Signifyin(G), Sanctifyin', & Slam Dunking: A Reader In African American Expressive Culture

Signifyin(G), Sanctifyin', & Slam Dunking: A Reader in African American Expressive Culture

With quotes from author Ralph Ellison and others, the editor's introduction makes a case for an African American aesthetic. The 21 readings, representing diverse timeframes (1920s to 1990s) and endeavors (music and dance, the oral art of satiric signifying, and sports and public displays of the body), shed light on the issues of: What is "black" in black culture? What purpose is served by identifying a unique African American style? How have these forms of cultural expression shaped American life? Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)From Library JournalIs there an African American aesthetic, or is such a concept a reinforcement of racial stereotyping? If there is such an aesthetic, what are some of its characteristics? Although this anthology does not provide definitive answers to such questions, its explorations make for provocative reading. The pieces (written by authors like Zora Neale Hurston and John Edgar Wideman and ranging from gospel to rap) trace African American culture back to Africa and demonstrate the influences of an African American aesthetic on American culture in general. The book is divided into three sections: music and dance (by far the largest); signifyin'Athat is, oral expression; and sports. Left out are "visual art, film, humor [and] theater." Though some of the writings are uneven, and there are notable omissions (e.g., the Black Arts Movement), this engaging collection from Caponi (American Studies, Univ. of Texas, San Antonio) will be of interest to students of black studies and cultural studies. For public and academic libraries.ALouis J. Parascandola, Long Island Univ., Brooklyn, NYCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.