Prayers like Shoes - Softcover

Forman, Ruth

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0972020586 ISBN 13: 9780972020589

Publisher: Whit Press, 2009

Synopsis

Poetry. African American Studies. "Ruth Forman's wisdom, humor and grace brighten every page of PRAYERS LIKE SHOES. Here are the cadences of a woman's true speech rising into a poetry of deep love and warning, loss and survival, building toward a scriptural lyric that leads the reader through the darkness of our times and into an opening of necessary recognition and gratitude. I heard her beautiful voice on every page"—Carolyn Forché. "In PRAYERS LIKE SHOES the brilliant Ruth Forman has topped herself. This is what Forman does best: brings us to the heart of all that matters and introduces us to ourselves"—Junot Díaz.

About this title

About the Author

Ruth Forman is a highly acclaimed writer and poet, as well as a teacher with the University of Southern California and former teacher in June Jordan s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley. Her first poetry collection, We Are the Young Magicians (Beacon Press, 1993), won the 1992 Barnard New Women Poets Prize and wide acclaim for its fresh approach to poetry, as well as a listing by the American Library Association as a 2001 Popular Paperback for Young Adults. She was welcomed by QBR The Black Book Review as a writer who not only upholds the traditions of the 'sistapoets' in whose steps (she) follows Audre Lorde, Alice Walker and Sonia Sanchez but also boldly blazes brand new trails. In its starred and boxed review, Booklist said Forman s poems are alive and kicking; they pound and pulse with a hard-won sense of self, beauty, femininity, strength and righteous indignation....Forman is sexy, bittersweet, funny, feisty and real. Her second poetry collection, Renaissance (Beacon Press, 1997), fulfilled the promise of her debut and won the 1999 Pen Oakland Josephine Miles Award as well as a nomination by Beacon Press for the Pulitzer Prize. Of this collection Sonia Sanchez noted, Hers is a commitment to the possibilities of life. Joy. Beauty (though terrible at times on this earth). What an impressive rich song she sings. Forman s first children s book, Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon (Children s Book Press, 2007), celebrates the Philadelphia summers of her youth, and received a 2007 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Notable Book Award in the Language Arts. While attending Berkeley, Ms. Forman studied with poets Paula Gunn Allen, Opal Palmer Adisa, Yusef Komunyakaa, and June Jordan, who fostered in her a commitment to poetry and the African American literary tradition. Through poetry, what June Jordan expressed as the utmost precision in the use of language, hence, density and intensity of expression, she is committed to the call to inspire others. She provides writing workshops at schools and universities across the country and abroad and has presented in forums such as the United Nations, the National Black Arts Festival, the PBS series The United States of Poetry and National Public Radio. Also a graduate of the USC School of Cinema-Television, she frequently collaborates on music, dance, theatre, art and media projects. When not writing and teaching, she spends her free time practicing another passion, tai chi sword. Ms. Forman currently lives in Los Angeles. You can learn more about her at myspace.com/ruthforman.

Edition details

• Publisher: Whit Press
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0972020586
• ISBN 13: 9780972020589
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96