Reimagining Pride and Prejudice

Do you love reading PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen (BR 01583, BR 11521, DB 50549, LB 00263, LB 05326)? Are you sad every time you finish re-reading it because it’s over? Others have felt the same way. Here below are nine re-imaginings of the classic regency era novel by modern authors in a variety of genres: from psychological suspense, to paranormal romance, to contemporary romance.

MR. DARCY’S DAUGHTERS by Elizabeth Aston (DB 81252)

The five daughters of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, from Pride and Prejudice (DB 50549), are left in London while their parents perform a diplomatic mission. Eldest Letty deals with the reappearance of her fiance, who was presumed dead; and Camilla discovers love for her cousin’s fiance. Commercial audiobook. 2003.

LONGBOURN by Jo Baker (BR 20385; DB 77776)

Regency England. In this re-imagined tale of the Bennet family, from Pride and Prejudice (DB 50549), the joys and crises of the servants take center stage. The world of orphaned housemaid Sarah changes when a new footman is hired. 2013.

SEDUCING MR. DARCY by Gwyn Cready (DB 71238)

Philippa, a.k.a. Flip, gets transported into Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice by a magical masseuse. Returning, Flip is horrified to learn that her dalliance with Mr. Darcy has changed the novel’s plot. She needs attractive Austen scholar Magnus to fix things. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES: THE CLASSIC REGENCY ROMANCE–NOW WITH ULTRAVIOLENT ZOMBIE MAYHEM! by Seth Grahame-Smith (DB 69090)

Elizabeth captures Mr. Darcy’s attention as she decapitates a throng of the undead during a country ball. Smitten with her warrior abilities, Mr. Darcy verbally spars with Elizabeth and fights his growing attraction and admiration for her as they attempt to eliminate the rotting corpses infesting England. Violence. Bestseller. 2009.

MR. DARCY, VAMPYRE by Amanda Grange (DB 70631)

Newlyweds Darcy and Elizabeth set off on their honeymoon, but Elizabeth doubts Darcy’s love for her when he fails to consummate the marriage. His nightly disappearances and other strange behaviors raise more questions in her mind. Commercial audiobook. 2009.

AYESHA AT LAST by Uzma Jalaluddin (DB 95458)

In this twenty-first-century Muslim retelling of “Pride and Prejudice,” Ayesha is lonely but does not want an arranged marriage. She meets Khalid, who is smart and handsome, but also conservative and judgmental. Ayesha is torn when Khalid becomes engaged to her flighty young cousin.

DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY by P. D. James (BR 19476; DB 74076, LB 07034)

Derbyshire, England; 1803. Fitzwilliam Darcy and his wife Elizabeth (nee Bennet), who have been married six years and have two sons, are relaxing on the night before their annual autumn ball. Elizabeth’s wayward sister Lydia arrives unexpectedly, declaring that her husband Wickham has been murdered on Darcy’s estate. Bestseller. 2011.

INDEPENDENCE OF MISS MARY BENNET by Colleen McCullough (DB 68680)

Colleen McCullough penned this sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Liberated from caretaking duties after her mother’s death, unmarried Bennet sister Mary decides to investigate England’s ills. While Mary finds unexpected danger and romance, Elizabeth, Darcy, and others face their own difficulties. Some descriptions of sex. 2008.

ELIGIBLE by Curtis Sittenfeld (DB 84222)

Contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice (DB 50549) that moves the action to Cincinnati. Sisters Liz and Jane return from New York to help with their ill father. Liz has been having an affair with married man John Wick, when she meets handsome neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2016.

Remembering Disability Rights Pioneer: Judith Heumann

Judith “Judy” Heumann died on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at the age of 75.

Judy was an American disability rights activist. She was recognized internationally as a leader in the disability community. Heumann was a lifelong civil rights advocate for people with disabilities.

Judy wrote two books that are in our National Library Service Collection.

BEING HEUMANN: AN UNREPENTANT MEMOIR OF A DISABILITY RIGHTS ACTIVIST (DB 100399)

ROLLING WARRIOR: THE INCREDIBLE, SOMETIMES AWKWARD, TRUE STORY OF A REBEL GIRL ON WHEELS WHO HELPED SPARK A REVOLUTION (DB 105457)

She also starred in the Oscar-nominated documentary “Crip Camp” and had a podcast called “The Heumann Perspective.”

