Free All Along by Stephen Drury Smith and Catherine Ellis

February is traditionally African American History Month and in addition to a display, we plan to soon have a copy on our shelves of FREE ALL ALONG by Stephen Drury Smith and Catherine Ellis.  This work is based on The Robert Penn Warren Civil Rights Interviews which were conducted and originally published in the early 1960s. Amongst the more recognizable names of those interviewed are Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Andrew Young, Stokely Carmichael, and writers Ralph Ellison and James Baldwin. The authors provide brief historical and biographical context for each interviewee. Both this text and the audio archive (provided online by Vanderbilt University) should provide valuable insight and primary source information for students researching the Civil Rights Movement and its leaders. For example, students will be able to read about - or listen to - the voices of those who organized the Greensboro sit-ins, or those who saw to the physical needs of the Freedom Riders and/or the many who debated the direction (non-violence vs. more militant Black Power) of the movement.  

Stephen Drury Smith and Catherine Ellis have also collaborated on After the Fall (interviews and reflections post Sept 11) and on Say It Loud and Say It Plain; the last two are collections of speeches from the Civil Rights Movement and African Americans in the Twentieth Century. All of these texts will provide rich resources as we continue to add more diversity to our collection. If you have a title to suggest, please let us know.

What Truth Sounds Like by Michael Eric Dyson

Michael Eric Dyson has written 19 books, including 4 best-sellers and we own several of his titles (Making Malcolm, The Black Presidency, Tears We Cannot Stop) so I was curious to see his latest: WHAT TRUTH SOUNDS LIKE which is subtitled “RFK, James Baldwin, and our unfinished conversation about race in America.”  Here, Dyson reviews a private breakfast meeting held in 1963 between then attorney general Robert Kennedy and a group of black intellectuals and entertainers (Lorraine Hansberry, freedom rider Jerome Smith, Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte) organized by James Baldwin. Dyson summarizes the meeting as a “watershed moment in American politics, revealing the limits of liberal good will and the explosive power of truth through testimony.”

He argues, “if hope led people to that room more than 50 years ago ... that hope will still be our guide in continuing conversation today.” Dyson, a Georgetown University Professor, then compares and contrasts with current actions and discussions involving activists, artists, intellectuals, and politicians, referring to Colin Kaepernick, Jay-Z, Kamala Harris, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Cornel West, and many others.  Throughout, there is much focus on anger, but students will likely be intrigued by the historical ties to present day events as well as the section where Dyson comments on The Black Panther and fictional Wakanda.  WHAT TRUTH SOUNDS LIKE received a starred review from Booklist. 

Rocket Men by Robert Kurson

ROCKET MEN by Robert Kurson is another great adventure story and real life-thriller from the author of Shadow Divers, Pirate Hunters, and Crashing Through. In his latest text, Kurson relates the story of the first spaceship and crew to orbit the moon, the Apollo 8 mission.  Based on interviews with the astronauts, their families, their colleagues at NASA, and other experts, he devotes separate chapters to Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders while also providing details of their exploits, the famous Earthrise photo, and the political context (e.g., Cold War's Space Race, Vietnam) in which the mission operated. Kurson writes for a general audience and stresses both the scientific and personal aspects of what he labels "one of the greatest explorations in humanity's history." ROCKET MEN contains several photographs, a diagram of Apollo 8, and a Note on Sources.  Many of our students are excited about Space X and have been reading and writing about space exploration this year. For those who are interested, the local pbs station celebrated this book launch with a full program on Chicago Tonight’s Web Extra titled ‘Rocket Men’ Book Launch with Apollo 8 Astronauts and posted a shorter 8 minute excerpt. The module and Borman's spacesuit are available to view at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. It is fascinating to think about the almost 50 years since these astronauts took off for space in December 1968. ROCKET MEN, having received a starred review from Library Journal, is on our shelves so you can relive the journey.  Added NOTE: You can also meet the local author at The Bookstall in Winnetka on Thursday, May 17 at 6:30 pm.