I rarely read poetry books, but the title of this one caught my attention and when I read the description, I had to give it a try. It is NOT your typical collection of poems - it is one that is powerful and worth the short time to read. Here is my review.
Title/Author:
“Pretend the Ball Is Named Jim Crow: The Story of Josh Gibson” by Dorian Hairston
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (excellent)
Review:
Josh Gibson is undoubtedly one of the best players who toiled in the Negro Leagues before Black players were integrated into Major League baseball. There have been books and other publications illustrating Gibson’s life and career, but none of them do so as eloquently as this book by Dorian Hairston.
Instead of writing in regular text, Hairston tells Gibson’s story through poetry and it is powerful. There are several people who are telling the story. Gibson himself is of course the primary character, but his wife Helen (who sadly died while giving birth to their twin children Josh Jr and Helen) and the man credited with discovering Gibson, Hooks Tinker, are also voices heard in the book.
It is also a book about much more than baseball. That is why I used the word “voices” as while Gibson’s baseball career is described, this collection of poems will tell the reader about the struggles of Black people, both on the diamond and elsewhere. The introduction by Hairston is also powerful in its description of not only the struggles of Blacks in society but also the role baseball’s color barrier played in this period. This is one of the best collections of poetry I have ever read and is one that whether one is interested in baseball, the history of racial relations in the United States, or poetry, it is one to add to a reader’s library.
I wish to thank University Press of Kentucky for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment