What do you think?
Rate this book
Voices In The Mirror: An Autobiography
Alone after his mother’s death, homeless in a Minnesota winter, young Gordon struggled to stay in school, working at menial jobs and riding streetcars all night to escape the cold. Refusing to succumb to despair, he instead transformed his anger at poverty and racism into a creative force and went on to break down one barrier after another. He was the first black photographer at Vogue and Life, and the first black screenwriter and director in Hollywood, at the helm of such projects as the award-winning Shaft. And his novel, The Learning Tree, has sold more than a quarter of a million copies.
Spanning the major events of five decades, Voices in the Mirror takes readers from Minnesota and Washington, D.C., to the glamour of Paris and the ghettos of Rio and Harlem. His intimate portrayals of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini; of the Muslim and African American icons Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad and Muhammad Ali; of the young militants of the civil rights and black power movements; and of the tragic experiences of the less famous, like the Brazilian youngster Flavio, combine to form an unforgettable story.
Gordon Parks’s life is a metaphor for the courageous vision and extraordinary resilience of the African American community, while also serving as a testament to the spirit and generosity that are its hallmarks.
351 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
5 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Parks
110 books113 followersGordon 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 9, 2007
boo hoo, i finished the book today. thankfully, i just saw online that he has another memoir written after this one. it's amazing how honest he was in this book, discussing such topics as how he never got over the violence and racism of his youth (which became the impetus of his drive to succeed), his three marriages, his extremely successful career, his art, his views on society, and the numerous people he met along the journey of his life. he is a true renaissance man and never even finished high school. amazing!
what i loved best about this book is the black history (and american history of course) that you get to experience through his eyes. because he was such a great writer, you come away with the feeling that you were really there as he was back then. he was born in 1912, so you feel the depression of the depression, america's uphill battle with WWII, the excitement and tumultuousness of the sixties, the sobering reality of vietnam, etc. it was enlightening to me as he talked about bonding with malcolm x (he even became godfather to one of malcolm's daughters), eldridge cleaver (cleaver asked him to serve the panthers as minister of information!), muhammad ali, etc. i am thankful that i read this book because i learned the extent of his contributions. he was not just a great artist, he was also a significant social activist and pioneer who paved the way for african-americans who came after him.
what i loved best about this book is the black history (and american history of course) that you get to experience through his eyes. because he was such a great writer, you come away with the feeling that you were really there as he was back then. he was born in 1912, so you feel the depression of the depression, america's uphill battle with WWII, the excitement and tumultuousness of the sixties, the sobering reality of vietnam, etc. it was enlightening to me as he talked about bonding with malcolm x (he even became godfather to one of malcolm's daughters), eldridge cleaver (cleaver asked him to serve the panthers as minister of information!), muhammad ali, etc. i am thankful that i read this book because i learned the extent of his contributions. he was not just a great artist, he was also a significant social activist and pioneer who paved the way for african-americans who came after him.
February 24, 2010
An Autobiograpy of one of my favorite photographers and one of the most inspiring men I've ever read about. Born one of 13 children, homeless as a youth, self taught photographer(after finding a camera left on a train). First black photographer at Life and Vogue Magazine, Director of the film Shaft, composer etc....... Sadly Gordon Parks passed away in the last few years at the age of upper 90s still creating art. I would have loved to have met him.
Read
December 16, 2020This is a book I picked up as a recommendation from a friend . Gordon Parks is an amazing individual whose desire to learn and progress in spite of great challenges is incredible. I enjoyed seeing ways he found to move forward when doors seemed closed to him, and how he found ways to explore his interests. His portrayals of the helpers and good examples in his life was strengthening too, and I felt encouraged to stand a little taller and be more willing to recognize goodness as these people did.
This was not any easy book to read. The abuses and hardships he suffered were not pleasant. I also had a number of opportunities to use a dictionary to understand words that he used. His descriptions show language and lifestyle different than what I have been taught, but his efforts to recognize, emulate, and encourage goodness in so many places is definitely worth emulating, and understanding where he has come from offers added insight into doing so.
This was not any easy book to read. The abuses and hardships he suffered were not pleasant. I also had a number of opportunities to use a dictionary to understand words that he used. His descriptions show language and lifestyle different than what I have been taught, but his efforts to recognize, emulate, and encourage goodness in so many places is definitely worth emulating, and understanding where he has come from offers added insight into doing so.
August 14, 2021
Gordon Parks is one of the most incredible human beings I have every learned about. I live in the town where he was born and I volunteer to digitize his artifacts at the Gordon Parks Museum. I'm angry because I went to school at Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Kansas and Charlie Parks was one of my vice-principals. Little did I know but he was the nephew of Gordon Parks. We never studied this amazing native Kansan and we had this primary source right in our building! It truly frustrates me to have had to wait so many years to finally find out about this African American author, movie director, composer, and civil rights advocate. His prose are beautiful and his survival and success are beyond belief. Truly a good read!
