Read Until You Understand

The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature

Read Until You Understand
Farah Jasmine Griffin
RRP:
NZ$ 50.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 43.34
Hardback
h229 x 152mm - 272pg
15 Oct 2021 US
International import eta 10-30 days
9780393651904
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
Farah Jasmine Griffin' s beloved father died when she was nine, bequeathing her an unparalleled inheritance of remarkable books and other records of Black genius. In Read Until You Understand-a line from a note he wrote to her-she shares a lifetime of discoveries: the ideas that framed the US Constitution and that inspired Malcolm X' s fervent speeches, the soulful music of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, the daring literature of Phillis Wheatley and Toni Morrison, the artistry of Romare Bearden and many others. Having taught a popular Columbia University survey course of Black literature, she explores themes such as grace, justice, rage, self-determination, beauty and mercy to help readers grapple with the ongoing project that is American democracy. Joining her experiences in Black communities with her immersion in the glorious works of Black artists, Read Until You Understand is a powerful testament to the enduring wisdom of Black culture and history.
Read Until You Understand gives us Farah Jasmine Griffin in full and mighty sail. Keen cultural analysis, storytelling, and gorgeous lyricism combine in this book that makes a genre of its own. In recollection there is profound insight here; we have a portrait of a rich Black community in place and time, and of the teachers Griffin finds in neighborhood, family, books, and music. The sounds, words, and wisdom that Black folks make also make us, and no one expresses that with more beauty and power than Griffin. This book is a talking book, a teaching book, and a treasure. --Elizabeth Alexander
Farah Jasmine Griffin was the inaugural chair of the African American and African Diaspora Studies Department at Columbia University, where she is also William B. Ransford Professor of English and Comparative Literature. She is the author of numerous books and the recipient of a 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship. She lives in New York.

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