How I Became Hettie Jones

I am an avid reader, and I read an assortment of books, but I have never come across a book like this! Miraculously, I picked it up at a used bookshop and bought it after quickly scanning the description on the back flap. It seemed interesting, but was thrown in a corner with a bunch of other books that I promised myself I would read when I caught up on mounds of other books which seemed more important. Fast forward a few years and imagine someone literally nose in book, reading while walking, not able to put it down! This is a woman's fascinating account of life in the '50s and '60s, but that's not all. Hettie's writing style is so unique, beautiful and inspired it's a shame she hasn't written a dozen books with the same freeflowing gorgeous poetry of this one. This book actually made me laugh out loud, sob, smile, feel anger, and shame. It also made me frustrated by the injustices of the world. How can one attend school everyday from the age of five and not learn a tenth of what is taught in this slim book? Buy this for your sons and daughters, your parents, friends, teachers. It's true that this should be required reading. I would love to have a conversation with this wise woman, but in the meantime, this book is as close to that as one can hope for.

This book has it all. It's half novel, half history lesson, half feminist screed, and half bittersweet love story. And somehow it all works. In my first novel I wrote, "Behind every great man is a good woman he steals all of his ideas from". But in this case the man had his own great ideas, and the woman proved later with this book that she is the equal to the great man. love, Michael W. Dean

I had the honor of taking both a poetry and personal essay class taught by Hettie Jones, and all I have to say, is she is just about the coolest lady I know, and since I met her before reading this memoir, it was absolutely amazing to think of all she has been through, she is wonderful and this book reflects just that.

hettie jones' well-written book is more than just another account of life in what was then the "new bohemia." the parties, the readings, the hand-to-mouth existence are all there, but hettie jones focuses on the every day events and ordinary moments that ultimately define a life and make it real. through one woman's story, we get equal glimpses into women's lives, their unique struggles even within the "free" subculture of the bohemians, the beat scene, and relations between the races. i originally picked up this book because of my interest in the beat generation and growing interest in the role of the women in this movement, but it is so much more. hettie jones uses seemingly ordinary events and through them draws a clear picture of time, place, emotion, and attitude. throughout it all, she manages to be both unbiased and sympathetic, neither overly critical of herself or others nor excessively self-important about being at the center of a cultural revolution. she brings what has become an idolized and mythological movement down to its true base element: people. hettie jones writes about their lives and conflicts and communications and misunderstandings, removing their status as demi-gods or jobless hedonists (depending on if you are a fan or critic) and revealing accessible, real individuals with real lives who just happened to be looking for a little bit more than the accepted american ideals. this book belongs equally in the womens' studies, beat literature, and race relations sections of any bookstore or library.

How I became Hettie Jones is one of the most candid and lovely books I have ever read. I am a fan of Amiri Baraka and I have done a lot of research on him so naturally this book would have been an inside look into his life. Hettie Jones exhibits extreme courage and inner beauty in her prose. I fell in love with her spirit as i read the book. Any woman, black or white will be able to identify with the trials Jones ovecomes. I like Jones because she doesn't compromise herself and loves who she is, flaws and everything. Her artful language places the reader into each time frame, making them become a part of each situation. I would recommend this book to everyone who would appriciate the wise words of an open-minded, creative and intelligent woman.