Her funeral will be on Wednesday, March 8, at 10 a.m. (EST) in Washington, DC. It will be livestreamed here: www.adaisisrael.org/shiva

To read about her life and numerous accomplishments the field of disability rights, click on this link: www.cbsnews.com/news/judy-heumann-dies-age-75-disability-rights-activist

Remembering Actor and Author Leslie Jordan

Leslie Jordan achieved much success in his too-brief 67 years of life. He won an Emmy for his acclaimed role on the television show “Will and Grace,” and also acted in other television shows, movies, and theater. In addition, he was a playwright, singer, and author. His Instagram videos brought smiles, giggles, and comfort to an unsettled world during the pandemic. His book, an autobiographical essay collection, is called How Y’all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived. The book is available from the Talking Book Program in audio format on BARD: DBC24819. Read more about his appearance at this year’s National Book Festival here: https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/leslie-jordan-discusses-how-y-all-doing-at-national-book-festival.

Library of Congress Announces New U.S. Poet Laureate, Ada Limón

On July 12, 2022, Ada Limon was named the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States by the Library of Congress. The position was authorized by an act of Congress in 1985. Appointed by the Librarian of Congress, the poet laureate’s office is administered by the Center for the Book. Limón will assume her duties on September 29,. In the meantime, here are the books by previous U.S. Poet Laureates in the NLS Collection.

For more information: https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/librarian-of-congress-names-ada-lim-n-the-nation-s-24th-u.s.-poet-laureate/s/44d3bf04-61fa-465d-89f7-6ace60f0790a

2022-present: Ada Limón

2019–2022: Joy Harjo

AMERICAN SUNRISE: POEMS
DB 101306, BR 22723
CONFLICT RESOLUTION FOR HOLY BEINGS: POEMS
DB 100519, BR 22835
CRAZY BRAVE: MEMOIR
DB 97592, BR 22807
HOW WE BECAME HUMAN: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DB 96674, BR 22778
POET WARRIOR
LB 13827

2017–2019: Tracy K. Smith

LIFE ON MARS: POEMS
DB 74916, en español: DB 104879
SUCH COLOR: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DB 106653
WADE IN THE WATER: POEMS
DB 91468, BR 22310

2015–2017: Juan Felipe Herrera

BORDER-CROSSER WITH A LAMBORGHINI DREAM: POEMS
DB 106520
FEATHERLESS/DESPLUMADO: STORY/CUENTO
BR 16017
HALF OF THE WORLD IN LIGHT: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DBE 00018
JABBERWALKING
BR 22695
UPSIDE DOWN BOY: EL NINO DE CABEZA
BR 13098

2014–2015: Charles Wright

BLACK ZODIAC
BR 11995
OBLIVION BANJO: THE POETRY OF CHARLES WRIGHT
DB 102171

2012–2014: Natasha Trethewey

BEYOND KATRINA: A MEDITATION ON THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST
BR 19612
MEMORIAL DRIVE: A DAUGHTER’S MEMOIR
DB 100452
MONUMENT: POEMS: NEW AND SELECTED
DB 94262, BR 22650
NATIVE GUARD
DB 65666
THRALL: POEMS
DB 75891

2011–2012: Philip Levine

MERCY: POEMS
BR 12822
NEW SELECTED POEMS
DB 74619
SEVEN YEARS FROM SOMEWHERE: POEMS
BR 04555
SIMPLE TRUTH: POEMS
BR 10139
WHAT WORK IS: POEMS
DB 34000

2010–2011: W. S. Merwin

LOST UPLAND
DB 36307
OPENING THE HAND
DB 32064
UNFRAMED ORIGINALS: RECOLLECTIONS
DB 19263

2008–2010: Kay Ryan

BEST OF IT: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DB 72287
SYNTHESIZING GRAVITY: SELECTED PROSE
DB 100002, BR 23143

2007–2008: Charles Simic

BOOKS OF GODS AND DEVILS
DB 33645
HOTEL INSOMNIA
DB 37392
NEW AND SELECTED POEMS: 1962-2012
DB 83462
SCRIBBLED IN THE DARK: POEMS
DB 89595
VOICE AT 3:00 A.M.: SELECTED LATE AND NEW POEMS
DB 63320
WALKING THE BLACK CAT: POEMS
BR 10814
WEDDING IN HELL: POEMS
DB 39978
WORLD DOESN’T END
DB 32955, BR 08498

