Through a deeply personal lens, Kevin Powell offers a candid exploration of contemporary America, addressing pressing issues like #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, and systemic inequalities. Drawing inspiration from literary giants, he crafts a powerful manifesto that serves as a town-hall meeting for a nation grappling with its identity. Powell's work delves into themes of leadership, history, and social justice while challenging readers to reconsider the true meaning of freedom and equality for all. His passionate narrative reflects both pain and hope for a better future.
Exploring a wide range of pressing social issues, this collection features 22 candid blogs and essays that tackle topics such as violence against women, the Trayvon Martin case, and the Occupy Wall Street movement. Kevin Powell, known for his bold and distinctive voice, seeks to not only expose these controversies but also foster understanding and dialogue within American society. Through his reflections on figures like Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, he invites readers to engage deeply with the complexities of contemporary politics and culture.
The book explores the transformative potential of Barack Obama's presidency in reshaping American democracy after eight years of George Bush's administration. It draws parallels to the Civil Rights Movement, emphasizing the opportunity to address longstanding issues of poverty, class, gender, and race. The narrative questions whether the diverse coalition that supported Obama can evolve into a broader progressive movement, inviting a re-examination of societal challenges through a new lens of inclusivity and empowerment.
Writer and activist Kevin Powell's memoir vividly recounts the horrific
poverty of his youth and his struggles to overcome a legacy of anger,
violence, and self-hatred.
Recognized for both intellectual rigor and sharp rhetoric, this book showcases the author’s insights on freedom and leadership. It delves into profound themes that challenge conventional thinking, solidifying the author's reputation as a leading voice in contemporary discourse. Through compelling arguments, it invites readers to consider the complexities of freedom and the responsibilities that come with it.
When Kevin Powell’s elderly mother became ill, he returned home every week to take her grocery shopping in Jersey City. Walking behind her during those trips, Powell began to hear her voice, stories, and language in a new way—examining his own healing while praying for hers.Grocery Shopping with My Mother originated as social media posts about these visits and evolved into a breathtaking collection of thirty-two new poems, crafted like an album, plus four bonus tracks celebrating a great love of wordplay. Culturally rooted in the literary traditions of Ntozake Shange and Allen Ginsberg, Powell’s poems honor the likes of V (formerly Eve Ensler), bell hooks, and Sidney Poitier.Grocery Shopping with My Mother dives into the complexities of relationships and contemporary themes with honesty and vulnerability. Creatively and spiritually inspired by Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, Powell’s poems shift in form and style, from praise chants to reverential meditations to, most importantly, innovative hope.
"Written in the tradition of works by Joan Didion, bell hooks, Toni Morrison, and Eve Ensler, a provocative and soul-searching 'autobiography of America'--the past, the present, and the future Kevin Powell wants for us all, through the lens and lives of three major figures: his mother, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Ten short years ago, Barack Obama became president of the United States, and changed the course of history. Ten short years ago, our America was hailed globally as a breathtaking example of democracy, as a rainbow coalition of everyday people marching to the same drum beat. We had finally overcome. But did we? Both the presidencies of Obama and Donald Trump have produced some of the ugliest divides in history: horrific racial murders, non-stop mass shootings, the explosion of attacks on immigrants and on the LGBTQ community, the rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, a massive gap between the haves and the have-nots, and legions of women stepping forth to challenge sexual violence--and men--in all forms. In this gripping new collection of thirteen essays, My Mother. Barack Obama. Donald Trump. And the Last Stand of the Angry White Man., Kevin Powell interweaves brutally honest personal stories with the saga of America, then and now. Be it politics, sports, pop culture, hip-hop music, mental health, racism, sexism, or his very complicated relationship with his mother, these impassioned essays are not merely a mirror of who we are, but also who and what Powell thinks we ought to be"-- Provided by publisher
GET THE KINDLE EBOOK FOR FREE IF YOU BUY PAPERBACK Do you want to learn how to learn absolutely anything as quick as possible? Of course you, who wouldn't? There's a way to do it, and this book has all the secrets. This book is about learning how to learn. Whether you want to improve your grades at school, or you want to pick up a new subject quickly, this book will detail methods to learn any kind of subject matter lighting fast. Today, it is commonly said that in order to master a subject, you must dedicate a minimum of 10,000 hours, whether it
"Kevin Powell is one of the most prolific and acclaimed American writers, thinkers, activists, and public speakers of the past three decades. His writings are important contributions to our national conversations on race, gender, class, politics, pop culture, celebrity, hip-hop, and the past, present, and future of the United States. The Kevin Powell Reader is an electric and deeply inspiring selection from Powell’s lifework, spanning the Reagan-Bush years of AIDS and crack epidemics to our current era framed by the COVID-19 pandemic; the tragic killing of George Floyd; the #MeToo movement; and much more. In a journey that has produced fifteen books, countless cover stories, hundreds of published pieces, and definitive writings on iconic figures like Stacey Abrams, Dave Chappelle, Kerry Washington, Sidney Poitier, Cicely Tyson, Kobe Bryant, Tupac Shakur, Aretha Franklin, and Kendrick Lamar, Powell is a voice for our times, and a voice that is timeless. This collection also tracks Powell’s personal struggles and his unwavering honesty about himself and the world around him. The Kevin Powell Reader captures twenty-first-century America with hope, insight, and the urgent need to preserve freedom and justice for all people"--Amazon.com
