Reviews for A Home Elsewhere: Reading African American Classics in the Age of Obama

The average rating for A Home Elsewhere: Reading African American Classics in the Age of Obama based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-05-27 00:00:00 Christoph Hahl A Home Elsewhere is an impressive collection of six academic lectures and essays by Robert Stepto, Professor of American Studies, African-American Studies, and English at Yale University. I was first drawn to this book after reading Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama. In the first half of the compilation, Stepto collates 'Dreams...' with other classic African-American narratives and novels such as My Bondage and My Freedom - Frederick Douglass, Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Souls of Black Folk to name a few. The authors and/or characters and the episode, scene or storyline are compared and contrasted to bring similarities to light. The second half of the book ranges from an engaging memoir of Stepo's first year of collegiate life in 'A Greyhound Kind of Mood' to an erudite essay in 'Afterword: Distrust of the Reader in Afro-American Narratives'. Also included here is a brief introduction to Willard Savoy and his protagonist, Kern Roberts, in Savoy's novel Alien Land (Northeastern Library of Black Literature). If you are a reader, avid or otherwise, of important African-American literary work, you will appreciate Stepo's scholarly treatment as he situates authors, characters and narratives in the Age of Obama. Besides the titles listed above, the following are other notable references used in A Home Elsewhere: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass The Heroic Slave (Dodo Press) The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man Song of Solomon Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself

Review # 2 was written on 2011-10-04 00:00:00 Edward Nance I know what you're thinking and no I am not and was not a lesbian, not that there is anything at all wrong with that. I picked up this book at ye old Costco, simply because of some of the writers names on the cover: Nick Hornby, Stephen Colbert, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Richter, and Dan Savage, to name a few. Also, I secretly wanted to know what relationships were like for men. As a straight woman, you never can tell. Men are simple in their thoughts and emotions - NOT SIMPLETONS - just not as complex as women. I've always admired that. They are straight to the point - no f-ing around. But could I be wrong? After reading this book, I not only started thinking I just might be, but I also regained faith in men and relationships. One thing, as a married woman, I was glad to never have to miss was the dating scene. The big evil tumultous rollercoaster of does he or doesn't he and what does this really mean? Many of the men in this book are now married. Much like a peak into Rob Gordon's head in High Fidelity, we get a glimpse into the minds of some very funny men, as they all begin to realize that life is a serious of mistakes and tests that teach how to live it to the fullest - how to truelly be happy in life and love. The book can't help but make you smile and laugh out loud, even in its most uncomfortable or depressing parts. So good, I read it in 4 days. Man or woman, don't miss this book!