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Gordon Parks

Born

in Fort Scott, Kansas, The United States

November 30, 1912

Died

March 07, 2006

Genre

Photography/photojournalism, Biographies & Memoirs, Literature & Fiction

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Gordon Parks was a groundbreaking American photographer, musician, poet, novelist, journalist, activist and film director. He is best remembered for his photo essays for Life Magazine and as the director of the 1971 film, Shaft.

Parks is remembered for his activism, filmmaking, photography, and writings. He was the first African-American to work at Life magazine, and the first to write, direct, and score a Hollywood film. He was profiled in the 1967 documentary "Weapons of Gordon Parks" by American filmmaker Warren Forma. Parks was also a campaigner for civil rights; subject of film and print profiles, notably Half Past Autumn in 2000; and had a gallery exhibit of his photo-related, abstract oil paintings in 1981. He was also a co-founder of Gordon Parks was a groundbreaking American photographer, musician, poet, novelist, journalist, activist and film director. He is best remembered for his photo essays for Life Magazine and as the director of the 1971 film, Shaft.

Parks is remembered for his activism, filmmaking, photography, and writings. He was the first African-American to work at Life magazine, and the first to write, direct, and score a Hollywood film. He was profiled in the 1967 documentary "Weapons of Gordon Parks" by American filmmaker Warren Forma. Parks was also a campaigner for civil rights; subject of film and print profiles, notably Half Past Autumn in 2000; and had a gallery exhibit of his photo-related, abstract oil paintings in 1981. He was also a co-founder of Essence magazine, and one of the early contributors to the "blaxploitation" genre.

Parks also performed as a jazz pianist. His first job was as a piano player in a brothel. His song "No Love," composed in another brothel, was performed over a national radio broadcast by Larry Funk and his orchestra in the early 30s. He composed Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1953) at the encouragement of black American conductor Dean Dixon and his wife, pianist Vivian and with the help of composer Henry Brant. In 1989, he composed and choreographed Martin, a ballet dedicated to civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

Beginning in the 1960s, Parks branched out into literature, writing The Learning Tree (1963), several books of poetry illustrated with his own photographs, and three volumes of memoirs.In 1981, Parks turned to fiction with Shannon, a novel about Irish immigrants fighting their way up the social ladder in turbulent early 20th-century New York. Parks' writing accomplishments include novels, poetry, autobiography, and non-fiction including photographic instructional manuals and filmmaking books. Parks also wrote a poem called "The Funeral".

Parks received over 20 honorary doctorates in his lifetime. He died of cancer at the age of 93. ...more

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Gordon Parks’s books

Average rating: 4.28 · 4,813 ratings · 479 reviews · 110 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Learning Tree 4.17 avg rating — 1,629 ratings — published 1963 — 32 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Choice of Weapons 4.36 avg rating — 791 ratings — published 1966 — 26 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Hungry Heart 4.35 avg rating — 164 ratings — published 2005 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Half Past Autumn by Gordon Parks, Philip Brookman, Corcoran Gallery of Art 4.64 avg rating — 127 ratings — published 1997 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Voices in the Mirror 4.38 avg rating — 121 ratings — published 1990 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gordon Parks: Segregation Story 4.69 avg rating — 106 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gordon Parks: The Atmosphere of Crime, 1957 by Gordon Parks (Photographer), Glenn Lowry (Foreword), Peter W. Kunhardt (Foreword) 4.34 avg rating — 58 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fields of Vision: The Photographs of Gordon Parks 4.64 avg rating — 45 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Eyes With Winged Thoughts 3.88 avg rating — 51 ratings — published 2005 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gordon Parks: Segregation Story by Gordon Parks, Maurice Berger (Contributor), Dawoud Bey (Contributor) 4.57 avg rating — 28 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Gordon Parks (?)

“Enthusiasm is the electricity of life. How do you get it? You act enthusiastic until you make it a habit.”
― Gordon Parks

tags: electricity, enthusiasm, habits, life

80 likes

“The guy who takes a chance, who walks the line between the known and unknown, who is unafraid of failure, will succeed.”
― Gordon Parks

9 likes

“Enthusiasm is the electricity of life. How do you get it? You act
enthusiastic until you make it a habit.”
― Gordon Parks

4 likes

See all Gordon Parks's quotes »

Polls

October Classical Historical Fiction Group Read

Ralph Ellison Invisible Man by

18 votes 45.0%

The Street by Ann Petry

13 votes 32.5%

The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks

9 votes 22.5%

40 total votes

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Gordon Parks’s Followers (118)

Gordon Parks

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Combine Editions
Gordon Parks’s books