Favorite Autobiographies

CrimsonTide4 · #1 08-19-2003, 07:57 PM

Soror Delph inspired this new thread. What are autobiographies that you have read in the past that you have thoroughly enjoyed, considered a favorite, etc.

#1. Having Our Say: The Delaney Sisters
#2. Manchild in the Promised Land by Claude Brown
#3. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
#4. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
#5. Dust Tracks on the Road by Zora Neale Hurston/Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody (my senior thesis project)

kiml122 · #2 08-20-2003, 10:45 AM

I must have read Manchild in the Promiseland at least a million times...ok, well not that many, but a lot. I love that book.

One of my other favorites is Malcom X, it took me reading that a 3rd time to really fully and truly grasp it.

Another favorite is Makes Me Want to Holla by Nathan McCall.

I also have the one by Kwasi Mfume (sp), but I just haven't gotten around to reading it. The excerpt that I read some years ago sounded like it was going to be really good.

CrimsonTide4 · #3 08-20-2003, 11:22 AM

I forgot some more. . .I read a lot:

Tina Turner's -- read that back in the 7th grade

Laughing in the Dark by Patrice Gaines -- Washington Post journalist

Soror KimL

I got MANCHILD in the 7th grade and have read it countless times. I have even taught the book with my Upward Bounders. Makes Me Wanna Holla is considered the modern Manchild. I can see the similarities.

lostnfound117 · #4 08-20-2003, 11:29 AM

i enjoyed "growing up x" by ilyasah shabaaz....great book!

treblk · #5 08-20-2003, 04:31 PM

I loved Malcom X, I may need to re-read it.

I'm not sure, but is Juneteen by Ralph Ellison his Autobiography?

Wonderful1908 · #6 08-20-2003, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kiml122

One of my other favorites is Malcom X, it took me reading that a 3rd time to really fully and truly grasp it.

Another favorite is Makes Me Want to Holla by Nathan McCall.

I love those both! It took me like 2 1/2 days to read them both. I have read Nathan Mcall's two or three times. I saw him speak at LSU a couple of years ago.

abaici · #7 08-20-2003, 07:27 PM

Autobiography of Malcolm X
Zora Neale Hurston's Dust Tracks in the Road
Michael Datcher's Raising Fences
Nelson Mandela's autobiography

Soror Star Jones' autobiography (not a classic, but it's a very good read)

CountryGurl · #8 08-20-2003, 08:38 PM

.Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs is my all time favorite.

TheEpitome1920 · #9 08-20-2003, 10:38 PM

No particular order...

"Black Ice" Lorene Cary
"When I was Puerto Rican" Esmeralda Santiago
"Assata" Assata Shakur

I remember reading "Coming of Age in Mississippi" when I was in elementary school! GREAT BOOK!

CountryGurl · #10 08-21-2003, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheEpitome1920
No particular order...

"Black Ice" Lorene Cary
"When I was Puerto Rican" Esmeralda Santiago
"Assata" Assata Shakur

I remember reading "Coming of Age in Mississippi" when I was in elementary school! GREAT BOOK!

r

I read "Assata" my senior year in high school and really enjoyed it.

kiml122 · #11 08-21-2003, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
I got MANCHILD in the 7th grade and have read it countless times.

Me 2

I love to read, I get it from my mom. My mom reads like 2 and 3 books at a time. Now I can't do that, because I can't keep the stories right.

Getting off track for a minute...but a autobiography that I didn't like, well I have 2.

1) Patti LaBelle
2) Aretha Franklin

I got through them both, but Patti's was really hard to finish.

CrimsonTide4 · #12 08-21-2003, 03:34 PM

I knew there was one I was forgetting. I looooooooooooooooove Patti's.

I have Aretha's, bought it a few years ago, but never got INTO IT like I did with others. I got it for $6 in hardback too.

Azul · #13 08-22-2003, 03:52 AM

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou

kiml122 · #14 08-22-2003, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4

I knew there was one I was forgetting. I looooooooooooooooove Patti's.

I have Aretha's, bought it a few years ago, but never got INTO IT like I did with others. I got it for $6 in hardback too.

I'm like in the minority with the Patti book as far as liking it. I can't even start to describe how much I disliked that book.........AND.....I won't even mentioned that Aretha one. Well I take that back, hers wasn't a hard read like the Patti one was for me......well you have to try and read it for yourself is all I can say.

Ideal08 · #15 08-23-2003, 01:54 PM

Ditto on Manchild, Laughing in the Dark, Assata, and Makes me Wanna Holla.

I'm about to start reading Angela Davis', I'll let y'all know how I like it.

I am just now able to read more than one book at a time. I love the newly acquired skill!