A Hungry Heart

by Gordon Parks

Gordon Parks, acclaimed photographer, filmmaker, composer, and author of fiction and nonfiction, has participated in, been witness to, and documented many of the major events in the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries.

Born in Fort Scott, Kansas, on November 30, 1912, he left home at age fifteen when his mother passed away. For the next twelve years, he lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, working as a piano player, bus boy, Civilian Conservation Corpsman, and professional basketball player before taking up photography in the late 1930s and moving to Chicago. He was awarded the first Julius Rosenwald Fellowship in photography in 1942 and chose to work with Roy Stryker at the Farm Security Administration (FSA) in Washington, D.C. During World War II, he was an Office of War Information (OWI) correspondent.

He photographed fashion for Vogue and Glamour before joining the staff of Life in 1949 and remained a photojournalist for the magazine until 1969. He also became famous in the late 1960s for his stories on Black revolutionaries, later incorporated into his book Born Black. He was a founder and editorial director of Essence magazine from 1970 to 1973.

His film career began in 1961 when he wrote and directed a documentary, Flavio. He received an Emmy Award for another documentary, Diary of a Harlem Family, in 1968. He produced and directed Hollywood films including The Learning Tree, Shaft, Shaft's Big Score, The Super Cops, and Leadbelly.

He is first and foremost a celebrated photojournalist and fine art photographer whose work, collected and exhibited worldwide, is emblematic of American culture. In A Hungry Heart, he reaches into the corridors of his memory and recounts the people and events that shaped him: from growing up poor on the Kansas prairie to withstanding the unbearably cold winters of Minnesota to living on the edge of starvation in Harlem during the Depression. He more than survived the challenges and crises of his life; he thrived and has become one of the most celebrated and diversely talented figures in American culture.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Photography, American History, Art and Photography

352 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

Gordon Parks was a groundbreaking American photographer, musician, poet, novelist, journalist, activist and film director. He is best remembered for his photo essays for Life Magazine and as the director of the 1971 film, Shaft.

Parks is remembered for his activism, filmmaking, photography, and writings. He was the first African-American to work at Life magazine, and the first to write, direct, and score a Hollywood film. He was profiled in the 1967 documentary "Weapons of Gordon Parks" by American filmmaker Warren Forma. Parks was also a campaigner for civil rights; subject of film and print profiles, notably Half Past Autumn in 2000; and had a gallery exhibit of his photo-related, abstract oil paintings in 1981. He was also a co-founder of Essence magazine, and one of the early contributors to the "blaxploitation" genre.

Parks also performed as a jazz pianist. His first job was as a piano player in a brothel. His song "No Love," composed in another brothel, was performed over a national radio broadcast by Larry Funk and his orchestra in the early 30s. He composed Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1953) at the encouragement of black American conductor Dean Dixon and his wife, pianist Vivian and with the help of composer Henry Brant. In 1989, he composed and choreographed Martin, a ballet dedicated to civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

Beginning in the 1960s, Parks branched out into literature, writing The Learning Tree (1963), several books of poetry illustrated with his own photographs, and three volumes of memoirs.In 1981, Parks turned to fiction with Shannon, a novel about Irish immigrants fighting their way up the social ladder in turbulent early 20th-century New York. Parks' writing accomplishments include novels, poetry, autobiography, and non-fiction including photographic instructional manuals and filmmaking books. Parks also wrote a poem called "The Funeral".

Parks received over 20 honorary doctorates in his lifetime. He died of cancer at the age of 93.

Reviews

[Marvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I'd been meaning to read for a few months, but when it was mentioned recently in one of my favorite photography podcasts, I decided there was no time better than the present. If you want the short answer on whether this is worth reading, the answer is a resounding yes, immediately! As I'm a hobbyist photographer, I approached this from that angle, and the book truly came alive once Gordon purchased his first camera, as a young man. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but I will say it's almost unbelievable all the things Mr. Parks accomplished and all the people he met and befriended in his time. If you've seen the movie Forrest Gump, Gordon's tales can seem very Gumpesque, only Gordon's are real and even more common, and that's both good and bad, at times. Not to mention that given his brown skin, the era he lived in and the issues he was trying to expose and change with his camera, his real life is far more impressive than any movie character's fictional one could ever hope to be.


My original rating of this book was only 4 stars, because Goodreads doesn't allow half stars, and I wanted to give myself a day or two to think on it, to avoid being a prisoner of the moment. I've done that. I'm not. This is a 4.5-5 star book. Go love it.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Beautiful and Inspiring

The title I gave this seems to belie the pain that was at times so strong in his life but that is the feeling I was left with as I finish the book. It was great to get to know Gordan Parks. I also enjoyed watching it first movie "The Learning Tree". Now I need to find some books of his photography.

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir by an American photographer, filmmaker, composer, Gordon Parks, a pioneer in all ranks. First color man to work as a photographer for Life magazine ( barely knowing how to use a camera, but in an act of faith) the first color man to direct a film in Hollywood on his own terms ( Shaft) a jazz and classical pianist composer who was once received in Venice by a shower of rose petals ( literally).. admired and chosen by Ingrid Bergman as the only photographer to take her pictures during her tumultuous life with Rossellini during the 50s ..Mr Parks had only a 4th grade education and dozens of honorary doctorate degrees...an inspiring memoir full of encouragement ,,,

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parks lived a long, rich life during some fascinating and tumultuous times. Unfortunately for this memoir, he chose to write about seemingly everything he experienced, which in a moderately-length book results in little of it being explored in any depth. The only portions I’ll remember from this are his stint as an FSA-OWI photographer, and his Life magazine assignment covering a destitute family in Brazil.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book from Gordan Parks who details his life as the first black photographer for Life magazine.

[Alan Gerstle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gordon Parks has an unpretentious writing style, and a clear view of his life as well as his experiences--which are many and quite interesting. A natural 'artist,' besides his still photography for which he was most famous, he was a feature film director, poet, musician, and essayist. The memoir begins with describing his 90th birthday, and when he considers his age, he decides it's about time to explain himself. He relates some fascinating anecdotes that don't simply provide a narrative of his life, but are significant in their relevance to American society in general. For example, he describes what it was like to work as a photojournalist in Washington, DC, when it was still a segregated city, how the lab technicians were hostile towards him when he began work: the idea of having a subjugated role because they had to be technicians in service of his higher status position of photographer . However, he used his social and emotional intelligence to praise their work in bringing his negatives to fruition, and was the only photographer for whom they gave a party when he quit. Parks grew up in a segregated town where the chief of police had free reign over anyone and everyone, even determining who would live or die. Or how a friend of his gave him advice concerning how to make a career out of photography while having no experience, a ruse that worked. Or another interesting anecdote: assigned to photograph Winston Churchill as he arrived in New York on a transatlantic trip, he searched the scoured the ship for the Prime Minister, by chance opening the door to his cabin. When Churchill asked him why he was there, Parks mentioned his photography assignment. Churchill said in effect: "I'm not quite in the mood for photographs, but I have a bottle of scotch I wouldn't mind sharing. And he did. And they had a conversation that lasted several hours. He did encounter some threatening situations, for example, while waiting for a bus to take him to Los Alamos research center. Seeing several men menacingly carrying guns, he found a gun store, went in, and prior to purchasing a weapon, began to test it out on an area reserved for would-be purchasers--apparently something common at the time. Complementing his experiences as a photographer that took him on unique assignments, he also describes his love for and pursuit of various artistic mediums. He describes his development as a poet and as a composer. He describes his own creative impulse, which can be of interest to anyone pursuing or planning to pursue a life in the arts. He also describes his opportunity to direct a feature film without having studied film, and the process he took in adapting himself to moving pictures from still ones. There is no hint of pretension or boasting. Like a photojournalist on assignment, he remains a narrator that pulls back from editorializing or judging, and gives you a record, the experience of someone pre-internet who managed to do a lot without killer apps or gimmicks. If this sounds like something you might benefit from, I recommend it.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the life of Gordon Parks. He lived through much of the 20th century. His experiences as a young black man in racist America by 2019 are not so much eye-opening as a concrete witness that gives a face and body to the often ghost like form of racism.

As his work continued to be recognized first through the WPA and then through Life magazine, he began to photograph so many iconic figures of the twentieth century—Ingrid Bergman, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Black Panthers, and on.

At the same time, he also discusses at length his work on stories with the people forgotten by history who grew up in but not necessarily escaped from the slums of New York and Rio. These stories are equally fascinating.

I was surprised to learn that directed a few films as well, including the iconic 70s film Shaft.

I appreciated that he also shared the toll that his insatiable appetite for work took upon his marriages. Being gone all the time on photo shoots, stories, and films comes with a cost and he was open about that as well as some of his own weaknesses. While the book does not discuss his marriages or their problems in great depth, they are a running sub theme through his narrative.

Overall, I found his memoir fascinating. What a talented, driven, thoughtful, and compassionate man. I picked up this memoir at an exhibition of his work in Cleveland. I was debating about purchasing a book of his photography instead, but I’m glad I bought this book. Having read it, it will provide so much meaningful context for his photography.

[Brooklyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really wonderful memoir and historical document that rings sadly true over 20 years later. Gordon Parks - photographer, composer, writer, photojournalist, activist by default - and unwitting first hand recounter of the 20th Century civil rights and Black Power movement in the 60s and 70s. He also was an extremely successful fashion photographer - gentleman of the world - rake and raconteur. He literally was there - and there was everywhere important historically in the late 20th century as a photojournalist for Life magazine. Such an amazing man - such a graceful but clear eyed writer - especially when the stories were about poverty, racism, civil rights, war and history. Besides also directing Shaft! Treat yourself and enjoy!

[JLTobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Remarkable Life of Creativity & Achievement

Gordon Parks was a polymath. A self-taught photographer, filmmaker, composer, journalist and author, Parks excelled at everything he turned his hand to.

A Hungry Heart traces Parks’ climb to the pinnacle of several careers. Equally important, this memoir recounts Parks’ encounters with American racism and the upheavals that characterized Black struggles for advanxen

[Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m fascinated by the fact that Gordon Parks was born and lived just miles from where I grew up. When he was in Fort Scott filming The Learning Tree, I was in HS and I don’t remember there being any buzz or even a whisper about a film being shot just miles from my home. Anyway, I enjoyed the book. I learned so much about this man who was obviously brilliant and overcame racism to rise to the top.

[M.i. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Well that's it. I have lived a lot, worked a lot, and smiled a lot. And I will cling to all of those blessings until my hungry heart is hopelessly exhausted."

An excellent conclusion to one of the most remarkable autobiographies I have ever read. Gordon Parks is a true legend and I am glad I got to partake in his life via this book. Such a beautiful life he has lived and led.

[Ellen McMurray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving, unforgettable , brought tears to my eyes


This was certainly a page turner, Gordon's achievements as he navigated himself through life' were extraordinary. His love of family and his sincere beliefs in mankind, give you such a defined perspective into the man he was and the man he tried to be. Enjoyed this book immensely.

[Letitia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I consider myself up on African American history. I was totally sleeping on Gordon parks And the things he's done For African Americans as a whole. This is a true renaissance man Found had essence magazine the 1st African American director of a major motion picture in 1969. Worked for life magazine and 1949. He was a true trail blazer I'm glad I took the time to read this memoir

[Viktor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An American icon

[Elka · Rating 4 out of 5]

if I didn't already know about Gordon Parks, I'd hardly believe this one man could be so incredibly talented in so many different fields. A fun read.

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really great read about a really fascinating man. It was more anecdotal than I anticipated, but still enjoyable.

[Joan Garvan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book some time ago and I recommend it to you.

[Urenna Sander · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sweetness of recognition and success, the bitterness of poverty, hunger, and bigotry overlying the rituals of existence: marriage, birth, work, seasoned with and joy and most of all—love.

I began reading this book several months ago. I wrote a brief draft and abandoned it. Today, I completed Mr. Gordon Park’s memoir.

Mr. Gordon Parks was born into a loving family in Fort Scott, Kansas, in 1912. He was the youngest of 14 brothers and sisters.

As a young boy, he was feisty and unafraid to challenge confrontations. But at the age of 10, Mr. Parks was delivered an epiphany by his dying brother. He advised Mr. Parks to use his brain, which was more powerful than his fist.

Before Mr. Park’s birth, often a band of gypsies would visit his family’s farm for food. Although his father grumbled they didn’t have enough to feed their own family, his mother always shared their food.

One day, a gypsy foretold his mother she would have another child, “a very special one.”

Before his mother’s death, Mr. Park’s mother persuaded his father to send him to Minnesota to live with his eldest sister and her husband. When he was 15, Mr. Parks and one of his sisters left for Minnesota.

Mr. Parks and his brother-in-law clashed. Because of their disagreement, he was ousted from his sister’s home. As a young teen he became homeless. But this did not deter him. He experienced highs and lows in his young life. But he was blessed to secure employment. Sometimes employment ended abruptly, but he never gave up.

An eclectic work record revealed Mr. Parks worked as a busboy, lyricist, piano player, writer and photographer.

Mr. Parks married his young sweetheart and they had two children. Because of his work with well-known magazines, he and his family lived in France. He was employed as a photojournalist for Vogue, Glamour and Life magazines.

See Mr. Parks’ photography in Life, June 1961, on impoverished Brazilians, in Rio de Janeiro, titled “Poverty’s Dire Toll,” at http://life.time.com/history/gordon-p...

Because of his natural ability at producing art in films, he was awarded the first Julius Rosenwald Fellowship in photography in 1941. Mr. Parks chose to work with the infamous photographer, Roy Stryker, in Washington, D.C. In addition, during World War II, he was an Officer of War Information Correspondent.

He wrote and directed a documentary, Flavio. In 1968, he received an Emmy for Diary of a Harlem Family. In addition, Mr. Parks produced and directed Hollywood films, including The Learning Tree, Shaft, Shaft’s Big Score, The Super Cops, and Leadbelly.