2006–2007: Donald Hall

CARNIVAL OF LOSSES: NOTES NEARING NINETY
DB 92353, BR 22422
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN POETRY
BR 01245
ESSAYS AFTER EIGHTY
DB 80647, BR 20675
HERE AT EAGLE POND
DB 34441
IDEAL BAKERY
DB 28382
LIFE WORK
DB 37596
LUCY’S CHRISTMAS
DB 40911
LUCY’S SUMMER
DB 40904
OLD AND NEW POEMS
DB 34487
OLD HOME DAY
DB 45071
ONE DAY: A POEM IN THREE PARTS
DB 30743
OX-CART MAN
DB 21584, BR 05914
POETRY SAMPLER
LB 00200
PRINCIPAL PRODUCTS OF PORTUGAL: PROSE PIECES
DB 41857
SEASONS AT EAGLE POND
DB 28160
SELECTED POEMS OF DONALD HALL
DB 85035, BR 21568
STRING TOO SHORT TO BE SAVED
LB 02513
UNPACKING THE BOXES: A MEMOIR OF A LIFE IN POETRY
DB 68474
WHEN WILLARD MET BABE RUTH
BR 10788
WHITE APPLES AND THE TASTE OF STONE: SELECTED POEMS, 1946-2006
DB 64104
WITHOUT: POEMS
BR 11891

2004–2006: Ted Kooser

DELIGHTS AND SHADOWS
DB 60382
POETRY HOME REPAIR MANUAL: PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR BEGINNING POETS
DB 61714
MR POSEY’S NEW GLASSES
DB 106348
WHEELING YEAR
DBC 01971

2003–2004: Louise Glück

AMERICAN ORIGINALITY: ESSAYS ON POETRY
DB 101223, BR 23461
FAITHFUL AND VIRTUOUS NIGHT
DB 101237, BR 23465
MEADOWLANDS
DB 43058
POEMS 1962-2012
DB 79850
TRIUMPH OF ACHILLES
BR 06473
WILD IRIS
DB 37600
WINTER RECIPES FROM THE COLLECTIVE
DB 106655

2001–2003: Billy Collins

AIMLESS LOVE: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DB 77867, BR 20375
POETRY 180: A TURNING BACK TO POETRY
DB 75492
RAIN IN PORTUGAL: POEMS
DB 87464, BR 21825
SAILING ALONE AROUND THE ROOM: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DB 53069

2000–2001: Stanley Kunitz

COLLECTED POEMS
DB 52239
INTERVIEWS AND ENCOUNTERS WITH STANLEY KUNITZ
DB 52177
PASSING THROUGH: THE LATER POEMS, NEW AND SELECTED
DB 42433
WELLFLEET WHALE AND COMPANION POEMS
DBC 04231

1997–2000: Robert Pinsky

AMERICANS’ FAVORITE POEMS: THE FAVORITE POEM PROJECT ANTHOLOGY
DB 5000, BR 12771
FIGURED WHEEL: NEW AND COLLECTED POEMS, 1966-1996
BR 11292
HISTORY OF MY HEART
DB 22693
JERSEY RAIN
DB 56663
LIFE OF DAVID
BR 16614
POEMS TO READ: A NEW FAVORITE POEM PROJECT ANTHOLOGY
DB 55374, BR 14510

1995–1997: Robert Hass

APPLE TREES AT OLEMA: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS
DB 73030
HUMAN WISHES
DB 40909
SUMMER SNOW: NEW POEMS
DB 98754
SUN UNDER WOOD: NEW POEMS
BR 10828
TIME AND MATERIALS: POEMS 1997-2005
DB 66784
TWENTIETH CENTURY PLEASURES: PROSE ON POETRY
DB 25022

1993–1995: Rita Dove

DARKER FACE OF THE EARTH: A VERSE PLAY IN FOURTEEN SCENES
DB 39360
MOTHER LOVE: POEMS
DB 41331
ON THE BUS WITH ROSA PARKS
BR 12555
PLAYLIST FOR THE APOCALYPSE: POEMS
DB 105310, BR 23936
SELECTED POEMS
DB 40038
THOMAS AND BEULAH
DB 27316
THROUGH THE IVORY GATE
DB 36005

