A. R. Flowers
Author of I See the Promised Land: A Life of Martin Luther King Jr.
About the Author
Image credit: via Syracuse University
Works by A. R. Flowers
Associated Works
Breaking Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary African-American Fiction (1990) — Contributor — 303 copies, 1 review
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Common Knowledge
- Short biography
- Arthur Flowers is a novelist, essayist, and performance poet. A native of Memphis Tennessee, he is the author of novels, Another Good Loving Blues and De Mojo Blues; a children’s book, Cleveland Lee’s Beale Street Band, and a memoir/manifesto, Mojo Rising: Confessions of a 21st Century Conjureman and a graphic nonfiction, I See The Promise Land. He has published shorts and articles and is a bluesbased performance poet. He is a founding member/director of New Renaissance Writers Guild, NYC, The Griot Shop, Memphis, and the Pan African Literary Forum. He has been Executive Director of the Harlem Writers Guild. He has been the recipient of NEA and NYSFA awards in fiction and nonfiction.
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Reviews
One of the most distinctive portraits of the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King I have ever seen with stunning illustrations by a Bengali artist and a poetic narrative that captures nuances of African storytelling traditions. Not suitable as an introduction to King but a wonderfully unique presentation.
This graphic novel biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. tells the story by blending oral storytelling tradition with the Patua scroll painting of India. If that sounds strange, I will say that the format takes some getting used to but is really an excellent use of the graphic novel format. I have little enough of an art background to comment on the illustrations, but the colors chosen and the use of white-on-black to quote from King's speeches or highlight a point is extremely well done.
I show more chose to read this soon after seeing a History Channel overview of King's life on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year. I'm glad I had that as a background, because this biography is not one I'd recommend reading as a first exploration of King's life and works. While a short glossary in the back reminds you about historical references such as Reconstruction, the NAACP, and the Black Panthers, this is a brief overview of the many nonviolent events in which King was involved that does not give an in-depth look at any one of them. Quite frankly, I would've been a little lost had it not been for the History Channel. While it didn't add much new information, I enjoyed the storytelling format once I got used to it. I only wonder what King would have thought to the reference of "the Gods" having an impact on his life and his Fa (I cannot find a definition for this or I'd provide it, but from the context I'd probably call it "fate" or "destiny") - but again, this was part of the storytelling device. I think it would make a great read-aloud with middle or high schoolers studying the 1960s. show less
I show more chose to read this soon after seeing a History Channel overview of King's life on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year. I'm glad I had that as a background, because this biography is not one I'd recommend reading as a first exploration of King's life and works. While a short glossary in the back reminds you about historical references such as Reconstruction, the NAACP, and the Black Panthers, this is a brief overview of the many nonviolent events in which King was involved that does not give an in-depth look at any one of them. Quite frankly, I would've been a little lost had it not been for the History Channel. While it didn't add much new information, I enjoyed the storytelling format once I got used to it. I only wonder what King would have thought to the reference of "the Gods" having an impact on his life and his Fa (I cannot find a definition for this or I'd provide it, but from the context I'd probably call it "fate" or "destiny") - but again, this was part of the storytelling device. I think it would make a great read-aloud with middle or high schoolers studying the 1960s. show less
The Brer Rabbit stories were originally oral tales told by slaves from the American South. In this powerful rendering for children and adults, writer and griot Arthur Flowers re-tells them as wisdom tales for a contemporary audience, bringing them back to us as one of the sturdy roots of African-American literature.
This version also straddles storytelling forms– connecting the spoken and written word in surprising ways. The text is heir to the original oral stories, exquisitely illustrated show more by Jagdish Chitara, a ritual textile painter from Gujarat. Arthur Flowers then takes his stories back into the realm of the oral, with a musical spoken word performance in collaboration with a group of young Indian musicians.
Printed and bound by hand, this limited edition artists’ book comes with a music album and short film. This genre defying cross-media project pushes the boundaries of narrative art – inviting the reader (and listener) to explore through sight and sound, text and imagination.
Includes an audio CD and download code. show less
This version also straddles storytelling forms– connecting the spoken and written word in surprising ways. The text is heir to the original oral stories, exquisitely illustrated show more by Jagdish Chitara, a ritual textile painter from Gujarat. Arthur Flowers then takes his stories back into the realm of the oral, with a musical spoken word performance in collaboration with a group of young Indian musicians.
Printed and bound by hand, this limited edition artists’ book comes with a music album and short film. This genre defying cross-media project pushes the boundaries of narrative art – inviting the reader (and listener) to explore through sight and sound, text and imagination.
Includes an audio CD and download code. show less
Thanks to Jayaprakash Satyamurthy for his excellent review. A most interesting collaboration between a black author, writing in the style of a West African storyteller (griot) and an Bengalese Patua scroll painter, brought together masterfully by Italian designer, Guglielmo Rossi. Visually different from other graphic novels because of the Patua style, author Arthur Flowers describes the life and struggles of Martin Luther King, Jr. I did not particularly like the dialect, but Flowers tells show more it very straight: the good, the bad, and the ugly. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 6
- Also by
- 6
- Members
- 188
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- #115,782
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 7
- ISBNs
- 15
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