February 1, 2025
He's a good writer and what a life he's lived! The friction that he faced as a black man growing up to be successful in the 1930's, unrelenting even as he became the first black photographer at Life magazine and Vogue and others of the same caliber, then to write a concerto that was performed by a symphony in Venice, to write several novels, and then write incisive articles on discrimination and get them published in Life magazine... it was astounding. And then he became a film director with a couple of brilliant movies in his name. He keeps his cool and never gets too full of himself in his telling of this fascinating story.
December 14, 2024
I think I expected the wrong thing. It’s an autobiography, yes, but I was expecting a punchy narrative on his photographic career, but it was more of a spacey meditation on his life in general. Which would’ve been fine if I liked his writing voice. There were several moments throughout the book that made me pause and ask “did he really just say that?” I appreciated it for what it was.
February 27, 2025
Really helped me to understand the true meaning of - “the opposite of depression is not happiness, but self-expression.” What’s more, self-expression can come in many forms and you don’t have to stick to just one - you can be multitalented.
August 26, 2022
I have always admired Mr. Parks and am so glad I read his memoir. What an amazing and gifted man! A definite page turner detailing the obstacles he overcame as a young man to his success.
January 28, 2016
Overlapping a bit from A Choice of Weapons, and continuing the story into his old age, Voices in the Mirror is the further adventures of one of America's great artists, Gordon Parks. In this volume, Parks' work as a Life photographer brings him into direct contact with the most important faces of the age, becoming a confidant of civil rights leaders and a journalist of world celebrities. Again, Parks weaves tales of amazing courage and compassion for his subjects, all while establishing a deep sense of humility in the lessons learned along the way. A fitting, perfect volume alongside A Choice of Weapons.
November 21, 2011
Excellent read. The best biography that I have yet to read. Clearly a man who excelled in multiple fields.
A very addictive read.
A very addictive read.
September 26, 2013
This was a compelling book to read-
December 20, 2015
Going to pass this along to my friend Jerry Jones a great photographer in his own right! Hope you enjoy!
April 13, 2017
I was inspired to read "Voices in the Mirror" after going to an exhibit of Gordon Parks's photographs at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Loved this wonderful, moving autobiography.
“Advice from Dean Dixon -
A week later there came a letter from Vienna where Dean was conducting: “Besides continuing your composing, I think you should start out on a planned listening program. Choosing a very few excellent works but listening to them dozens of times. I know that it sounds like a quite impossible thing but it really can be done and done very simply. For example, you get the work on a tape or record. After taking it home your very first listening to it is with you sitting together with it in a room, just the two of you, and your giving it a very hard listening-to, trying to learn as much about it as you possibly can, and trying to understand as much of it as possible. Then I would immediately take a second listening, but during this one I would start doing something else; make a telephone call, talk to Sally or one of the kids, sort pictures, read a book or magazine, have a meal, etc. Do anything you want to as long as you are within hearing distance of the music. And for the next 10 or 20 times, listen to it in this fashion. Painting would be an excellent ‘other-thing-to-do’ in this way. For your 21st listening, you go into the room alone with the music again and try listening again as hard as possible. Then, for the 22nd to the 40th, listening while doing other things, then coming back around the 41st time to the concentrated listening again….I would suggest as a starter something like Haydn’s Clock Symphony, or the Beethoven 3rd, or the Ravel Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2, or the Mozart Symphony No. 40….” (pp. 150-151)
“Advice from Dean Dixon -
A week later there came a letter from Vienna where Dean was conducting: “Besides continuing your composing, I think you should start out on a planned listening program. Choosing a very few excellent works but listening to them dozens of times. I know that it sounds like a quite impossible thing but it really can be done and done very simply. For example, you get the work on a tape or record. After taking it home your very first listening to it is with you sitting together with it in a room, just the two of you, and your giving it a very hard listening-to, trying to learn as much about it as you possibly can, and trying to understand as much of it as possible. Then I would immediately take a second listening, but during this one I would start doing something else; make a telephone call, talk to Sally or one of the kids, sort pictures, read a book or magazine, have a meal, etc. Do anything you want to as long as you are within hearing distance of the music. And for the next 10 or 20 times, listen to it in this fashion. Painting would be an excellent ‘other-thing-to-do’ in this way. For your 21st listening, you go into the room alone with the music again and try listening again as hard as possible. Then, for the 22nd to the 40th, listening while doing other things, then coming back around the 41st time to the concentrated listening again….I would suggest as a starter something like Haydn’s Clock Symphony, or the Beethoven 3rd, or the Ravel Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2, or the Mozart Symphony No. 40….” (pp. 150-151)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews