What do you think?
Rate this book
Somebody Blew Up America
An important new work from this major American writer. "The publication of Amiri Baraka's Somebody Blew Up America And Other Poems makes one more mark in the development in modern Black radical & revolutionary cultural reconstruction"— Kamau Brathwaite, CowPastor, Barbados; Comparative Lit., New York University. See also The Essence Of Reparations. SPD also carries Amiri Baraka's Eulogies.
- GenresPoetryNonfiction
82 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
3 people are currently reading
407 people want to read
About the author
Amiri Baraka
157 books401 followersPoems and plays, such as
Dutchman
(1964), of American writer Amiri Baraka originally Everett LeRoi Jones focus on racial conflict.
He attended Barringer high school. Coyt Leverette Jones, his father, worked as a postal supervisor and lift operator. Anna Lois Russ Jones, his mother, worked as a social worker.
He studied at Rutgers, Columbia, and Howard universities but left without a degree and attended the new school for social research. He won a scholarship to Rutgers in 1951, but a continuing sense of cultural dislocation prompted him to transfer in 1952 to Howard. He studied philosophy and religion, major fields. Jones also served three years in the air force as a gunner. Jones continued his studies of comparative literature at Columbia University. An anonymous letter accused him as a Communist to his commanding officer and led to the discovery of Soviet literature; afterward, people put Jones on gardening duty and gave him a dishonorable discharge for violation of his oath of duty.
In the same year, he moved to Greenwich Village and worked initially in a warehouse for music records. His interest in jazz began in this period. At the same time, he came into contact with Beat Generation, black mountain college, and New York School. In 1958, he married Hettie Cohen and founded Totem Press, which published such Beat Generation icons as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
Jones in July 1960 visited with a delegation of Cuba committee and reported his impressions in his essay Cuba libre . He began a politically active art. In 1961, he published Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note , a first book. In 1963, Blues People: Negro Music in White America of the most influential volumes of criticism, especially in regard to the then beginning free jazz movement, followed. His acclaimed controversy premiered and received an Obie Award in the same year.
After the assassination of Malcolm X (1965), Jones left his wife and their two children and moved to Harlem. His controversial revolutionary and then antisemitic.
In 1966, Jones married Sylvia Robinson, his second wife, who later adopted the name Amina Baraka. In 1967, he lectured at San Francisco State University. In 1967, he adopted the African name Imamu Amear Baraka, which he later changed to Amiri Baraka.
In 1968, he was arrested in Newark for allegedly carrying an illegal weapon and resisting arrest during the riots of the previous year, and people subsequently sentenced him to three years in prison; shortly afterward, Raymond A. Brown, his defense attorney, convinced an appeals court to reverse the sentence. In that same year, Black Music, his second book of jazz criticism, collected previously published music journalism, including the seminal Apple Cores columns from Down Beat magazine. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Baraka penned some similar strongly anti-Jewish articles to the stance at that time of the Nation of Islam to court controversy.
Around 1974, Baraka himself from Black nationalism as a Marxist and a supporter of third-world liberation movements. In 1979, he lectured at Africana studies department of State University of New York at Stony Brook. In 1980, he denounced his former anti-Semitic utterances, declaring himself an anti-Zionist.
In 1984, Baraka served as a full professor at Rutgers University, but was subsequently denied tenure. In 1989, he won a book award for his works as well as a Langston Hughes award.
In 1990, he co-authored the autobiography of Quincy Jones, and 1998 , he served as supporting actor in Bulworth, film of Warren Beatty. In 1996, the red hot organization produced Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip, and Baraka contributed to this acquired immune def
He attended Barringer high school. Coyt Leverette Jones, his father, worked as a postal supervisor and lift operator. Anna Lois Russ Jones, his mother, worked as a social worker.
He studied at Rutgers, Columbia, and Howard universities but left without a degree and attended the new school for social research. He won a scholarship to Rutgers in 1951, but a continuing sense of cultural dislocation prompted him to transfer in 1952 to Howard. He studied philosophy and religion, major fields. Jones also served three years in the air force as a gunner. Jones continued his studies of comparative literature at Columbia University. An anonymous letter accused him as a Communist to his commanding officer and led to the discovery of Soviet literature; afterward, people put Jones on gardening duty and gave him a dishonorable discharge for violation of his oath of duty.
