Man in the Mirror: John Howard Griffin and the Story of Black Like Me

by Robert Bonazzi

Describes the events that led a white American writer to darken his skin and live for a time as an African American in the Deep South

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

About the author

Just to say that I do not list books I'm reading because I read several books a week, mostly poetry which I review in my column, Poetic Diversity, which appears in the San Antonio Express-News.
New: AVAILABLE LIGHT: Exile in Mexico, by John Howard Griffin (Wings Press 2008). Features three essays on photography by Griffin and 40 photos, including 30 of Tarascan culture of Michoacan, Mexico. Also includes a long Introduction by editor Robert Bonazzi about Griffin's time in Mexico, in 1960-1961, where he wrote BLACK LIKE ME and became a serious photographer.
Recent book, MAESTRO OF SOLITUDE, fifth book of poetry and first in 20 years. Published by Wings Press in the fall of 2007, it was one of three finalists for the Texas Institute of Letters award.
Best known work, published by Orbis Books in 1997 (still in print), is MAN IN THE MIRROR: John Howard Griffin and the Story of Black Like Me.
Editor of books by John Howard Griffin that are still in print include: BLACK LIKE ME (Wings 2006); AVAILABLE LIGHT: Exile in Mexico (Wings 2008); STREET OF THE SEVEN ANGELS (Wings 2003); and SCATTERED SHADOWS: A Memoir of Blindness and Vision (Orbis Books 2006).
Editor/Publisher Latitudes Press (1966-2000) and currently Associate Editor with Wings Press.

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one as a teenager and it remains one of my all time favorite books. The message is to know what it is like to walk a day in someone else's shoes; the grass is not greener. It's about understanding and compassion.

[Steve Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a sensitive, serious study of an exceptional human being. Probably we would all benefit from a similar portrait but the author (if this isn't an under-characterisation) of Black Like Me deserves a portrait like this to show us what kind of man would become the subject of his own dangerous experiment. Griffin had fought against German fascism as a member of the French resistance, and had been blind for 10 years before regaining his sight. He was a novelist and a convert to Roman Catholicism, and suffered from several serious medical conditions that caused him periods of constant pain. All of this is of direct relevance to what he did when he spent several weeks as a black man in the Deep South in the late nineteen fifties, and published the journal that he wrote in those weeks. I couldn't give this book less than all the stars because the author doesn't leave anything out. Yes, it's a reasonably favourable portrait but Griffin was a pretty favourable bloke. It isn't in any way over favourable. We can see that to have Griffin as a friend might be challenging and as a husband a good bit more than that. But you can't avoid feeling that your life would be affected for the better by knowing him, just because the questions he would make you ask about the business of living. He was a least as tough on himself, though, as he was on the people around him.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't find the exact cover of the one that I read. My copy is very old and very dogeared. Looks like more people have it on thier to-read shelves than have actually read it. In fact it is an old paperback with the actual price of 60 cents as selling price. I have a hard time seeing skin color on people. I know that prejudice is really felt by people, especially in the era of this book. But i just don't feel it.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great companion to Black Like Me. I especially appreciate the role of religion in his life and the role/ lack of role it plays in prejudice.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read Black Like Me this book is a must read. It tells the story of John Griffin and Black Like Me which adds so much to the book.