Well-researched and cogent discussions of how legal cases involving blacks tell us much about the evolving notion of...
Thorough and provocative analyses of legal cases (criminal and otherwise) involving black Americans since the 17th century.
Weiner brings appropriate credentials to this daunting endeavor of writing social, legal, cultural, and racial history: a Ph.D. in American studies as well as a law degree and currently teaches at Rutgers Univ. School of Law. Beginning with a disquisition on his general topic (with a tone and texture very much like a law school lecture: one can almost see the accompanying PowerPoint), Weiner then moves into a chronological examination of cases ranging from the 1721 murder trial of Joseph Hanno (convicted of killing his wife) to the still controversial and celebrity-infested death-row case of Abu-Jamal. In between are the expected (the Amistad, John Brown, Plessy v. Ferguson, the Scottsboro Boys, Brown v. Board of Education, Huey Newton, and the Clarence Thomas–Anita Hill confrontation) and some enlightening surprises, especially the 1830s case of Prudence Crandall, a young idealistic white woman who opened in Canterbury, Conn., a school for black girls. Despite warnings (from officials and others), despite threats of heinous harm to her and her girls (including public whippings), Crandall persisted until she was arrested, tried (hung jury), re-tried, convicted, then released by an appeals court. But a mob trashed her school, driving her from the state. Other interesting treatments include an 1847 case involving runaway slaves and an 1871 case that sought to punish some KKK members. The author begins each chapter with a passage that one might find in a historical novel—e.g., this sentence about the hanging of John Brown: “Beneath the feet of an old man, the scaffold door opens, and he falls through space.” Weiner then proceeds with a narrative of the events and ends with some commentary on their significance. Assigned to minor roles in this sweeping drama are Dred Scott and O.J. Simpson.
Well-researched and cogent discussions of how legal cases involving blacks tell us much about the evolving notion of American citizenship.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2004
ISBN: 0-375-40981-5
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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