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An American Story
A profoundly courageous and insightful memoir, An American Story documents the events that have shaped journalist Debra Dickerson's conscience.
The daughter of former sharecroppers, Dickerson never imagined she would emerge from her squalid St. Louis neighborhood to become an acclaimed journalist with a Harvard Law degree. A constant reader and a straight-A student, nevertheless Dickerson's lack of confidence kept her from accepting the many colleges offers she received. Instead she enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, quickly rising through the ranks. In spite of her success, she recognized within herself deep-seated conflict at being a working class black woman living in a white man's world. Her path to self-acceptance is at the heart of this refreshing narrative.
The daughter of former sharecroppers, Dickerson never imagined she would emerge from her squalid St. Louis neighborhood to become an acclaimed journalist with a Harvard Law degree. A constant reader and a straight-A student, nevertheless Dickerson's lack of confidence kept her from accepting the many colleges offers she received. Instead she enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, quickly rising through the ranks. In spite of her success, she recognized within herself deep-seated conflict at being a working class black woman living in a white man's world. Her path to self-acceptance is at the heart of this refreshing narrative.
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
285 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 21, 2015
As an African American woman, who also served as an officer in the Air Force during the same time frame of Ms Dickerson, I was anxious to read about her journey through the military. I saw many similarities in our experiences. I found the book to be most compelling in the first 100 pages; her memoir about the foundation laid to make her the person she is today. This was poignant and affecting writing. After high school, she turns from a living, feeling, and thinking young girl to a two-dimensional character. Important events are glossed-over/minimized. For example her treatment of sex and her relationships with men or really...anybody. There was little or no acknowledgement of her relationships with anyone outside of her parents and her little brother. She occasionally mentioned a boyfriend by name, but apparently other than getting her into Harvard Law School, they had very little impact on her life or the way that she sees the world. Same goes for roommates during OTS and her time as an enlisted person in the Air Force. These people are apparently (by theri ommission) unimportant to her intellectual/emotional development as an adult. Her journey became about the environment she was navigating and her perceptions thereof. A very sparsely drawn environment at that. It was the literary equivalent of her looking through the glass at other peoples lives and judging them rather than experiencing and examining her own life. She did address something that I think is unfortunately overlooked: how middle and upper class blacks feel and interact within their own culture and amongst themselves. She nailed it. I saw similar attitudes and behavior.
Ms Dickerson seems to have bountiful book knowledge, but not necessarily emotional intelligence. Unless she is in charge, she doesn't seem to do well. Whether she had stayed in the Air Force, gotten a job at a big law firm or stayed with the NAACP, the social skills required are similar, and (on the basis of this book) it seems to be something she lacks/or doesn't have the stomach for. As a writer, she is her own boss and has a choice as to what to write. Her success is dependent on her choices rather than working with others (or working with others to a lesser degree). Weird, I get the impression that her success as a writer hinges more on her very impressive resume and connections, than on her ability to write (She is very good writer, though I would not characterize her as gifted). Ironic since she is such an Ayn Rand, by-your-bootstraps type of person. Either way, her world to me seems small and lonely, but none-the-less a triumphant.
It takes a great deal of courage to write a memoir such as this and to leave oneself open to the thoughts and opinions of others. I salute Ms Dickerson's mettle; she is indeed quite brave and does in my opinion have a lot to say that is relevant, especially today. I did not see anything heroic or life affecting about this book; however, I do think Ms Dickerson is a talented observer and someone whose opinion would have great credibility in my world.
Ms Dickerson seems to have bountiful book knowledge, but not necessarily emotional intelligence. Unless she is in charge, she doesn't seem to do well. Whether she had stayed in the Air Force, gotten a job at a big law firm or stayed with the NAACP, the social skills required are similar, and (on the basis of this book) it seems to be something she lacks/or doesn't have the stomach for. As a writer, she is her own boss and has a choice as to what to write. Her success is dependent on her choices rather than working with others (or working with others to a lesser degree). Weird, I get the impression that her success as a writer hinges more on her very impressive resume and connections, than on her ability to write (She is very good writer, though I would not characterize her as gifted). Ironic since she is such an Ayn Rand, by-your-bootstraps type of person. Either way, her world to me seems small and lonely, but none-the-less a triumphant.