In the same year, he moved to Greenwich Village and worked initially in a warehouse for music records. His interest in jazz began in this period. At the same time, he came into contact with Beat Generation, black mountain college, and New York School. In 1958, he married Hettie Cohen and founded Totem Press, which published such Beat Generation icons as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
Jones in July 1960 visited with a delegation of Cuba committee and reported his impressions in his essay Cuba libre . He began a politically active art. In 1961, he published Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note , a first book. In 1963, Blues People: Negro Music in White America of the most influential volumes of criticism, especially in regard to the then beginning free jazz movement, followed. His acclaimed controversy premiered and received an Obie Award in the same year.
After the assassination of Malcolm X (1965), Jones left his wife and their two children and moved to Harlem. His controversial revolutionary and then antisemitic.
In 1966, Jones married Sylvia Robinson, his second wife, who later adopted the name Amina Baraka. In 1967, he lectured at San Francisco State University. In 1967, he adopted the African name Imamu Amear Baraka, which he later changed to Amiri Baraka.
In 1968, he was arrested in Newark for allegedly carrying an illegal weapon and resisting arrest during the riots of the previous year, and people subsequently sentenced him to three years in prison; shortly afterward, Raymond A. Brown, his defense attorney, convinced an appeals court to reverse the sentence. In that same year, Black Music, his second book of jazz criticism, collected previously published music journalism, including the seminal Apple Cores columns from Down Beat magazine. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Baraka penned some similar strongly anti-Jewish articles to the stance at that time of the Nation of Islam to court controversy.
Around 1974, Baraka himself from Black nationalism as a Marxist and a supporter of third-world liberation movements. In 1979, he lectured at Africana studies department of State University of New York at Stony Brook. In 1980, he denounced his former anti-Semitic utterances, declaring himself an anti-Zionist.
In 1984, Baraka served as a full professor at Rutgers University, but was subsequently denied tenure. In 1989, he won a book award for his works as well as a Langston Hughes award.
In 1990, he co-authored the autobiography of Quincy Jones, and 1998 , he served as supporting actor in Bulworth, film of Warren Beatty. In 1996, the red hot organization produced Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip, and Baraka contributed to this acquired immune def
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 17, 2020
"پس از حملات تروریستی یازده سپتامبر کتاب «یکی امریکا را به باد داد و دیگر شعرها» از باراکا منتشر می شود و آنچنان جنجالی به پا می کند که فرماندار نیوجرزی از او می خواهد به خاطر مواضع اش عذرخواهی کند. باراکا پافشاری می کند و عنوان افتخاری ملک الشعرای ایالت، که پیش از آن به او اهدا شده بود، از او سلب می شود."
"چه کسی زندگی در بزرگترین خانه ها دارد؟
چه کسی می کند بزرگترین جنایت ها را؟
چه کسی هروقت عشقش کشید می رود مرخصی؟
چه کسی از همه بیشتر سیاه ها را کشت؟
چه کسی از همه بیشتر ایتالیایی ها را کشت؟
چه کسی از همه بیشتر ایرلندی ها را کشت؟
چه کسی از همه بیشتر آفریقایی ها را کشت؟
چه کسی از همه بیشتر ژاپنی ها را کشت؟
چه کسی از همه بیشتر لاتینی ها را کشت؟"
"به تاریخ آمریکا بنگرید. این کشور چگونه ساخته شد؟ مگر نه آنست که بردگان، امریکا را امریکا کردند و ما اکنون به میلیونها سیاهپوست/برده بدهکاریم. در کتاب های تاریخ مدارس ما جنایات بزرگ اجدادمان با واژه های مؤدبانه کاپیتالیسم و فئودالیسم ماستمالی شده است.