Later, as his success and status grew so did problems in his marriage. This resulted in other relationships and marriages.

I have always admired Gordon Parks. Apparently he displayed intelligence, eloquence, confidence, artistry and initiative. He was very special: a triumphant man, an achiever without a college degree.

This is an uplifting memoir of Gordon Park’s journey. Mr. Parks was not frightened by the prospect of defeat, loss or failure.
I believe the love, unity, and sage from his parents provided structure in a sometimes harsh and callous environment.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gordon Parks was one of the first to transcend race in America, he was not a "Black" photographer, he was a photographer, quite an achievement in the 1950's. He says it well describing his retrospective with photos of a high fashion gown the same color as the blood from a youth in a gang war he had photographed the same day.

Born in 1912 (a living icon before his death in 2006), Parks' work took him everywhere.. northern Canada, Paris, Rio and all over the US. He brushed with King Farouk and President Eisenhower and spent extended time with Malcom X, Mohammed Ali and Eldridge Cleaver.

This book is a once over lightly. He tells a lot through dialog, but it is not a satisfying substitute for description. I'd like to know more about how he got into photography (it reads like a fairy tale... but then he's remembering back 70 years). History needs more about the people and situations of his WPA and war experiences... just to name te big areas.

Some of the stories evoke nostalgia for a time when a spread in Life magazine would yield life changing contributions for a child in Brazil or a family in Harlem. Do today's photographers get body guards anywhere but Iraq? Do publishers still compensate those like the sharecropper who lose everything, due to the photographic spread?

This book reminds us, though, that these kindnesses and courtesies ran concurrent with overt and life taking racism.

Parks gives an outline that someone else should follow up on.

[Bee Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love biographies, and this one certainly did not disappoint. A Hungry Heart is about the life of the late Gordon Parks, a celebrated African American photographer noted for his work with Time Magazine. You get a birds-eye view into his professional and personal life. As it concerns his life as a photographer he started from nothing -- no formal training nor professional camera. His gift was innate, and he did what we are all charged with doing, discovering and nurturing it to the best of our ability with even the most meager of resources to do it. His gift certainly did make room for him. As for his personal life, it suffered greatly -- he wasn't afraid to tell the whole truth about that either. This is the type of book that helps one to understand that we really can do anything that we put our intention and energy towards doing. We do, however, need to count the cost. That is something that Gordon Parks did not consider when he began to pursue his passion. This is a must read for all artists and those who really want to glean something of practical value from the life of someone brave enough to tell it all. I'm really surprised that this one hasn't been made into a movie yet.

[Nandi Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is always a joy and privilege to read of one's life especially when they are now at the age where one should honor and remember them. The late Gordon Parks was blessed to live on this earth a good 90 plus years until he passed away a year ago in March. This latest work includes how he was born in Kansas, losing his mother just as the Depression comes into being, he works and experiences racism at it's worse. But despite of it, he became one of America's emminent photographers at a time when African Americans were not granted such opportunity. He worked for the WPA and then on to Life magazine where he got to do some great articles on gang life in Harlem, a poor family and how they lived. He eventually was able to direct movies including The Learning Tree, based loosely on his early life in Kansas and others and even composed music as well as other interesting things. A interesting memoir from a most interesting man.

[Boaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. Gordon Parks was best known for his works as a film maker, with such movies as the "Learning Tree" and "Shaft", he became a cult icon in the African American entertainment genre. This auto-biographical piece, written almost from his death bed, puts it in perspective the life and times of African Americans who were struggling to become successful in the earlier part of the 20th century.
Follow, Park's journey from impoverished youth, fashion photographer, photo journalist and columnist, author, film maker, music composer and lover of life. This auto biography is a great inspirational work, perfect for the underdog in all of us.

Interest; Adventure, cultural studies, arts & humanities, auto-biographies and inspirational.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down one of the best autobiographies I've read. Mr. Parks was very honest in this book, a trait I highly admire, so I may be a little biased. The way he tells his story is as if you're sitting & learning a piece of history from your grandfather or an older great uncle... someone with many vivid life experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

[Colin Rennert-may · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parks is an inspiring artist, whose work brought him into contact with famous and powerful figures in the middle of the 20th century. His autobiography contains moments of brilliance, but it lacks consistency across the episodes of his life. In particular, Parks writes with little self-awareness about his personal life and his inner self. The book was interesting but not really satisfying.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's amazing!

[Huey Atticus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

[Christine Himmelfarb · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a life! It's hard to imagine that one man did, saw, and created as much as he did.

[Lloyd Fassett]

8/28/16 Found it by browsing "The Great Life Photographers" which is newly published. He's one of many photographers in that book