Cultural Literature

Born in New Orleans in 1894, Warren "Baby" Dodds became one of the greatest drummers of that city's early jazz tradition. This lively autobiography, first published more than 30 years ago and long unavailable, is the result of a series of interviews...

The first famous double-bass stylist in jazz, George Murphy "Pops" Foster enjoyed a career that spanned gigs with greats from Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington to Charlie Parker and John Coltrane. This autobiography, first published in 1971 and now...

First published anonymously in 1912, this resolutely unsentimental novel gave many white readers their first glimpse of the double standard -- and double consciousness -- that ruled the lives of black people in modern America. Republished in 1927, at the...

Few Westerners escape the images, expectations and misperceptions that lead us to see Asia as exotic, sensual, decadent, dangerous, and mysterious. Despite - and because of centuries of East-West interaction, the stereotypes of Western literature, stage,...

Ten songs from this jazz master display his unique lyrical style. Alfie * But Beautiful * Dolphin Dance * Emily * I Will Say Goodbye (Je Vivrai Sans Toi) * Never Let Me Go * Seascape * The Summer Knows (Theme from Summer of '42) * A Time for Love * You...

The Art of Jazz explores how the expressionism and spontaneity of jazz spilled onto its album art, posters, and promotional photography, and even inspired standalone works of fine art. Everyone knows jazz is on the cutting edge of music, but how much do...

In The Art of God, pastor and musician Jimi Calhoun suggests that the master artist, God, programmed diversity into every aspect of the natural order. Today more of us than ever live in closer proximity to people once viewed as different. The...

Chalk, a ubiquitous and versatile implement made from limestone, is much more than a humble tool for jotting impermanent notes. With a wide range of uses in art and design, chalk is quickly becoming a favorite of artists around the world to create...

Adedayo's poems clutch at your heart, reminding you that life is for those brave enough to become themselves. Romance, family, and war orbit around lush verses that demand an existence made full.

In this definitive history of the modern Arab world, award-winning historian Eugene Rogan draws extensively on five centuries of Arab sources to place the Arab experience in its crucial historical context. In this updated and expanded edition, Rogan...

What would happen if people started moving beyond the conversation and took action to combat racism? We are in an era where many Americans express the sentiment, "I thought we were past that," when a public demonstration of racism comes across their...

In this invigorating mix of natural history and adventure, artist-naturalist Ellen Meloy uses turquoise--the color and the gem--to probe deeper into our profound human attachment to landscape. From the Sierra Nevada, the Mojave Desert, the Yucatan...