Dirty Bird Blues
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Book Overview
A quietly influential force in African American literature and art, Clarence Major makes his Penguin Classics debut with the twenty-fifth-anniversary edition of Dirty Bird Blues The PRH Audio book of Dirty Bird Blues by Clarence Major won a 2022 EARPHONE AWARD. Narrated by Dion Graham. A Penguin Classic Set in post-World War II Chicago and Omaha, the novel features Manfred Banks, a young, harmonica-blowing blues singer who is always writing music in his head. Torn between his friendships with fellow musicians and nightclub life and his responsibilities to his wife and child, along with the pressures of dealing with a racist America that assaults him at every turn, Manfred seeks easy answers in "Dirty Bird" (Old Crow whiskey) and in moving on. He moves to Omaha with hopes of better opportunities as a blue-collar worker, but the blues in his soul and the dreams in his mind keep bringing him back to face himself. After a nightmarish descent into his own depths, Manfred emerges with fresh awareness and possibility. Through Manfred, we witness and experience the process by which modern American English has been vitalized and strengthened by the poetry and the poignancy of the African-American experience. As Manfred struggles with the oppressive constraints of society and his private turmoil, his rich inner voice resonates with the blues.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0143136593
ISBN13:9780143136590
Release Date:February 2022
Publisher:Penguin Publishing Group
Length:384 Pages
Weight:0.60 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 5.0" x 7.6"
Related Subjects
Biographies Classics Contemporary Ethnic & National Fiction Literary Literature & FictionCustomer Reviews
3 ratings
Major Talent
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
Excellent from cover to cover. Takes you inside the mind of a hard-luck blues musician in 1950. Clarence Major's way with words is nothing short of astonishing.
A shot of blues
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
Why is this out of print? Excellent read. I'm looking for more of his novels.
Poor Drunken Hearted Man
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
Bluesman Manfred Banks is trying to pursue his dream of being a singer and harmonica-player while living up to his responsibilities as a husband and father. Complicating his efforts to walk the straight and narrow are his addiction to booze (the "dirty bird") and the sometimes destructive influence of his friend and musical partner Solly. In describing Man's struggles with both the racist society that attempts to strip him of his dignity and his own inner demons, the author demonstrates his mastery of a rich and poetic prose style that is steeped in the sound and imagery of the blues. This is a fine evocation of African-American life in the American midwest in the middle of the twentieth century.
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