[NEohioPAL]Cleveland Public Library: African American Cinema from Silent to Contemporary

[Donald Boozer]

This week=27s posting from the Literature Department at Cleveland Public =

Library=2E=2E=2E
The Literature Department is located on the second floor of the Main =

Library=2C downtown Cleveland=2C at East Sixth Street and Superior Avenue=
=2E =

Click on the link provided to access the library=92s catalog to reserve =

any of these titles=2E For more information=2C visit our location=2C call=
 216-
623-2881=2C or email us at =93literature =3Cat=3E cpl=2Eorg=2E=94

Black Manhood on the Silent Screen=2E
Gerald R=2E Butters=2C Jr=2E
University Press of Kansas=2C 2002=2E
(PN1995=2E9=2EN4 B88 2002)
http=3A//www=2Ecpl=2Eorg/cgi-bin/lookup=2Epl=3Fisbn=3D0700611975
(Link includes cover art)
=93Few people realize that from 1915 through 1929 a number of African =

American film directors worked diligently to counter such racist =

definitions of black manhood found in films like D=2EW=2E Griffith=92s Th=
e =

Birth of a Nation=2E=2E=2EIn the wake of the film=92s phenomenal success=2C=
 =

African American filmmakers sought to defend and redefine black manhood =

through motion pictures=2E Gerald Butter=92s comprehensive study of the =

African American cinematic vision in silent film concentrates on works =

largely ignored by most contemporary film scholars=3A African American-
produced and =96directed films and white independent productions of all-
black features=2E=94 =96 from inside book jacket

Black on Black=3A Urban Youth Films and the Multicultural Audience=2E
Celeste A=2E Fisher=2E
Scarecrow Press=2C Inc=2E=2C 2006=2E
(PN1995=2E9=2EN4 F57 2006)
http=3A//www=2Ecpl=2Eorg/cgi-bin/lookup=2Epl=3Fisbn=3D9780810857223
The book =93tackles the underexamined subject of black=2C male-focused=2C=
 =

coming-of-age films in American society=2E Of central concern is an =

analysis of responses made by culturally diverse young adults to =

selected =91hood=92 films of the early 1990s=2E Grounded in reader-respon=
se =

theory and using qualitative research design and analysis=2C Celeste =

Fisher examines student interpretations of three representative films =

of the period=3A Boyz n the Hood=2C Juice=2C and Menace II Society=2E=94 =
=96 from =

book jacket

Screens Fade to Black=3A Contemporary African American Cinema=2E
David J=2E Leonard=2E
Praeger=2C 2006=2E =

(PN1995=2E9=2EN4 L46 2006)
http=3A//www=2Ecpl=2Eorg/cgi-bin/lookup=2Epl=3Fisbn=3D0275983617
(Link includes cover art and table of contents)
=93In this study=2C Leonard examines a sampling of recent African America=
n =

films in order to assess the extent to which they reflect racial =

progress or help perpetuate racial inequality and white privilege=2E Most=
 =

of the films analyzed were written=2C directed=2C and starred by black =

artists=2E These include (for example) Antwone Fisher=2C Prison Song=2C =

Drumline=2C Barbershop=2C and Bamboozled=2E Leonard teaches comparative =

ethnic studies at Washington State U=2E=94 =96 booknews=2Ecom

Remember=2C books highlighted here can be borrowed through any CLEVNET =

library with the touch of a button=2E Whether you=27re from Cleveland=2C =

Shaker Heights=2C Euclid=2C or East Cleveland=2C just place a hold throug=
h =

the link provided and choose your library as the pickup location=2E
**************************
Donald Boozer
Subject Department Librarian
Literature Department
Cleveland Public Library
325 Superior Avenue=2C Cleveland=2C OH 44114
donald=2Eboozer=40cpl=2Eorg
216-623-2881 / 216-623-7050 (fax)
http=3A//www=2Ecpl=2Eorg