Black Ink: Literary Legends on the Peril, Power, and Pleasure of Reading and Writing

(Paperback)

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Description

Throughout American history black people are the only group of people to have been forbidden by law to learn to read. This expansive collection seeks to shed light on that injustice, putting some of Americas most cherished voices in a conversation in one magnificent volume that presents reading as an act of resistance.

Organized into three sectionsthe Peril, the Power, and the Pleasureand featuring a vast array of contributors both classic and contemporary,Black Inkpresents the brilliant diversity of black thought in America while solidifying the importance of these writers within the greater context of the American literary tradition. This electric and electrifying collection of voices serves to open a much-needed window onto the freedom struggle of black literature. Its a marvel, and a genuine gift for readers everywhere (Wil Haygood, author ofThe Butler: A Witness to History).

Contributors include: Frederick Douglass, Solomon Northup, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King, Jr., Toni Morrison, Walter Dean Myers, Stokely Carmichael [Kwame Ture], Alice Walker, Jamaica Kincaid, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Terry McMillan, Junot Diaz, Edwidge Danticat, Colson Whitehead, Marlon James, Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Colson Whitehead.

The anthology features a bonus in-depth interview with President Barack Obama.

Black writers have used writing and reading to create, find and sometimes save their lives. Stephanie Stokes Oliver invites the reader into a black magic circle of incendiary, replenishing and inspiring ideas, memories and meditations on the power of literacy and imagination by the writers we treasure. It was a pleasure to re-read established classics and discover new classic arguments for the power of the written and read word.

Reviews

Black writers have used writing and reading to create, find and sometimes save their lives. Stephanie Stokes Oliver invites the reader into ablack magic circle of incendiary, replenishing and inspiring ideas, memories and meditations on the power of literacy and imagination by the writers we treasure. It was a pleasure to re-read established classics and discover new classic arguments for the power of the written and read word.



-- Marita Golden * Living Out Loud: A Writers Journey *
"Just the title of Booker T. Washington's piece: 'A Whole Race Begins toRead' about the eagerness with which former enslaved persons strove to educatethemselves, after the Civil War, well, just the thought of it, might bring us to our knees. We were liberated by literacy! And always will be. IfDouglass and Washington and others had neglected to learn to read we mightstill be enslaved. Which should remind us today that television isn't thesame as reading. Reading demands the inner work that true liberationrequires."
-- Alice Walker
This electric and electrifying collection of voices serves to open a much needed window onto the freedom struggle of black literature. Its a marveland a genuine gift for readers everywhere. -- Wil Haygood, author of The Butler: A Witness to History
An informative overview of African-American literature. Revelatory . . . moving . . . impressive. -- Kirkus Reviews
"Stephanie Stokes Oliver pulls together African American literary giants who seem to make literacy something that should be in bold neon letters. Indeed, the essays youll find in here will make bookworms want to stand up and cheer." -- The Miami Times
"Imagine an intimate, fiery conversation between Frederick Douglass, Roxane Gay, and Barack Obama, in which reading is extolled as among 'the first miracles along the path to Black authorship.'A breathtaking anthology celebrating the power of the written word to forge change."

-- O, the Oprah Magazine
A tantalizing sampler of 25 brilliant black U.S. writers from 1845 to the present Black Ink is the sort of book that opens doors to other booksa first-rate introduction to some of the best in African American literary culture. * Shelf Awareness, Starred Review *
"...an inspiring anthology of excerpts from books and essays by 25 black icons on the dangers and joys of education."

* The Star *
"An important and long overdue project... An essential collection for readers and students of black history and literature." * Library Journal, Starred Review *
"Black Inkpresents the brilliant diversity of black thought in America while solidifying the importance of these writers within the greater context of the American literary tradition." * Bustle *
"An important anthology of writings by black luminaries on the influence of the written language on their, and our, political, social and cultural experience." * The Root *
"...a collection ofgreat literary essays." -- Glory Edim, Well-Read Black Girl founder * Nylon *
"If you have loved ones that cherish words, get them a copy of Black Ink...Stephanie Stokes Oliver gathers the thoughts of the greatest African-American thinkers from Booker T. Washington to Ta-Nehisi Coates. Their insight is priceless." * Essence *

Author Bio

Stephanie Stokes Oliver is the author of Daily Cornbread: 365 Secrets for a Healthy Mind, Body, and Spirit; Seven Soulful Secrets for Finding Your Purpose & Minding Your Mission; and Song for My Father: Memoir of an All-American Family. Formerly the editor of Essence, and founding editor-in-chief of Heart & Soul, she started her magazine career at Glamour. For more information, see StephanieStokesOliver.com.

Nikki Giovanni is one of the most decorated poets of our time. She is the recipient of seven NAACP Image Awards, a National Book Award, a Caldecott Honor, a Coretta Scott King Award, and a Grammy nomination. She is the author of three New York Times bestsellers as well as many poetry collections for children and adults. You can visit her online at Nikki-Giovanni.com.