time, he proposed to his first wife, and after constant opposition from her family, they later wed.
He also tells about the first camera he ever purchased. Not having much experience at all, he took some shots, and the rest was history from that standpoint. He never comes off as arrogant, cocky, or pumping himself or his talents up. He was always humble, and just enjoyed doing the things he loved: photography, literature, and music. He made the most of his opportunities when he was given them. His undying love and support for the poor and the less fortunate is well-chronicled, and his loyalty to fellow Blacks at the harshest of times put him in very compromising situations, but he was always able to adapt, sympathize, and relate to his subjects, and it showed in all of his work. He never compromised his beliefs for personal gain, and he was widely respected for it. He also tells of his times behind the camera, from his first film "The Learning Tree" to one of his more popular films "Shaft." To my surprise, his son wrote the screenplay and directed one of my favorite films of all-time, "Superfly", and he tells of how that came to existence.
There are so many lessons gained from reading this story that I do not have the time to list them all. For me, a 23-year-old black man, it was a blessing to be able to come across this piece of literature. I learned about a great man who made his mark on this world to the best of his ability and remained humble and down-to-earth from beginning to the end.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost 5 stars, but....., May 9, 2006

By	Kaii (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews

I would first like to say that this memoir was an excellent tour through the life a professional genious, good father, & well admired & respected man. His story takes us on a journey of reexamining ourselves, our dreams/achievements, black history, American history. He allowed us access to tour places abroad & at home & to see our government at it's best and worstlight. We were introduced to the real people beyond their stardom: from Marlon Brando to Muhammad Ali to Ingrid Bergman to Malcolm X. He focused on families who weren't fortunate enough to live the American DREAM; but for him were very much a part of it. He took a chance on people & stood up for what he believed in; even though the doors often times seemed shut in his face.

I felt that Mr. Gordon could have left out all the details of his many affairs with women: from wives, to mistress, to flight attendants, to his own editor (later to be wife ). I appreciate his honesty; because no man/woman can claim perfection and to do that would have been a lie. But, his detail and sense of "dat a boy" praise made me to give this book a 4.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Understated, July 1, 2006

By	Loves the View "Louise" (Hawaii) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Gordon Parks was one of the first to transcend race in America, he was not a "Black" photographer, he was a photographer. He says it well describing his retrospective with photos of a high fashion gown the same color as the blood from a youth in a gang war he had photographed the same day.

Born in 1912 (a living icon before his death this year), Parks' work took him everywhere.. northern Canada, Paris, Rio and all over the US. He brushed with King Farouk and President Eisenhower and spent extended time with Malcom X, Mohammed Ali and Eldridge Cleaver.

This book is a once over lightly. He tells a lot through dialog, but it is not a satisfying substitute for description. I'd like to know more about how he got into photography (it reads like a fairy tale... but then he's remembering back 70 years). History needs more about the people and situations of his WPA and war work experiences... to name a few areas.

Some of the stories evoke nostalgia for a time when a spread in Life magazine would yield life changing contributions for a child in Brazil or a family in Harlem. Do today's photographers get body guards anywhere but Iraq? Do publishers still compensate those like the sharecropper who lose everything, due to the photographic spread?

This book reminds us, though, that these kindnesses and courtesies ran concurrent with overt and life taking racism.

Parks gives an outline that someone else should follow up on.