(جری روبين)
امیری باراکا، شاعر و نویسنده جنجالی، درست در جایی ایستاده است که چهار سنت مخالف خوان آمریکا به هم می رسند: سنت هیپیزم، سنت هارلم، سنت مارکسیستی و سنت اسلامی"
"«جنبش ضد فرهنگ آمریکا» در ۱۹۶۸ به اوج خود رسید؛ زمانی که هیپی ها و دانشجویان معترض در لینکلن پارک در مقابله با همایش دموکرات ها برای انتخابات ریاست جمهوری، فستیوالی برگزار می کنند و طی آن یک بچه خوک را برای تصدی پست ریاست جمهوری از طرف خود کاندیدا می کنند. استدلال آنها این بود که وقتی مردم به خوکهای بالغ رأی می دهند، چرا به این بچه خوک ندهند؟"
"باراکا روش مالکوم ایکس را بیشتر از روش مسالمت آمیز مارتین لوترکینگ میپسندید. چهار برادر و پدر مالکوم ایکس توسط گروه کوکلاکس کلان کشته شده بودند، گروهی نژادپرست که به اذیت و آزار و ترور سیاهان می پرداخت و از حمایت غیر مستقیم پلیس نیز برخوردار بود."
"باراکا در شعر «چه کسی آمریکا را به یاد داد؟!» تاریخ تروریسم را مرور می کند. از جنگ جهانی دوم و فاشیسم هیتلری حرف می زند، از جنایات جنگی امریکا در ویتنام، ترور آلنده، لینکلن، کندی، مارتین لوتر کینگ، مالکوم ایکس، چه گوارا، رزا لوکزامبورگ و لیبکنشت. از بمباران اتمی ژاپن می گوید، از قتل عام ارامنه، فاجعه ی کنگو، استعمار آفریقا، خاورمیانه و ایرلند. باراکا از تاریخ نژادپرستی، آپارتاید، تبعیض و بهره کشی می پرسد."
"مردم سیاه می گویند ما خود همیشه قربانی ترور بودهایم، دولتی و عمومی، پس نمی توانیم با رفتاری جنون آمیز و هیستریک، همچون آنانی که از ما میخواهند تاریخ و واقعیت معاصر را فراموش کنیم تا به آنها بپیوندیم، تحت لوای یک «میهن پرستی» سطحی، در حمله کردن به اغلب مردم جهان، خصوصا رنگین پوستها و جهان سومی ها، گردهم بیاییم. آیا قربانیان فاشیسم اروپایی می توانستند دیوانه وار به رژیمی وفادار باشند که پرچم صلیب شکسته ی نازی داشت؟!"
"چه کسی زندگی در بزرگترین خانه ها دارد؟
چه کسی می کند بزرگترین جنایت ها را؟
چه کسی هروقت عشقش کشید می رود مرخصی؟
چه کسی از همه بیشتر سیاه ها را کشت؟
چه کسی از همه بیشتر ایتالیایی ها را کشت؟
چه کسی از همه بیشتر ایرلندی ها را کشت؟
چه کسی از همه بیشتر آفریقایی ها را کشت؟
چه کسی از همه بیشتر ژاپنی ها را کشت؟
چه کسی از همه بیشتر لاتینی ها را کشت؟"
"به تاریخ آمریکا بنگرید. این کشور چگونه ساخته شد؟ مگر نه آنست که بردگان، امریکا را امریکا کردند و ما اکنون به میلیونها سیاهپوست/برده بدهکاریم. در کتاب های تاریخ مدارس ما جنایات بزرگ اجدادمان با واژه های مؤدبانه کاپیتالیسم و فئودالیسم ماستمالی شده است.
(جری روبين)
امیری باراکا، شاعر و نویسنده جنجالی، درست در جایی ایستاده است که چهار سنت مخالف خوان آمریکا به هم می رسند: سنت هیپیزم، سنت هارلم، سنت مارکسیستی و سنت اسلامی"
"«جنبش ضد فرهنگ آمریکا» در ۱۹۶۸ به اوج خود رسید؛ زمانی که هیپی ها و دانشجویان معترض در لینکلن پارک در مقابله با همایش دموکرات ها برای انتخابات ریاست جمهوری، فستیوالی برگزار می کنند و طی آن یک بچه خوک را برای تصدی پست ریاست جمهوری از طرف خود کاندیدا می کنند. استدلال آنها این بود که وقتی مردم به خوکهای بالغ رأی می دهند، چرا به این بچه خوک ندهند؟"
"باراکا روش مالکوم ایکس را بیشتر از روش مسالمت آمیز مارتین لوترکینگ میپسندید. چهار برادر و پدر مالکوم ایکس توسط گروه کوکلاکس کلان کشته شده بودند، گروهی نژادپرست که به اذیت و آزار و ترور سیاهان می پرداخت و از حمایت غیر مستقیم پلیس نیز برخوردار بود."
"باراکا در شعر «چه کسی آمریکا را به یاد داد؟!» تاریخ تروریسم را مرور می کند. از جنگ جهانی دوم و فاشیسم هیتلری حرف می زند، از جنایات جنگی امریکا در ویتنام، ترور آلنده، لینکلن، کندی، مارتین لوتر کینگ، مالکوم ایکس، چه گوارا، رزا لوکزامبورگ و لیبکنشت. از بمباران اتمی ژاپن می گوید، از قتل عام ارامنه، فاجعه ی کنگو، استعمار آفریقا، خاورمیانه و ایرلند. باراکا از تاریخ نژادپرستی، آپارتاید، تبعیض و بهره کشی می پرسد."
"مردم سیاه می گویند ما خود همیشه قربانی ترور بودهایم، دولتی و عمومی، پس نمی توانیم با رفتاری جنون آمیز و هیستریک، همچون آنانی که از ما میخواهند تاریخ و واقعیت معاصر را فراموش کنیم تا به آنها بپیوندیم، تحت لوای یک «میهن پرستی» سطحی، در حمله کردن به اغلب مردم جهان، خصوصا رنگین پوستها و جهان سومی ها، گردهم بیاییم. آیا قربانیان فاشیسم اروپایی می توانستند دیوانه وار به رژیمی وفادار باشند که پرچم صلیب شکسته ی نازی داشت؟!"
Read
October 14, 2020نام مترجم فارسی اثر؟
April 8, 2018
Confrontational poetry that blows apart the comfortable lies we tell ourselves about progressive, democratic societies. Brutal in its relevance,uncomfortable in its honesty, damning in its reality.
December 31, 2019
I didn't necessarily care for this collection too much, but I'm still open to reading more from Baraka. I really liked the way he included some jazz credits to 'frame' or soundtrack some of the pieces. I also liked the religious and specific African imagery. His poems require a lot of historical and political contextualization - I like how he thus attempts to memorize these strong emotions and responses to so many instances of injustice. The first two poems, "Beginnings: Malcolm" and "Betty & Malcolm" are my favorites. I really like the structuring, it evokes the jazz material he's drawing from. "In Town" was also nice, but a little underwhelming - I feel that the narrator was committing the same crime that they were in the process of pointing out, the way they rotate around the subject without naming it. I figure that's part of the point, but it didn't work for me. "Understanding Readiness," the tribute to Kwame Toure, was a bland rallying call. "Jungle Jim" has some strong lines, but at this point I realized that Baraka's use of repetition can get tiring. Rather than write about the other poems I'll say that the style reminded me of Sonia Sanchez's stuff, but I much prefer her. Still willing to give Baraka's stuff another go though.
December 17, 2018
Read the poem "Somebody blew up America" for class.
Read
August 5, 2020Memory: discovering from an inscription in a chapbook that your sister once met Amiri Baraka.
January 13, 2008
A few years ago, this book was rocked by charges of anti-semitism. It cost Baraka his post as the Poet Laureate of New Jersey. If you actually read the damn thing, these charges do not hold up well. It's a great poem--and although I'm certainly not a 9/11 conspiracist, it certainly makes the historical point that so many "disasters" have an unseen hand behind them. Food for though. Baraka only made one mistake, I think minor, that left him open to the accusation of anti-semitism--repeating the (debunked) urban myth that thousands of Jewish people were given the word to stay away from the WTC on 9/11. A mistake, but not one that makes a poem anti-semitic.
September 23, 2012
Amiri Baraka is my favorite author. He is the embodiment of America to me in the sense that he knows that he has the right to speak his mind and he does and it's not random. Ilove the broadness of the subjects he addresses. Some refer to him as revolutionary. I have yet to come across any work of his I haven't enjoyed.
February 18, 2008
Amari has capture light, thought, questions and truth into one passionate book of poems that commands your attention and feeds your mind all at the same time.
He has a beautiful mind.
He has a beautiful mind.
Read
October 17, 2008Read it to see what the controversy is all about!
Want to read
April 2, 2009haven't gotten very far - but two enthusiastic thumbs up for the introduction...
July 12, 2013
He's a master in the poetic arts, and never disappoints. This is one of my all-time favorite books.
January 5, 2020
memorized
November 30, 2024
Muslims are easily inspired by conspiracy theories!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews