African American Writers: Portraits and Visions. (eye).

African American Writers:
Portraits and Visions
by Lynda Koolish
University Press of Mississippi, November
2001, $40.00, ISBN 1-578-06258-6

Imagine having a photo album that's not only filled with beautiful pictures of family members, but all of them are accompanied by short bios of their life's work.

African American Writers: Portraits and Visions is just that: A gallery of portraits and profiles of African-American literary lions along with lesser-known poets, writers and academics. The collection offers a thoughtful look at contemporary scholars currently influencing African-American culture.

Although this is not the first book of portraits of African-American writers --Harlem Renaissance patron Carl Van Vechten featured writers of the 1920s and 1930s--Lynda Koolish has put together a "passionately subjective" collection of portraits of writers whose work she cares about. With a nurturing eye, she has selected those moments that capture her subjects revealing something meaningful about themselves. And it is the author's deeply personal response to each writer that underscores her choices. In addition to being a recognized photographer and scholar of African-American literature, Koolish is also an associate professor of English and comparative literature at San Diego State University.

The distinguished list of individuals profiled--59 in all--is presented in alphabetical order, from poet Ai to poet/memoirist/screenwriter/novelist Al Young. A veritable Who's Who of 20th-century African-American poets, novelists, playwrights, and critics; the book features Angela Y. Davis, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Toni Morrison and August Wilson, as well as Haki R. Madhubuti and Ntozake Shange. The short biographical essay that accompanies each portrait offers some insight into the author's world, while the photo captures their spirit.

In the book's introduction, Atlanta Constitution columnist and PBS commentator Cynthia Tucker observes, "We know these authors. We know their words.... Now we can look at the eyes that ... transform our understanding of the world."

--E.D. Smith is an editor and design writer.