It takes a great deal of courage to write a memoir such as this and to leave oneself open to the thoughts and opinions of others. I salute Ms Dickerson's mettle; she is indeed quite brave and does in my opinion have a lot to say that is relevant, especially today. I did not see anything heroic or life affecting about this book; however, I do think Ms Dickerson is a talented observer and someone whose opinion would have great credibility in my world.
October 17, 2011
An American Story, by Debra J. Dickerson is an inspirational book. It is a very eye opening biography. This book gives reads a sense of a reality check as they read along through what i believe is one of the most daunting stories ever told. What first attracted me to this book was the first page. Before I read a book, I believe that the best way to see if the book is interesting is if you read the first page. My mentor recommended the book to and thought I would be inspired by the style and the message behind the biography that Ms. Dickerson elaborates. I was hesitant to read the book because I’m very picky when it comes to the books I read, but, I was fascinated by her life story.
The beauty of the biography is that it’s real. This book talks about the life of a lower class African American women. The suppression that the narrator encounters is overwhelming. In this biography the reader reads through the personal thoughts of Ms. Dickerson’s life. All her life, she has been followed by bad luck from past generations of ignorant and inhibited people. She lives through a childhood full of insufficiency, although her parents try their best to provide for their children. During her teen life, she faced a difficult time gaining respect and rights. Since she is an African American lower class female, no one believed in her. But her parents knew that she was capable of anything, because they knew she was a very intelligent young lady. She defined all odds as she proved to the world how brilliant and brave she is as she was enrolled into the countries Air force. Her experience in the air force isn’t different to her life back at home. There she faces discrimination for being a woman. Her discrimination in the air force pushes her to go against all odds once again. Her ambition to be the toughest and most respected person on the force becomes her new way of life. As you read along you begin to realize how stronger the narrator becomes physically and mentally. Laying out a perfect tone of inspiration to the ending of the biography. Anyone who is interested on reading a story that will inspire you, this novel is intended to you.
Over all, I believe that this biography was eye opening. I’ve read a couple of biographies, but none of them have ever left me with such an over powering feeling. Reading about the narrator didn’t let her obstacles in life stop her from obtaining a successful life, inspired me to also prove to the world that my gender isn’t an obstacle.
This book does an amazing job at inspiring and giving a people a reality check. Although, the author has a very biases point of you. This book shows a lot of favoritism to females and male audiences may be offended. Other than that I believe this book deserves a 3.
The beauty of the biography is that it’s real. This book talks about the life of a lower class African American women. The suppression that the narrator encounters is overwhelming. In this biography the reader reads through the personal thoughts of Ms. Dickerson’s life. All her life, she has been followed by bad luck from past generations of ignorant and inhibited people. She lives through a childhood full of insufficiency, although her parents try their best to provide for their children. During her teen life, she faced a difficult time gaining respect and rights. Since she is an African American lower class female, no one believed in her. But her parents knew that she was capable of anything, because they knew she was a very intelligent young lady. She defined all odds as she proved to the world how brilliant and brave she is as she was enrolled into the countries Air force. Her experience in the air force isn’t different to her life back at home. There she faces discrimination for being a woman. Her discrimination in the air force pushes her to go against all odds once again. Her ambition to be the toughest and most respected person on the force becomes her new way of life. As you read along you begin to realize how stronger the narrator becomes physically and mentally. Laying out a perfect tone of inspiration to the ending of the biography. Anyone who is interested on reading a story that will inspire you, this novel is intended to you.
Over all, I believe that this biography was eye opening. I’ve read a couple of biographies, but none of them have ever left me with such an over powering feeling. Reading about the narrator didn’t let her obstacles in life stop her from obtaining a successful life, inspired me to also prove to the world that my gender isn’t an obstacle.
This book does an amazing job at inspiring and giving a people a reality check. Although, the author has a very biases point of you. This book shows a lot of favoritism to females and male audiences may be offended. Other than that I believe this book deserves a 3.
