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Blues City: A Walk in Oakland
by
Ishmael Reed
Oakland is a blues city, brawling and husky . . .
Often overshadowed by San Francisco, its twinkling sister city across the Bay, Oakland is itself an American wonder. The city is surrounded by and filled with natural beauty—mountains and hills and lakes and a bay—and architecture that mirrors its history as a Spanish mission, Gold Rush outpost, and home of the West’s most d...more
Often overshadowed by San Francisco, its twinkling sister city across the Bay, Oakland is itself an American wonder. The city is surrounded by and filled with natural beauty—mountains and hills and lakes and a bay—and architecture that mirrors its history as a Spanish mission, Gold Rush outpost, and home of the West’s most d...more
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published
December 18th 2007
by Crown
(first published 2003)
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Blues City paints a literary portrait of Oakland, California at the turn of the millennium. Using accounts of cultural events, neighborhood excursions, and interviews with cultural figures and politicians, Ishmael Reed takes a broad view of the city, one that runs from the time of European conquest to the year of the book's publication (2003). In a breezy, conversational style, he reveals that Oakland has been the site of continuous conflict between white elites and egalitarian, community orient...more
While Reed's subject was intrinsically interesting to me as a resident of Oakland, his prose was lousy. The sentences were poorly constructed, poorly edited, poorly copy-edited, and poorly proofread. At times, it felt like I was being read to directly from the tour literature he had picked up on his visits to landmarks. Not all of this is Reed's fault. Clearly his editor was asleep at the switch.
Furthermore, I found the personality of the narrator as it came through the book distinc...more
Furthermore, I found the personality of the narrator as it came through the book distinc...more
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a great read and most informative for anyone interested in oakland. wow - i'll never look at the street peralta without cringing. turns out the peralta family - a family of mexican ranchers - were cheated out of their land by clever tricksters steeped in law practices and educated in new york. basically, three men (Horace Charpentier, Edson Adams, Andrew Moon), when discovered by the Peralta family on their land said, "we would like to look after this area and take care of it for you"....more
I love both Oakland and Ishmael Reed. I used to see him around town a lot, which was always cool.
This book is worth reading but not especially great or illuminating. However, if you don't happen to know a whole lot about Oakland before reading, you will get more out of this bk than I did.
This book is worth reading but not especially great or illuminating. However, if you don't happen to know a whole lot about Oakland before reading, you will get more out of this bk than I did.
In my opinion this started out a bit awkwardly, but when Reed gets going it really takes off. Having volunteered for Wilson Riles Jr's campaign against the contemptible Jerry Brown (quoting Noam Chomsky on his radio show before running for Mayor as a progressive, then changing spots to pro-development, anti-social program strongman when elected), the section on said campaign was tough to read, but I'm glad it's there.
I especially liked the oral history of blues preservationists in ...more
I especially liked the oral history of blues preservationists in ...more
Reed's look at Oakland, a lot of history, a little bit of travel, very informative and it made Oakland interesting.
Larry-bob Roberts
marked it as to-read
So Google Books little snippet seems to indicate he mentions Homo hop performers and drag kings.
Decent introduction to political and cultural elements of the city. Good gift for a new resident.
An opinionated snapshot of Oakland during the Jerry Brown years, Ishmael Reed's Blues City captures the culture, politics , and history of a city typically overshadowed by it's neighbor to the west. Reed's notes will find resonance with anyone who has loved a city or a neighborhood and his inclusion of accounts of groups as disparate as the Californios and the Black Panthers make for a fascinating read. Reed also spends much of his time lamenting the transformation of Jerry Brown and his polic...more
This is a good book to read if you live in Oakland or happen to be there for a few days. It's a short, quick read, highlighting some interesting history and places to visit. I think Ishmael Reed has lived there most of his life, so he knows what he's talking about. This is part of a whole sort of travelogue series that includes another good one by Chuck Palahniuk about Portland.
A very extreme non-fiction view from a well respected author.
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Ishmael Scott Reed is an American poet, essayist, and novelist. A prominent African-American literary figure, Reed is known for his satirical works challenging American political culture, and highlighting political and cultural oppression.
Reed has been described as one of the most controversial writers. While his work has often sought to represent neglected African and African-American...more
More about Ishmael Reed...
Reed has been described as one of the most controversial writers. While his work has often sought to represent neglected African and African-American...more
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