Product Description
Poems explain why animals such as the Wakeupworld, the Squilililigee, the Sleepamitemore, and the Treasuretit did not get onto Noah's Ark, and are therefore not seen in any zoo today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Different Version of Noah's Ark
Christopher Cat tells Countee Cullen the story that was passed down from generation to generation in his family of the animals which were lost in the Genesis flood that didn't make it onto Noah's ark. There was an animal that opened up a different colored eye for every hour of the day. There was an animal that could find any lost thing. And there was even a walking snake. Each animal had a different excuse for "missing the boat". Some slept through the loading. Others thought they were important enough to not get left behind. And still others were too busy to make it aboard.

Cullen's story starts out interestingly enough. I especially like his inclusion of Christopher Cat as a source of the oral history of these extinct animals. Cullen certainly had quite an original idea for his book. However, I quickly lost interest when he switched from prose and short poetry to long poetry. The longer the poems got, the less interesting they became. I have difficulty imagining today's child grasping the more advanced English that he uses in his storytelling. I suppose that's why the librarian had to fetch this book out of storage for me when I requested it.

A witty read-aloud book not widely known
This book is a collection of fourteen poems telling the story of Noah's Ark and several strange animals, such as the Squilililigee, the Lapalakes, and the Ha-Ha-Ha, that perished in the flood because they did not make it onto the Ark.As explained in a prose introduction to the poems, the story was told to Cullen by his cat Christopher, with whom Cullen shares credit for the work.Christopher also annotates the poems with his own verse notes providing more detail on certain events in the story and scolding Cullen for incorrect grammar.

The poems are highly imaginative and fun to read aloud, with varying rhyme schemes and meters, capturing the characters of the different animals described.The poems have understated morals - if the Sleepamitemore had not been so lazy and the Double-Headed Hoodinkus not so quarrelsome, they would have survived - but are much more focused on being silly.

The prose introduction from Cullen explaining how his relationship with Christopher Cat came to be creates a strong feeling of kinship with both narrators.A prose epilogue encourages us to reconsider Christopher's reliability as a narrator, while at the same time challenges us to consider the inner lives of our own pets.

The poems are accompanied by illustrations of the various animals that did and did not make it on the Ark.The illustrations, done in color-washed black and white line drawings, are dark with a loose, sketch-like quality.Though not tightly integrated with the text, the illustrations do give life to the fantastical creatures described in the poems.Younger children will enjoy the rhythm and the subject matter of the poems themselves and older children will enjoy the explanation of the origins of the poems. ... Read more

Product Description
His third book of poetry. This book met with controversy in the black community because he did not give the subject of race the same attention he had given it in "Color". ... Read more

Product Description
This selection from the work of thirty-eight poets was made by Countee Cullen in 1927. His stated purpose at the time was to bring together a miscellany of deeply appreciated but scattered verse.

Beginning with the work of Paul Laurence Dunbar, who, though there were black poets before him, is generally credited as the first black poet to make a deep impression on the literary world, the book includes the writings of James Weldon Johnson, W. E. B. Du Bois, Jessie Faucet, Sterling A. Brown, Arna Bontemps, Langston Hughes, and Countee Cullen himself, to name only a few.

Each poem includes poignant biographical notes written by the poets themselves, with the exception of the notes on Dunbar (written by his wife), Joseph S. Cotter, Jr. (written by his father), and Lula Weeden (written by her mother).

Most of the poets became well known and widely published in the years that followed. These poems remain powerful statements of what it means to be human, whatever the race.

Long out of print, "Caroling Dusk" is a valuable addition to the body of black literature. This is the first time the anthology has appeared in a paperback edition. ... Read more

Product Description
New York City, uptown, the 1920s. Poets, writers, dancers, and musicians came to Harlem to experience the excitement of the jazz age and to see the cabarets and floor shows at the Apollo Theatre and the Cotton Club. People flocked to Harlem to hear the genius of band leader Duke Ellington, thejazz-poetry of Langston Hughes, and the romantic lyricism of Countee Cullen. The Harlem Renaissance produced some of the 20th century’s greatest and most influential artists, figures at the center of the spectacular jazz era. These African American artists created a new American sound and a new American culture. This unique recording tells the Harlem Renaissance story through the spoken word and live music of some of its most famous works. Experience it all yourself in…
THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE REMEMBERED

Foreword and Afterword by Jonathan Gross, Ph.D. —
Hear the story of Harlem, told through the words of its poets and the sound of its musicians. Imagine yourself in the Cotton Club where Duke Ellington and his famous orchestra performed their hit song, “Take the A Train”. Listen to Langston Hughes’s “Theme for English B” recited aloud while the strains of “Mood Indigo” play from a distant radio. Learn what the world was like in the 1920s when the Harlem Renaissance was at its height, and why it is still so important today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Pleasing, interesting, but not profound.
I found this an interesting little compilation of Harlem pieces. There was music and poetry and literature. I really helped give a feel to the time period to hear it all aloud and together.The sound quality is okay and could be better at times. And some of the music choices were questionable, but without a doubt it really helped to illustrate the richness of the artistic pallet that was being used at the time of the Harlem renaissance and hearing thepoems read aloud alongside the music really did a great job of pinpointing the cadence that is hard to pick up on in the written word.