1992–1993: Mona Van Duyn

FIREFALL: POEMS
DB 37002
IF IT BE NOT I: COLLECTED POEMS, 1959-1982
DB 37854
NEAR CHANGES: POEMS
DB 35335

1991–1992: Joseph Brodsky

COLLECTED POEMS IN ENGLISH
DB 51984
LESS THAN ONE: SELECTED ESSAYS
DB 24352, BR 08784
NATIVITY POEMS
BR 14350
ON GRIEF AND REASON: ESSAYS
DB 42661
SO FORTH: POEMS
BR 10774
TO URANIA: SELECTED POEMS
DB 28616
WATERMARK
DB 35031

1990–1991: Mark Strand

BLIZZARD OF ONE: POEMS
DB 50109
CONTINUOUS LIFE
DB 32952
DARKER
DB 32314
MONUMENT
DB 32599
SELECTED POEMS
DB 37399

1988–1990: Howard Nemerov

HOWARD NEMEROV READER
DB 39005
INSIDE THE ONION
DB 21035
TRYING CONCLUSIONS: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS, 1961-1991
DB 36418

1987–1988: Richard Wilbur

COLLECTED POEMS, 1943-2004
DB 63295
NEW AND COLLECTED POEMS
BR 07575

1986–1987: Robert Penn Warren

ALL THE KING’S MEN
DB 53553, BR 13840
AUDUBON, A VISION
BR 01238
BAND OF ANGELS
DB 11520
CIRCUS IN THE ATTIC AND OTHER STORIES
DB 46060, BR 11646
LEGACY OF THE CIVIL WAR
DBC 03376, BR 12296
NEW AND SELECTED ESSAYS
DB 29919, BR 08067
NEW AND SELECTED POEMS, 1923-1985
DB 42648
PLACE TO COME TO
DB 52041
PORTRAIT OF A FATHER
DB 29884
WORLD ENOUGH AND TIME
DB 60856

Virtual Author Talks from the New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is hosting a series of author talks to coincide with Disability Pride Month.

On Monday, July 25, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (CST) Keah Brown and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha will discuss their work and experience as writers with disabilities. To register visit: www.nypl.org/events/programs/2022/07/25/disability-pride-author-talk-keah-brown-and-leah-lakshmi-piepzna-samarasinha

Then on Wednesday, July 27, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (CST) Chloe Cooper Jones is in conversation with Christine Smallwood to discuss her book Easy Beauty, a memoir about disability, acceptance, and motherhood. To register visit: www.nypl.org/events/programs/2022/07/27/chloe-cooper-jones-easy-beauty

Both events are free and will be recorded.

Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist 2022

Since 1996, the Women’s Prize for Fiction honors books written in English by women. Six books were named as short list titles on April 27, and the winner was announced June 15. We’ve placed it first, but included the rest of the books that were selected as finalists because they are all truly wonderful reads.

For more information: https://womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/features/features/news/announcing-the-womens-prize-2022-longlist

Here are the finalists for 2022 that are in the TBP collection.

BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS by Ruth Ozeki (DB 105146)
BULD YOUR HOUSE AROUND MY BODY: A NOVEL by Violet Kupersmith (DB 104783)
GREAT CIRCLE by Maggie Shipstead (DB 103266, LB 13435)
FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV by Dawnie Walton (DB 102932)
ISLAND OF MISSING TREES by Elif Shafak (DB 106690)
PAPER PALACE by Miranda Cowley Heller (DB 104340)
SENTENCE: A NOVEL by Louise Erdrich (DB 105798)

African American Women Authors from Texas

Since February is Black History Month and Women’s History Month is right around the corner in March, we decided to highlight five award winning African American women authors from Texas. Whether you enjoy historical nonfiction, romance, or mysteries, these women writers have something for you.

Reshonda Tate Billingsley

Reshonda Tate Billingsley is the national bestselling author of more than 50 books. She writes both adult and teen fiction, as well as nonfiction, and is she is known for her Christian Fiction series SAY AMEN and GOOD GIRLZ. She currently lives in Houston.

More information can be found at www.reshondatatebillingsley.com

Anita R. Bunkley

Anita Bunkley was voted one of the 50 favorite African American authors of the twentieth century by the on-line African American Literature Book Club. Currently a resident of Houston, she writes across several genres with romance, historical fiction, and mysteries she’s written in our collection.

More Information can be found at: https://www.anitabunkley.com/page/page/1042006.htm

Annette Gordon-Reed

Born in Livingston, Texas, Annette Gordon-Reed, is currently a history professor at Harvard University and was awarded the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction for her work about Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemmings.

