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Reviews
Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Today by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
amethyst_doo's review against another edition
It's all me; I wasn't in the right frame of mind to pay proper attention having come off of several similar books. I intend to revisit.
christynhoover's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Some chapters were slow but overall it leaves me with a profound appreciation for James Baldwin as a brilliant, fearless, loving human --and guidance on how we move forward in our pursuit of honestly living into the "promise" of the US.
foofers1622's review against another edition
5.0
“...Thirty years after Baldwin’s death we are still wrestling with the fact that so many Americans continue to hold the view that ours is a white nation.” This quote sums up the book so perfectly for me. Eddie does a fantastic job showing how nothing has changed since Jimmy was alive and well.
liznorton's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
ezreaadingo's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fantastic book that compares and contrasts what was going on in the US in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s to what is going on in our country currently, using the great James Baldwin as a lens. It is amazing to see how his works still hold so much relevance today. This book is a harsh condemnation of the country’s voluntary inability to atone for its horrendous past by upholding the lies of what make this country great. I must admit that I have only read a few of Baldwin’s works and I highly recommend that you read a handful of his nonfiction books before diving into this one. Dr. Glaude Jr. does offer his take on what is going on in our country and a call to action for how we might get out of this and a high-level hypothesis on how to create a new America.
gabmeti's review against another edition
4.0
I will definitely need to revisit this book again. I read a lot of Baldwins work last year and am looking forward to working my way through the rest of his catalog.
Glaude does well driving home the message of this book. That we have to acknowledge the past honestly in order to move forward. That we can’t repeat the same mishaps by losing our drive for change.
Glaude does well driving home the message of this book. That we have to acknowledge the past honestly in order to move forward. That we can’t repeat the same mishaps by losing our drive for change.
lizaroo71's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
"We are living in a world in which everybody and everything is interdependent. It is not white, this world. It is not black either. The future of this world depends on everyone in this room. And that future depends on to what extend and by what means we liberate ourselves from a vocabulary which now cannot bear the weight of reality." - Baldwin eleven months before his death at the National Press Club
Glaude takes a look at Baldwin's work about the "after times." For Baldwin this was the time after the Civil Rights Movement when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers and Malcom X were all murdered. A confrontation of the nation's racist past was not met with compassion and understanding, but with ugliness and pain.
Glaude visits Baldwin's many works of fiction and non-fiction and takes a look at the present "after times." And with the upcoming election, his words feel more relevant than ever.
I've always loved Baldwin's work. I first read him in American Literature - a survey course I took in summer school. We read "Sonny's Blues" and was just floored. I then tried to get my hands on his other works. He is prolific. Glaude mentioned so many essays and articles I'd love to get my hands on. He even read unpublished manuscripts.
The message here is that in order for the country to heal from the past, we have to acknowledge the past. It's complicated. The rhetoric spins out of control and politics has grown full of vitriol. We have to be honest with ourselves and listen to one another. But, it seems so difficult to do these days.
Glaude reminds us of Baldwin's complex relationship with America. Baldwin twiced made his home in other countries - France and Turkey - to escape from the racism in America. But, he always returned because he felt the need to understand and confront were necessary to realize the promise of America.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"'We must tell the truth till we can no longer bear it.'"
"The United States has always been shadowed by practices that contradict our most cherished principles."
"'Ignornace allied with power is the most ferocious enemy of justice.'"
"If anything, Trump represents a reassertion of the belief that America is, and will always be, a white nation."
"' ... most people are not, in action, worth very much; and yet, every human being is an unprecedented miracle. One tries to treat them as the miracles they are, while trying to protect oneself against the disasters they've become.'"
"The country lurched to the right with the election of Richard Nixon, who exploited white America's fears and insisted 'that minorities were undercutting America's greatness.'"
"In his reflections on Dr. King, Baldwin wrote that we were witnessing the death of segregation as we knew it, and the question was how long and how expansive the funeral would be."
"In some ways, they [voters] hold the country hostage, and we compromise to appease them."
"What matters ... is that categories can shut us off from the complexity of the world and the complexity within ourselves."
Baldwin said, "If you're scared to death, walk toward it." As a nation, we need to start walking.
Glaude takes a look at Baldwin's work about the "after times." For Baldwin this was the time after the Civil Rights Movement when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers and Malcom X were all murdered. A confrontation of the nation's racist past was not met with compassion and understanding, but with ugliness and pain.
Glaude visits Baldwin's many works of fiction and non-fiction and takes a look at the present "after times." And with the upcoming election, his words feel more relevant than ever.
I've always loved Baldwin's work. I first read him in American Literature - a survey course I took in summer school. We read "Sonny's Blues" and was just floored. I then tried to get my hands on his other works. He is prolific. Glaude mentioned so many essays and articles I'd love to get my hands on. He even read unpublished manuscripts.
The message here is that in order for the country to heal from the past, we have to acknowledge the past. It's complicated. The rhetoric spins out of control and politics has grown full of vitriol. We have to be honest with ourselves and listen to one another. But, it seems so difficult to do these days.
Glaude reminds us of Baldwin's complex relationship with America. Baldwin twiced made his home in other countries - France and Turkey - to escape from the racism in America. But, he always returned because he felt the need to understand and confront were necessary to realize the promise of America.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"'We must tell the truth till we can no longer bear it.'"
"The United States has always been shadowed by practices that contradict our most cherished principles."
"'Ignornace allied with power is the most ferocious enemy of justice.'"
"If anything, Trump represents a reassertion of the belief that America is, and will always be, a white nation."
"' ... most people are not, in action, worth very much; and yet, every human being is an unprecedented miracle. One tries to treat them as the miracles they are, while trying to protect oneself against the disasters they've become.'"
"The country lurched to the right with the election of Richard Nixon, who exploited white America's fears and insisted 'that minorities were undercutting America's greatness.'"
"In his reflections on Dr. King, Baldwin wrote that we were witnessing the death of segregation as we knew it, and the question was how long and how expansive the funeral would be."
"In some ways, they [voters] hold the country hostage, and we compromise to appease them."
"What matters ... is that categories can shut us off from the complexity of the world and the complexity within ourselves."
Baldwin said, "If you're scared to death, walk toward it." As a nation, we need to start walking.