Top » Books
1. A Question of Manhood — Darlene Clark Hine & Earnestine Jenkins — 2001
| A Reader in U.S. Black Men's History and Masculinity, Vol. 2: The 19th Century: From Emancipation to Jim Crow A Question of Manhood is the first anthology of historical studies focused on themes and issues central to the construction of Black masculinities. A detailed chapter about Stagger Lee. | |
| Reviews (0) ♠ Last Updated: November 30, 1999 |
2. Black Folktales — Julius Lester — 1994
| Twelve remarkable folktales, culled from the black experience in Africa and America, are freshly retold in the thoroughly original voice of Julius Lester. Arranged by topic — Origins, Love, Heroes, and People — the tales combine universal themes and uncanny wisdom. Though some of these stories have been around for centuries and many were passed down by slaves, Julius Lester's urban expressiveness and Tom Feeling's spirited illustrations give them continued resonance for today's audience. | |
| Reviews (0) ♠ Last Updated: September 5, 2008 |
3. Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me — Bruce Jackson — 2004
African-American Narrative Poetry from the Oral Tradition Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me is considered one of the great, classic collections of African-American literature and folklore. Originally published by in 1974 in hardcover only, it quickly gained the reputation as a classic collection of Black folk poetry known as "toasts." Toasts are probably the only living form of oral narrative poetry in the U.S.; they represent a vital genre of black folklore. They come from various sources: from streetcorners to jails, from barrooms to academic halls. The toasts celebrate mythological figures from African-American culture, including the famed "bad man" Stackolee who is said to have murdered a man over a Stetson hat. | |
| Reviews (0) ♠ Last Updated: November 30, 1999 |
4. I, Stagolee — Cecil Brown — 2006
| Reviews (0) ♠ Last Updated: September 5, 2008 |
5. Jimmy's Blues — James Baldwin — 1967
| To his achievements as novelist, essayist, and playwright, Baldwin adds this collection of 19 lyrics that merge intense feeling against racism and oppression with a streetwise yet visionary poetic voice. -- Frank Allen | |
| Reviews (0) ♠ Last Updated: November 30, 1999 |
6. Mississippi John Hurt — Stack O'Lee Blues — 2007
| Arranged for Guitar Tablature & Standard Notation With Chords & Lyrics. Stefan Grossman, noted roots-blues guitarist and musicologist, has compiled this fascinating collection of 26 songs legendary blues guitarist Mississippi John Hurt. In addition to Stefan's expert transcriptions, the book includes a CD containing the John Hurt's original recordings so you can hear the music as it was originally performed. Paperback: 96 pages Publisher: Alfred Publishing | |
| Reviews (0) ♠ Last Updated: September 7, 2008 |
7. Mystery Train — Greil Marcus 5th Edition — 2008
| Probably the best book ever written about rock. -- Rolling Stone | |
| Reviews (0) ♠ Last Updated: September 5, 2008 |
8. Stagger Lee — Derek McCulloch & Shepherd Hendrix — 2006
| Stagger Lee brilliantly puts the shooting in the context of the politics of the time (1895) and place (St. Louis), and puts the politics in the larger context of race. Most of the characters in Stagger Lee are historical, although McCulloch and Hendrix throw in an entirely fictional love story. It's great stuff. --Jon Carroll, San Francisco Chronicle | |
| Reviews (0) ♠ Last Updated: September 5, 2008 |
9. Stagolee Shot Billy — Cecil Brown — 2003
| Harvard University Press info on the book. | |
| Reviews (0) ♠ Last Updated: September 8, 2008 |
10. The Life: The Lore and Folk Poetry of the Black Hustler — 1985
| This is the book from which Nick Cave found the lyrics to his version of the song. Stagger Lee was basically an afterthought for The Bad Seeds: we had basically recorded the Murder Ballads record and I was sitting in the studio, reading a book that Jim Sclavunos [the percussion in the Bad Seeds] had found about the folk poetry of black hustlers, and I came across this version. -- Nick Cave | |
| Reviews (0) ♠ Last Updated: November 30, 1999 |
| Browse Library | Add an Entry |
