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Rise Up Singing: Black Women Writers on Motherhood
From a dazzling array of well-known African American women, short fiction, poems, and personal essays that describe with warmth and humor their experiences as mothers and as daughters.
A sparkling anthology devoted to exploring the lives of African American mothers, Rise Up Singing presents the stories and reflections of such beloved and respected artists, journalists, and authors as Alice Walker, Faith Ringgold, Marita Golden, Martha Southgate, Tananarive Due, Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, Deborah Roberts, Rita Dove, and others. It features original and previously published writings, organized by editor Cecelie Berry by themes—mothering, work, family, children, community, and love—that illuminate the multiple roles of black mothers at home, in the neighborhood, and in the world as a whole.
Rise Up Singing brings together the perspectives of women of different ages, backgrounds, and accomplishments. What shines through in their writings are the hopes shared by all mothers. As Marian Wright Edelman writes in the “The mothers writing in this anthology speak in a range of voices. They are joyful, stressed, grateful, ambivalent, determined, disappointed, and, in bad ways and good, overwhelmed. But over and over again . . . we see mothers struggling with the striving to give their children their best and to make sure the world gives their children its best, hard as that fight may be.”
From the Hardcover edition.
A sparkling anthology devoted to exploring the lives of African American mothers, Rise Up Singing presents the stories and reflections of such beloved and respected artists, journalists, and authors as Alice Walker, Faith Ringgold, Marita Golden, Martha Southgate, Tananarive Due, Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, Deborah Roberts, Rita Dove, and others. It features original and previously published writings, organized by editor Cecelie Berry by themes—mothering, work, family, children, community, and love—that illuminate the multiple roles of black mothers at home, in the neighborhood, and in the world as a whole.
Rise Up Singing brings together the perspectives of women of different ages, backgrounds, and accomplishments. What shines through in their writings are the hopes shared by all mothers. As Marian Wright Edelman writes in the “The mothers writing in this anthology speak in a range of voices. They are joyful, stressed, grateful, ambivalent, determined, disappointed, and, in bad ways and good, overwhelmed. But over and over again . . . we see mothers struggling with the striving to give their children their best and to make sure the world gives their children its best, hard as that fight may be.”
From the Hardcover edition.
- GenresRace
304 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2004
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May 18, 2021I read several of the chapters in the beginning and really enjoyed them. There were many inspiring stories about moms, grandmothers and multi-generational families. I liked the chapter or two from women writers who struggled with the dynamic and expectations of motherhood. I could relate with their thoughts and questions and experiences.
April 2, 2022
This book dove deep into expectations women are confronted with daily regarding womanhood, being a wife, being a mother. And being Black.
Some of the stories hit close to home for me, particularly with learning things my mother may have faced or felt, and things I may one day face or feel.
Some of the stories hit close to home for me, particularly with learning things my mother may have faced or felt, and things I may one day face or feel.
December 10, 2012
I enjoyed only a handful of the essays.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews