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I
HEAR A SYMPHONY :
African Americans Celebrate Love
1995
Edited by Paula L. Woods and Felix H. Liddell
Anchor Trade Paperback
ISBN : 0-385-47503-9 |
At a time when the media is full of talk about what is wrong
with African American families, when Black love is depicted
in an unflattering light, if at all, Paula L. Woods and
Felix H. Liddell offer a welcome change in their anthology,
I HEAR A SYMPHONY: AFRICAN AMERICANS CELEBRATE LOVE. Woods
and Liddell do more than just document positive images—these
selections of text and art are a moving and beautiful testament
to the legacy, the range, and the promise of African American
love.
I HEAR A SYMPHONY explores the many dimensions of Black
love through a powerful combination of poetry, love letters,
and excerpts from speeches, essays, novels, and plays. The
pieces included represent the work of many great African
American writers past and oresent, as well as the writings
of ordinary people expressing extraordinary love. Each of
the seven sections of the book focuses on a particular type
of love: from self-love to love of community; from love
of family to romantic love. These writings are accented
and complemented by a striking selection of full-color works
of African American art by artists such as Aaron Douglas,
Archibald J. Motley, Jr., and Betye Saar, among others.
While speaking directly to the Black experience, I HEAR
A SYMPHONY communicates love in a way that can be universally
understood. The contents of this anthology will have you
sighing, crying, and nodding in recognition. From the pain
of W.E.B. Du Bois's "On the Passing of the First-Born" to
Terry McMillan's inspiring story "Quilting on the Rebound";
from Bebe Moore Campbell's call to healing in "Black Must
Be Beautiful Again" to Malcolm X's words of praise and gratitude
for his wife, I HEAR A SYMPHONY is a dynamic celebration
of the strength and beauty of love.
I HEAR A SYMPHONY won Fiction Honors from the Black
Caucus of the American Library Association and the PEN
Oakland Josephine Miles Award for Multicultural Literature. |
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