Definitely something useful for say an American Studies class, or American History, Black History month, etc.

This brief (less than an hour) "audio book" is more of a radio play with music.
This product is described as an audio book and, as such, you expect someone to read aloud the text of a book. In this case it's more of a radio script with musical selections included between the narratives. Since it fits neatly into an hour, it might have been made to a public radio broadcast. And if that were what it was, that would be fine. But as a commercial product it falls short. And, as others have said at length, in their reviews here, the "narrator" has a voice that doesn't exactly draw you in.

The concept of narration with full musical excerpts to illustrate the music portion of the Harlem Renaissance is a good idea. With a longer running time and more engaging narrator (or narrators), this could be an interesting project.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

Strange Concoction
I was intrigued by the promise of this CD, which seemed to be an integration of the poetry and music that served as the heartbeat of the Harlem Renaissance.Yet the delivery in the final product falls short of fulfilling that promise.Instead, it is an odd mishmash of music and poetry that doesn't seem to have an easily identifiable place.

The CD begins with an introduction by Jonathan Gross, who does not have the most compelling voice for this sort of work, that glosses briefly over the history of the Harlem Renaissance.The rest of the CD is made up of readings of poems by Langston Hughes and performances of Duke Ellington's music, interspersed with further commentary.While "Mack" Jay Jordan's renditions of Ellington's songs are for the most part very good, the poetry readings seem out of synch - some are read too fast, some are overwhelmed by the music.Not to mention that fact that this project limits the Harlem Renaissance down to only these two artists, forsaking other greats of the time period in both music and literature.

I was hoping to use this CD in my American Literature class, but at over an hour in length, it is too long for the normal class period.Plus, with the additional commentary throughout the CD, there is no good breaking point to use even snipets of it rather than trying to use the whole."The Harlem Renaiassance Remembered" is an intriguing concept, and perhaps would work much better as a series of audio works that feature other artists from the time period.As it stands, it is too narrow in focus and too disjointed to fulfill the promise its title implies.

Loved It!
I did read the reviewer who said this was not "deep" or "wide" enough; I confess, I am no historian, nor have I ever lived in Harlem, so perhaps that is true.But I thoroughly enjoyed this entire thing!I found it uplifting and thought-provoking.It has made me more determined than ever to take a tour of Harlem, next time I am back east.

wow
Fantastic CD! This period in history was so dynamic, groundbreaking...I read/see/listen to everything I can about this era. Everyone should listen to this! ... Read more

Product Description
The mystery of Countee' Cullen's childhood has finally been solved. He was born into an 'elite' African-American family in 1906. His birthplace was New Orleans, Louisiana. His father, James S. Carter, Sr., was the first licensed African-American dentist in Louisiana. His mother was a well-educated Christian lady, Gussie Yeager Carter, from Natchez, Mississippi. James S. Carter, Jr. was Countee' Cullen's birth name signed by him in the book, "Color", which he sent to his mother in 1925. This book that I have written reveals why he changed his identity forever. I am his neice, Shirley Porter Washington, his youngest sister's (Clyde Carter Porter) daughter. I have the 'Miracle Book' and his 'Secret Revealed'. ... Read more

Product Description
A long essay on "The Man and His Poetry" plus extensive bibliography of Cullen's major writings, writings about Cullen, including newspaper references, and poetry anthologies in which Cullen's work appeared. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

It was an interesting story, meant for children
I loved the book, but it is obvious from the begining that it was meant for children. I still enjoyed it, but if you are looking for a book full of vocabulary words and complex plots, search elsewhere. If you are looking for a book that it would be okay to read to a six year old, this is a pretty good one. It is quite simple, you have a cat, and he has nine lives, and you learn how he lost all but his very last one. I don't understand why some people have listed this book for over a hundred dollars, though. I got this book by helping a teacher move like a thousand books (I wish I was kidding) and after that she told everyone that helped that they could choose a few of the books. I was lucky enought to choose this book, and a few others that weren't nearly as good, out of the many piles. It isn't work more than about ten dollars.

Timeless, touching tale for children and adults alike
My grandmother gave me this book when I was very young; I'm thrilled that I'm finally able to find it again to pass down to my stepchildren.It's touching, funny, sad.It shows children the value of family and friends,as well as the simple joy of living every day to its fullest. Read thisbook no matter what your age; it's sure to touch your heart.

Great Cat Book!
I have loved this book for a long time and am thrilled to see that could be still in print. An amusing stor about an accident prone kitten who goes throug eight of his nine lives rather quickley. Be warned though touching,the end is rather sad. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Black Christ
I was told that the only way i could get " The Black Christ" was to contact the
library of congress where it is now being held. I was astounded to find it at amazon.com. Thanks!
Honeybee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A total anthology of Cullen's pieces
there are few poems missing IE Incident. Cullen's poetry is among <
> the best that i've ever read.<
> ... Read more