The African American Guide to Writing and Publishing Non Fiction

January 1, 2002
Jewell Parker Rhodes presents another, genre-specific guide for writers, The African American Guide to Writing and Publishing Nonfiction, and this one puts more emphasis on the process of writing not, however, at the expense of valuable publishing know-how. For the first three-quarters of the book, alongside excerpts and suggestions from Maya Angelou, Edwidge Danticat, James McBride and other luminaries, Rhodes, former director of Arizona State University's graduate-level creative writing program, intersperses writing exercises with writerly insight into issues like "Finding Your Voice," "Gathering Ideas" and "Turning Points and Revelations." The last section, which concentrates on publishing, discusses the "explosion of... bestselling African American talents" in the last 20-odd years; it also talks specifically about finding an agent and lists dozens of resources. African-American writers seeking inspiration and practical advice will appreciate this warm, thoughtful guide.

December 15, 2001
Rhodes, former director of a university writing program, begins by conveying the necessity of writers, particularly African American writers, to find their voice and write about their experiences. She notes that since slave narratives, African Americans have recognized the need to merge African oral traditions and Western written traditions. Rhodes catalogs black literary ancestors and provides solid advice on gathering ideas from life's joys and disappointments and using source materials from interviews with relatives to libraries and Web sites. After each chapter, Rhodes offers exercises that include reading a variety of nonfiction. She asks the reader to take careful note of how writers execute tone, texture, and rhythm and convey information. She provides helpful advice on writing autobiography and includes samples from such famous authors as Maya Angelou, Lorene Cary, and Nathan McCall. Finally, Rhodes provides information on getting published. She includes wisdom and advice from other black writers, a recommended reading list, and enthusiastic encouragement. Although the information is culturally specific to African Americans, any reader interested in writing will enjoy this book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)