{"product_id":"ota-benga-under-my-mothers-roof-poems-paperback","title":"Ota Benga Under My Mother's Roof: Poems - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eCarrie Allen McCray\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eKevin Simmonds\u003c\/b\u003e (Editor)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eOta Benga under My Mother's Roof, \u003c\/i\u003e Carrie Allen McCray (1913-2008) uses poignant and personal verse to trace the ill-fated life of the Congolese pygmy who was famously exhibited in the Bronx Zoo in 1906 before being taken in by the McCray family of Lynchburg, Virginia. Rooted in the rich historical and autobiographic context of her own experiences with Benga, McCray offers compelling, dexterous poems that place Benga's story within the racial milieu of the early twentieth century as the burgeoning science of social anthropology worked to classify humans based on race and culture. The theme of this book is a study of humanity, of people of all kinds, in which Benga's vitality becomes the measure against which everyone is measured. With poems that revel in African American signifying, spirituality, and traditional storytelling, McCray's collection establishes a sincere legacy for Ota Benga as she shares her friend's harrowing tale with new generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA harrowing tale of objectification, friendship, and reverance for the human spirit\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eKevin Simmonds\u003c\/b\u003e is a writer, musician, and filmmaker originally from New Orleans. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eMad for Meat\u003c\/i\u003e and editor of \u003ci\u003eCollective Brightness: LGBTIQ Poets on Faith, Religion \u0026amp; Spirituality.\u003c\/i\u003e Simmonds's collaborations include the Emmy Award-winning documentary \u003ci\u003eHOPE: Living and Loving with HIV in Jamaica\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eVoices of Haiti: A Post-Quake Odyssey in Verse, \u003c\/i\u003e both commissioned by the Pulitzer Center. His genre-defying films include \u003ci\u003eSinging Whitman\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003efeti(sh)ame\u003c\/i\u003e. He divides his time between San Francisco and Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 88\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.21 x 8.5 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 22, 2012\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42699369152608,"sku":"9781611170856","price":30.76,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0598\/1922\/9280\/files\/dcd7981d9520a62596bf18a72307d040.webp?v=1775836874","url":"https:\/\/bijoucc.myshopify.com\/products\/ota-benga-under-my-mothers-roof-poems-paperback","provider":"CARIBBEAN CONNECT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}