More information can be found at: https://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/10329/Gordon-Reed

Attica Lock

Houston native, Attica Locke, is an award-winning author of the suspenseful Highway 59 series featuring Black Texas Ranger Darren Mathews as well as the Jay Porter Series, a legal thriller.  

More information to be found on her website, www.atticalocke.com

Angela Shelf Medearis

Known as “The Kitchen Diva,” Angela Shelf Medearis is a chef and successful children’s book author. After she realized that there were very few cookbooks that illustrated the contributions of African American culture and cuisine she decided to write her own.

More information can be found at: https://www.kitchendiva.org/about-us

Beverly Cleary Passes Away at Age 104

Celebrated author Beverly Cleary passed away on March 25 at age 104. The author of more than 40 books for children, Cleary was declared a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress in 2000.

Bevely Cleary author

Born on April 12, 1916, in rural Oregon, her family moved to Portland when Cleary was in grade school.  She was placed in the school’s “low reading circle,” an experience which fostered a lifelong affinity for children who had trouble reading.

Cleary grew to love reading, and after graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, became a Children’s Librarian. However, she didn’t begin writing until she was in her early thirties. Cleary said she was motivated to become an author by a boy at her library who asked why nobody writes books about kids like him.

Beginning with her first book, Henry Huggins, Cleary wrote books about “kids like him.”  Characters like Ramona Quimby, Ellen Tebbits, and Henry Huggins—not to mention Ralph S. Mouse, Socks the cat, and Henry’s dog, Ribsy—helped generations of children navigate their own often incomprehensible worlds.

Before becoming an author herself, Judy Blume delighted in reading Beverly Cleary books with her children because they were so much fun. However, Cleary didn’t wrap her characters in a cocoon of sugar-coated protective wrapping. The family of her most endearing character, Ramona Quimby, weathers years of financial difficulties. Leigh Botts, the protagonist of Dear Mr. Henshaw, struggles with his parents’ divorce and bullying at school.

Cleary won numerous awards, including the National Book Award for Ramona and Her MotherDear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, while Ramona and Her Father and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 were both Newbery Honor Books.

In addition to children’s novels, Cleary wrote two autobiographies, including A Girl from Yamhill, which offers a touching portrait of life in the Pacific Northwest during the Roaring Twenties and Great Depression.

Sample some of these favorites and discover why Beverly Cleary was a “Living Legend.”

A GIRL FROM YAMHILL: A MEMOIR

The popular children’s author has written an account of her own early years. Beverly was transplanted to city life in Portland, Oregon, when the family farm failed. There, her father, who loved the outdoors, spent years as a bank guard while her demanding and difficult mother devoted herself to Beverly.

DB 29704; BR 09166

DEAR MR. HENSHAW

Leigh, a sixth grade boy, writes letters to Mr. Henshaw, who has been his favorite author since second grade. Leigh begins writing the letters because of a school assignment, then he discovers that he likes writing, especially when Mr. Henshaw writes back. And Mr. Henshaw’s surprising answers to Leigh’s questions change the boy’s life. For grades 4-7.  Newbery Medal Winner.  1983.

DB 21309; BR 15447

HENRY HUGGINS

A tonsillectomy and a broken arm are the most exciting things in Henry Huggins’ life until a hungry old mutt begs for Henry’s ice cream cone and a home.

DB 35642; DB 58985 (Spanish); BT 02469; LB 04239

MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE

A young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy and discovers the joys of motorcycling.

DB 24692; BT 03505; LB 04206

RAMONA AND HER MOTHER

Ramona feels that seven and a half is an awkward age–too young to be home alone but too big to play with pesky little Willa Jean at the sitter’s house. And yet Ramona would like to still be her mother’s “little rabbit.” For grades 2-4.  1979.

DB 24836; BR 09251

RAMONA COLLECTION.  VOL 1

Four previously published books, written between 1955 and 1977, featuring the adventures of young Ramona Quimby. In Beezus and Ramona, Ramona provokes her family when she invites fifteen children to a party unannounced. Includes Ramona the Pest, Ramona the Brave, and Ramona and Her Father. For grades 2-4.  2013.

DB 90198

African American Authors – Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoirs

From classic African American authors from the early 20th century like James Baldwin and Langston Hughes to newer authors such as Saeed Jones and Nnedi Okorafor, the National Library Service (NLS) has books that tell the stories of their lives.