March 13, 2012
A devastatingly honest & revealing self-portrait.
I had never heard of Debra Dickerson before running across this book in a local thrift store. And I guess she's not exactly "famous." But considering her background and a wrenchingly poor and abusive childhood in East St Louis, perhaps she should be. I don't think this book was a bestseller, but considering the quality of the writing and the gripping story it tells, it should have been. Dickerson credits the US Air Force for pulling her up out of poverty, but after reading the whole story, any astute reader will see it was her own indomitable will to succeed that did the job. In fact, her portrayal of how the AF treated her after she was raped by a fellow airman in Korea, is not at all a flattering look at the "old-boy" military system. (If you want to know more about this, try reading Kayla Williams' Iraq war memoir, LOVE MY RIFLE MORE THAN YOU.) If there is one indisputable catalyst to this success story then it would have to be the author's love of books and her insatiable thirst for knowledge - of all kinds. At several points in her memoir Dickerson calls herself an "autodidact," a term you may not even find in many dictionaries. It means self-taught. In her case, it should - and perhaps does - mean self-motivated. Dickerson is a voracious and eclectic reader, a person of encycopedic tastes and interests. These things, perhaps more than anything else, have made her the person she is, and probably also finally set her on the path to being a writer. And she is an excellent one. She spares herself nothing in this blazingly honest examination of her life. She doesn't always come off as admirable, but she tries her best to be truthful. The only shortcoming of this book, if indeed there are any, are the gaps about the "boyfriends" she mentions from time to time. These men are strangely absent from her story. Perhaps this was done purposely to protect their privacy, but it does tend to leave the reader wondering just what kind of relationships this at times ruthlessly ambitious woman might have enjoyed with these mostly nameless men. Dickerson understands this side of her personality; she even calls herself an "achievement junkie." Her achievements are many, that's for sure. There is much here about the plight of growing up black and poor in America, but it is about as even-handed and fair an assessment as you are likely to find today. Whether you are black or white, I recommend this book highly.
I had never heard of Debra Dickerson before running across this book in a local thrift store. And I guess she's not exactly "famous." But considering her background and a wrenchingly poor and abusive childhood in East St Louis, perhaps she should be. I don't think this book was a bestseller, but considering the quality of the writing and the gripping story it tells, it should have been. Dickerson credits the US Air Force for pulling her up out of poverty, but after reading the whole story, any astute reader will see it was her own indomitable will to succeed that did the job. In fact, her portrayal of how the AF treated her after she was raped by a fellow airman in Korea, is not at all a flattering look at the "old-boy" military system. (If you want to know more about this, try reading Kayla Williams' Iraq war memoir, LOVE MY RIFLE MORE THAN YOU.) If there is one indisputable catalyst to this success story then it would have to be the author's love of books and her insatiable thirst for knowledge - of all kinds. At several points in her memoir Dickerson calls herself an "autodidact," a term you may not even find in many dictionaries. It means self-taught. In her case, it should - and perhaps does - mean self-motivated. Dickerson is a voracious and eclectic reader, a person of encycopedic tastes and interests. These things, perhaps more than anything else, have made her the person she is, and probably also finally set her on the path to being a writer. And she is an excellent one. She spares herself nothing in this blazingly honest examination of her life. She doesn't always come off as admirable, but she tries her best to be truthful. The only shortcoming of this book, if indeed there are any, are the gaps about the "boyfriends" she mentions from time to time. These men are strangely absent from her story. Perhaps this was done purposely to protect their privacy, but it does tend to leave the reader wondering just what kind of relationships this at times ruthlessly ambitious woman might have enjoyed with these mostly nameless men. Dickerson understands this side of her personality; she even calls herself an "achievement junkie." Her achievements are many, that's for sure. There is much here about the plight of growing up black and poor in America, but it is about as even-handed and fair an assessment as you are likely to find today. Whether you are black or white, I recommend this book highly.
March 13, 2009
Debra Dickerson has lived a fascinating life - and yet there's little about this book that's gripping. The narrative limps along - this happened, then this happened, then this happened, then this happened - and there's little real reflection or analysis within it. What reflection and analysis there is feels superficial - which may be a point of style as much of as substance. The strongest section of the book, to me, was her discovering her brother's point of view on their childhood and the dynamics of their family and community - there she confronted a jarring set of revelations about the way she thought the world worked, and had to alter her thinking and behavior to accommodate it. Nowhere else did the same passion and energy come through, not in the sections describing the dynamics of race in the USAF, not in her description of surviving sexual assault, not in her work in intelligence during the first Gulf War.
The narrative is a narrative of one person - the author presents herself as having no real emotional connection to anyone, despite mentioning boyfriends and calling family members long-distance. We never get a sense of those relationships as important, even to the internal life of the author, and there's a rigidity to the prose that acts like a hand pushing the reader away.
The last section of the book is the weakest, the point at which reflection is wholesale swapped out for congratulations of a sort. A very odd book, that should have been far more interesting than it actually was.
The narrative is a narrative of one person - the author presents herself as having no real emotional connection to anyone, despite mentioning boyfriends and calling family members long-distance. We never get a sense of those relationships as important, even to the internal life of the author, and there's a rigidity to the prose that acts like a hand pushing the reader away.
The last section of the book is the weakest, the point at which reflection is wholesale swapped out for congratulations of a sort. A very odd book, that should have been far more interesting than it actually was.
December 7, 2014
Ms. Dickerson should now write a follow-up to this debut novel / memoir that would go under the top layer of AN AMERICAN STORY and give the reader a sense of connection with her on an emotional level. She is an excellent writer and, while this book gives an excellent view of what it is to have to navigate through an imperfect society -- as a woman in general, as a Black woman in particular -- where emotions have to remain in check to survive and move forward, I believe she would do well to now dig deeper and bring those emotions out on the page. Providing a deeper layer of her emotional experiences seems to be what most readers were looking for in this book and were not given. She downplays a lot of areas that, especially in recent years, other women would be screaming about, such as her rape by another soldier when she was in the Air Force. She doesn't downplay it because she wasn't deeply and emotionally affected by it; she downplayed it because it served no purpose to the overall message behind her book. That when all is said and done, "I'm an American," and should be seen as such, no more, no less, no other modifiers necessary.
"A willingness to work hard, as my mother's life proved, was no guarantee of a decent living, and it maddened me that this was how discussions about economic justice were framed, not in terms of fundamental fairness but around the reality-defying notion that a poor people are poor by choice and not mostly by circumstance, that historic oppression and political gamesmanship don't largely determine who gets what" (189)
"A willingness to work hard, as my mother's life proved, was no guarantee of a decent living, and it maddened me that this was how discussions about economic justice were framed, not in terms of fundamental fairness but around the reality-defying notion that a poor people are poor by choice and not mostly by circumstance, that historic oppression and political gamesmanship don't largely determine who gets what" (189)
August 24, 2009
Really interesting to learn more about African American views of professional success, affirmative action, attitudes toward whites and towards each other in competitive professional situations (at least Dickerson's perspective of it). Dickerson presents it in a matter of fact narrative and it's much more complex than I had considered. Also, it was really interesting how her experiences making her way through the Air Force ranks in the 1980's were similar to my own experiences in the Forest Service in the 1980's, because those things were more about gender than race--although her journey was extremely more difficult.
October 31, 2008
Crazy intense book! Wow. A very interesting look at race from a woman who spent most of her life as a staunch every-man-for-himself conservative, only to change her views and realize her internalized self-loathing due to societal messages about African Americans. I was pretty blown away by this book. I assigned it in my Social Psych/memoir course, and it was a bit of a gamble as I'd only skimmed it. I'm glad I chose it. Regardless of how students felt about her and her views, it generated great discussion.
April 16, 2009
I read this book because the author visited my daughter's campus and signed the book for her. However, I found it to be rather self-serving.
April 27, 2009
A terrific story nicely written. She is enormously bright and perceptive and it was fun to read about her life.
July 14, 2010
I appreciated this very honest account of surmounting racism, sexism, poverty. A wonderful illumination of why we should never give up on someone in the brother who turned his life around.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews