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Tony Medina

Author of I Am Alfonso Jones

21+ Works 905 Members 34 Reviews

About the Author

Tony Medina is a key figure in the current spoken-word poetry scene. He is the author of several collections of poems. He lives in New York City. (Bowker Author Biography)

Works by Tony Medina

Associated Works

The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry (1999) — Contributor — 594 copies
We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices (2018) — Contributor — 220 copies
African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song (2020) — Contributor — 174 copies
The 100 Best African American Poems (2010) — Contributor — 97 copies
Catch the Fire!!! (1998) — Contributor — 29 copies
360: A Revolution of Black Poets (1998) — Contributor — 9 copies

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Common Knowledge

Birthdate
1966-01-10
Gender
male
Nationality
USA
Birthplace
The Bronx, New York, USA

Members

Reviews

Alfonso and his girlfriend Danetta are out shopping for a suit to wear when his father is released from prison. An off-duty police officer working store security shoots and kills Alfonso after mistaking the hanger in his hand for a gun. As a spirit, Alfonso meets others who were cut down by police brutality and witnesses the impact and global activism that result after his death. I found the narrative disjointed and the illustrations chaotic but in the end this is a story for our time.
½
 
Flagged
Salsabrarian | 19 other reviews | Jan 26, 2024 |
CW: Shooting of black teenager
 
Flagged
Mrs_Tapsell_Bookzone | 19 other reviews | Feb 14, 2023 |
It seems only the most powerful books are banned. This book is banned for showing police in the wrong light and for being about by POC particularly black issues. In this book Alfonso Jones is shot while shopping for a suit because a security guard with a gun mistakes a hanger for another type of gun. This story looks both at the aftermath of what happens in society after the senseless killing, as well as following Alfonso Jones ‘s ghost as he views the history of other victims of senseless racial violence. This book is hard-hitting and brings forth all the emotions. It is so very real that even though it was written years ago it’s still not only relevant to today but will remain relevant for years to come. This book shouldn’t be banned, it should be studied. It should be used as a reference for what can and does happen in our modern society. It points out atrocities such as a 15-year-old black boy being shot for having a hanger, while a teenage school shooter gets taken alive with an arsenal of weapons. It gets into the thoughts and prayers offered by politicians with little to no action. And it gets into the pain of a community that can be felt by any community when one of their members is senselessly killed. This book should be read and should be in many libraries permanent collection as we hope and work towards a better future where books like this are no longer needed.… (more)
½
 
Flagged
LibrarianRyan | 19 other reviews | Oct 28, 2022 |
This book is a collection of poems about how African American boys should see themselves and how others should see them too. This is such an important book because representation is such an important part of how people see themselves. I would recommend this book to anyone regardless of race because of its contents and beautiful illustration.
 
Flagged
douglasedrich | 2 other reviews | Mar 18, 2022 |

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Statistics

Works
21
Also by
11
Members
905
Popularity
#28,349
Rating
4.2
Reviews
34
ISBNs
43

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