Biographies

ALICE WALKER: A LIFE
WHITE, EVELYN C.
Chronicles the life of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple (DB 58842, BR 12265). Traces Walker’s experiences as the daughter of Georgia sharecroppers, an acclaimed writer, and wife of a white NAACP lawyer. Explores her feminist and civil rights activism. Strong language. 2004.
DB 59554
 
CHESTER HIMES: A LIFE
SALLIS, JAMES
Discusses the African American novelist’s Missouri childhood, the inception of his writing career from prison, and the failure of his early works in a racially charged climate. Explains that Himes became famous writing crime stories while an expatriate in Europe. Some strong language.
DB 52754
 
LIFE OF LANGSTON HUGHES, VOLUME 1: 1902-1941. I, TOO, SING AMERICA
RAMPERSAD, ARNOLD
Rampersad’s biography of the American poet and writer takes Hughes from a tumultuous childhood in the Midwest, through worldwide travels and ramblings, to the early literary successes in New York. Tracing Hughes’s development and experiences, the book highlights the character of the artist, portraying him as a driven man devoted to his writing. 1986. Followed by LIFE OF LANGSTON HUGHES: VOLUME 2, 1941-1967: I DREAM A WORLD which continues the story of the noted poet (DB 28699)
DB 27535
 
LOOKING FOR LORRAINE: THE RADIANT AND RADICAL LIFE OF LORRAINE HANSBERRY
PERRY, IMANI
A portrait of the activist and writer best known for A Raisin in the Sun (DB 15750). Discusses Hansberry’s bold stances on civil rights, the prominent figures with whom she associated, her involvement in one of the nation’s first lesbian organizations, and the attention she drew from the FBI. Some strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2018.
DB 92981
 
NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE IT: THE RISE OF TYLER PERRY, THE MOST POWERFUL ENTERTAINER IN BLACK AMERICA (AND WHAT IT REALLY TOOK HIM TO GET THERE)
CHILDS, MELVIN
Entertainment producer describes the rise of African American comedian Tyler Perry as his career expanded from the “chitlin’ circuit” of black Southern clubs into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. Highlights the financial side of show business and the author’s estrangement from Perry. Strong language. 2012.
BR 19674
 
RALPH ELLISON: A BIOGRAPHY
RAMPERSAD, ARNOLD
Professor analyzes the life of African American writer Ralph Ellison, whose only novel, Invisible Man (DB 56346, BR 14988), won the 1953 National Book Award. Uses Ellison’s correspondence to detail the personal and artistic struggles he endured, as well as his social and cultural milieu. 2007.
DB 65148
 
RICHARD WRIGHT: THE LIFE AND TIMES
ROWLEY, HAZEL
Interweaving journals, letters, and personal recollections, biographer Rowley illuminates the important African American novelist’s life, work, and ideas. Portrays Wright as a self-taught intellectual, an independent thinker, and an outspoken critic of racism. Examines his relationships with other writers, such as Ralph Ellison and Langston Hughes. Bestseller.
DB 53071
 
STREET POISON: THE BIOGRAPHY OF ICEBERG SLIM
GIFFORD, JUSTIN
Literature professor chronicles the life of Robert Beck (1918-1992), better known as Iceberg Slim, author of Pimp (DB 79726), Doom Fox (DB 80092), and Trick Baby (DB 80284). Discusses Slim’s criminal lifestyle and how it influenced his later writings, and appraises his significance in popular culture. Strong language. 2015.
DB 83628
 
SORROW’S KITCHEN: THE LIFE AND FOLKLORE OF ZORA NEALE HURSTON
LYONS, MARY E.
Lyons inserts samples of Hurston’s fiction, autobiography, and folklore collected in Florida, Louisiana, and the West Indies into this account of the African American anthropologist and Harlem Renaissance writer of stories, plays, essays, and articles.
DB 41455
 
SURPRISED QUEENHOOD IN THE NEW BLACK SUN: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF GWENDOLYN BROOKS
JACKSON, ANGELA
Biography of author of Bronzeville Boys and Girls (DB 63916). Discusses Brooks’ early years in Chicago, personal relationships, racism she experienced, and publishing career. Examines the influence of her experiences on specific pieces of her work. Commercial audiobook. 2017.
DB 88823

Autobiographies and Memoirs

AMERICAN HUNGER
WRIGHT, RICHARD
Compelling autobiographical continuation of BLACK BOY (DB 20415, BR 04398) covering Wright’s struggle to make his way in Chicago and New York. Traces his experience with poverty and racism, his development as a writer, and his conversion to and estrangement from the Communist Party. Some strong language.
DB 10660
 
BROKEN PLACES & OUTER SPACES: FINDING CREATIVITY IN THE UNEXPECTED
OKORAFOR, NNEDI
The author recounts how a simple operation took her from track star to paralyzed. Confined in a hospital bed for months, she began to imagine fantastical things and turn those experiences into writing. Also discusses her childhood and other authors who have used hardship to fuel their work. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.
DB 96603
 
FATHERALONG: A MEDITATION ON FATHERS AND SONS, RACE AND SOCIETY
WIDEMAN, JOHN EDGAR
A collection of six essays examining a strained father son relationship in terms of social issues about race and family. Wideman, an award-winning novelist who wrote about his brother and himself in “Brothers and Keepers” (DB 23360), here combines a memoir of his father with observations about African-American life. Some strong language.
DB 40624
 
HOW WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES: A MEMOIR
JONES, SAEED
A poet describes his experiences growing up as black and gay in the American South through a series of vignettes. Describes familial relationships, romantic flings, and friendships. Examines what people do for and to each other in the search for identity. Strong language and some descriptions of sex.  Commercial audiobook. 2019.
DB 98361; BR 21014)
 
I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS
ANGELOU, MAYA
The first book in an autobiographical series. The author describes the childhood and adolescence of a black girl in rural Arkansas, St. Louis, and San Francisco.  She is a strong and sensitive young woman who endures and overcomes many horrors in her life. 1969. Followed by GATHER TOGETHER IN MY NAME (DB 56481; BR 16910).
DB 24959; BR 15665)
 
NO NAME IN THE STREET
BALDWIN, JAMES
Best known for GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN (DB 33488, BR 08734 ), in this personal statement Baldwin tells of his years of self- exile and renewal abroad, of his activities in the civil rights movement, and his road back to complete involvement in the cause of black people in America.
DB 25147
 
REGION NOT HOME: REFLECTIONS FROM EXILE
MCPHERSON, JAMES ALAN
First African American winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for ELBOW ROOM (DB 16996; BR 12600), in this collection of essays the author discusses his pursuits, from the segregated South to Morris Brown College, Harvard Law School, the University of Virginia, and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Reflects on his love for his daughter, the experiences of Americans, life’s sorrows and delights, and works by other authors. Some strong language.
DB 52007
 
WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKENHEARTED: A MEMOIR
HARRIS, E. LYNN
Autobiography by gay, African American, bestselling author of Invisible Life (DB 38731). Describes his humble beginnings in Arkansas, his career development, failed romantic relationships, bouts with depression, and deep faith in God. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2003.
DB 56881

Louise Glück wins the Nobel Prize in Literature 2020

Louise Glück is today considered one of the most accomplished contemporary poets in the world. She is lauded for her ability to mold experiences of isolation and darkness into aesthetic gold. This year, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature (2020) “for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal.” She also won a Pulitzer Prize for her poem The Wild Iris; and has earned numerous other prizes and high praise for her poetry, short fiction, and essays. Glück is currently writer-in-residence at Yale University and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. You can find some of her following poetry collections in BARD.

Poems 1962-2012 by Louise Glück. DB 79850
Compilation of collections of poetry previously published by a former Poet Laureate of the United States. Individual collections’ varied themes include nature, beginnings, and death. Contains Wild Iris, winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. 2012

The Wild Iris by Louise Glück. DB 37600
This collection contains a series of “Matins” and “Vespers,” in which the poet appears to address God directly in lines such as “You must see it is useless to us, this silence that promotes belief you must be all things.” Gluck uses another voice to communicate with her husband about the garden they tend together one summer. And in some poems, she questions human nature, including her own. 1992.

Meadowlands by Louise Glück. DB 43058
A collection of poems that interweaves vignettes from The Odyssey with the story of a dissolving modern marriage. Uses Homer’s characters metaphorically to portray aspects of contemporary family life. Meditates on compulsion and choice and on freedom and restraint.

The Triumph of Achilles by Louise Glück. BR 06473 (1 volume of hard-copy braille)
Collection of eloquent and fiercely honest poems that deal with death, life, loss, and the sense of doom at the borders of erotic experience.