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Oberlin College's own James McBride wins the 2021 Andrew Carnegie award in fiction with his novel, Deacon King Kong.

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Oberlin College's own James McBride wins the 2021 Andrew Carnegie award in fiction with his novel, Deacon King Kong.

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This podcast provides an excellent and enjoyable conversation on many topics. As a white male I find this conversation between two black women and their guests an essential listen and a great resource for learning and gaining greater understanding of the diverse world around me - ENJOY!

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There Are No Children Here
This is an excellent book about two young boys growing up in the housing projects in Chicago.

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This is the moving and powerful account of two remarkable boys struggling to survive in Chicago's Henry Horner Homes, a public housing complex disfigured by crime and neglect.

Product Details

ISBN-13:

9780385265560

Publisher:

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Publication date:

01/05/1992

Edition description:

Reissue

Pages:

336

Sales rank:

80,851

Product dimensions:

5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

Lexile:

970L ( what's this?)

About the Author

Alex Kotlowitz is the author of the national bestseller There Are No Children Here, which the New York Public Library selected as one of the 150 most important books of the twentieth century. His second book, The Other Side of the River, was awarded the Heartland Prize for Non-Fiction. For his documentary film, The Interrupters, he received an Emmy and a Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary. Kotlowitz's work, which has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, and on public radio's This American Life, has been honored with two Peabody awards, two duPont-Columbia University awards, and a George Polk Award. He is a writer in residence at Northwestern University. Kotlowitz lives with his wife, Maria Woltjen, and their two children, Mattie and Lucas, just outside of Chicago.

Editorial Reviews

"An extraordinary glimpse into the lives of those struggling for survival and dignity in inner-city America."- Chicago Sun-Times

"Alex Kotlowitz's story informs the heart. His meticulous portrait of two boys in a Chicago housing project shows how much heroism is required to survive, let alone escape."- The New York Times

"Alex Kotlowitz joins the ranks of the important few writers on the subiect of urban poverty."- Chicago Tribune

"Kotlowitz has achieved a triumph of empathy as well as a significant feat of reporting."- Los Angeles Times

"A powerful argument against the politics of inertia, hopelessness, and greed, and for a real war on poverty, violence, and racism in our country."-Tracy Kidder, author of Among the Schoolchildren

From the Publisher

The devastating story of brothers Lafayette and Pharoah Rivers, children of the Chicago ghetto, is powerfully told here by Kotlowitz, a Wall Street Journal reporter who first met the boys in 1985 when they were 10 and seven, respectively. Their family includes a mother, a frequently absent father, an older brother and younger triplets. We witness the horrors of growing up in an ill-maintained housing project tyrannized by drug gangs and where murders and shootings frequently occur. Lafayette tries to cope by stifling his emotions and turning himself into an automaton, while Pharoah first attempts to regress into early childhood and then finds a way out by excelling at school. Kotlowitz's affecting report does not have a ``neat and tidy ending. . . . It is, instead, about a beginning, the dawning of two lives.'' These are lives at a crossroads, not totally without hope of triumphing over their origin. ( Apr .

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

In this powerful and moving book (an expansion of his 1988 Wall Street Journal series), reporter Kotlowitz traces two years in the lives of ten-year-old Lafeyette and seven-year-old Pharoah Rivers as they struggle to beat the odds and grow up in one of Chicago's worst housing projects. Confronted with violent gangs, persistent poverty, and personal tragedies (a beloved older brother is convicted on robbery charges), the brothers differ in their attempts to survive. Lafeyette replaces his frequently absent father as the man of the house, trying to help his mother and to protect his younger siblings from the dangers of the project. Sensitive and imaginative Pharoah seeks escape through his daydreams and schoolwork. Unless they have hearts of stone, few readers will fail to become emotionally involved with these boys, as Kotlowitz did. Proceeds from the book's sales will be used to set up a trust fund for them, and Oprah Winfrey has bought the film rights. Highly recommended.-- Wilda Williams, ``Library Journal''

Library Journal

YA-- Life in Chicago's Henry Horner housing project robbed Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers of their childhood and innocence. The crowded apartment housed LaJoe, six of her eight children, and a procession of needy relatives and friends. Bleaker than the overcrowding was the physical condition of the apartment; conditions outside were worse. Drug use, crime, shootings, and other violence were commonplace. Retribution sure and swift followed if someone saw or knew too much. Through his extensive research and his intimate friendship with the Rivers family, Kotlowitz paints a poignant, heartbreaking picture of life in the inner-city ghetto and the overwhelming odds children must overcome to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty and crime. A must-read for everyone. --Grace Baun, R. E. Lee High Sch . , Springfield, VA

School Library Journal

Read More

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There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America|Paperback

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This is the moving and powerful account of two remarkable boys struggling to survive in Chicago's Henry Horner Homes, a public housing complex disfigured by crime and neglect. ISBN-13: 9780385265560 Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Publication date: 01/05/1992 Edition description: Reissue Pages: 336 Sales rank: 80,851 Product dimensions: 5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d) Lexile: 970L ( what's this?)

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Roxanne Roxanne
I loved this movie about the life of hip hop artist Roxanne Shante. It’s a really good insight into the history of hip-hop, and particularly of women, breaking into the scene.

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Roxanne Roxanne | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

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We really were moved by the PBS documentary "The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross" and learned so many new aspects of history from watching it.

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We really were moved by the PBS documentary "The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross" and learned so many new aspects of history from watching it.

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Skip to Main Content

Survey the full sweep of African-American history with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. More More

Close

This series chronicles the full sweep of African American history, from the origins of slavery on the African continent right up to today—when America has a black president, yet remains a nation deeply divided by race.

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The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross | PBS

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Skip to Main Content Survey the full sweep of African-American history with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. More More Close This series chronicles the full sweep of African American history, from the origins of slavery on the African continent right up to today-when America has a black president, yet remains a nation deeply divided by race.

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I just finished Copper Sun by Sharon Draper.  The storytelling was exquisite and piercing.  The strength of the main character, Amari, in the face of such horror and devastation,  is breathtaking.  Draper’s descriptive language places readers inside of the story so we see and feel the injustice and pain Amari experiences.  This is a must read for middle-schoolers and adults!

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Jessie Reeder brought passion to music that transcended high school self-consciousness

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Jessie Reeder brought passion to music that transcended high school self-consciousness

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Studying with Mrs Reeder taught hundreds of Oberlin youth to find our voices in heartfelt expression. Singing pieces like Ray’s Gospel Mass built appreciation for challenging pieces that can move your heart and soul.

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"The Warmth of Other Suns" by Isabel Wilkerson

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"The Warmth of Other Suns" by Isabel Wilkerson

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What a beautifully written book about three black citizens who fled the South in search of a better life during The Great Migration. Highly recommend!!

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Octavia E. Butler ... Award Winning Science Fiction Writer!

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Octavia E. Butler ... Award Winning Science Fiction Writer!

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As a fan of science fiction and female writers, I've found great pleasure in reading Octavia's books.  Kindred is my favorite.  Which should I read next?