Ceremonies: Prose and Poetry
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.68 (722 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1573441015 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 200 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-11-21 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
This is urgent, fiercely telling work.-Thomas Tavis, San Francisco P.L.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal As a gay African American acutely aware that he straddles two beleaguered subcultures all too frequently themselves at odds, Hemphill--author of two previous volumes of poetry and editor of the anthology Brother to Brother --strives to bridge the gap in this collection of strongly felt, surely drafted poems and essays. Often explicit, the poems range from hauntingly erotic lyricism--"I am lonely for past kisses, for wild lips certain streets breed for pleasure"--to the belyingly dulled cadences of a dramatic monolog in the voice of a "Colored nurse" complicit in the notorious Tuskegee Institute syphilis experiments. The essays also roam wide and deep. . Whether Hemphill is persuasively comparing the reasoning of a psychiatrist's antihomos
Ceremonies offers provocative commentary on highly charged topics such as Robert Mapplethorpe's photographs of African-American men, feminism among men, and AIDS in the black community.
An Unselfish Gift "I have nothing to lose tonight" -- the line that starts it all. "Ceremonies" by the late Essex Hemphill is a collection of the poet/essayist/activist's remarkable prose and poetry culled over his many years of writing.A DC native, Hemphill includes many of his experiences coming-of-age and living in the nation's capital all of which are detailed and brought to life thro. "An impressive collection of memorable poetry and commentary" according to Midwest Book Review. Ceremonies is an impressive collection of memorable poetry and commentary by Essex Hemphill, one of the few authors who dares to openly portray African American gay life. Raw, compelling, gut-wrenching verse is the hallmark of this serious and powerful compilation. American Hero: I have nothing to lose tonight./All my men surround me, panting,/as I spin the ball above ou. Eclectic Reader said Spare and emotionally powerful. I don't remember when I first encountered Essex Hemphill,( all I recall is that I heard him at some poetry reading) but from the start I found his talent overwhelming. His dynamic writing captivated my imagination and has inspired part of my committment to articulating Black lesbian/gay experience. I am particularly struck by how few words it took for him to drive home h