Ishmael Reed
Ishmael Reed’s latest novel is The Terrible Fours. He is a Distinguished Professor at California College of the Arts.
Excerpt: ‘Mumbo Jumbo’
Read the opening of Ishmael Reed’s experimental classic, the California Book Club’s April selection.
Why I Write: The Multidimensional View of America
Ishmael Reed, the California Book Club’s April author, shares why he writes.
The Satin Sisters and Afro-Asian Intimacies in the Bay
Author Ishmael Reed writes about the collaborations that took place in the multicultural renaissance of 1970s San Francisco, where Jessica Hagedorn’s The Gangster of Love, the April California Book Club selection, is set.
Keepin’ On, the Richardson Dynasty
Legendary Oakland author Ishmael Reed takes a closer look at the history of Marcus Books to the present day.
Poetry: ‘The Warriors. Never Count Them Out’
Draymond is suspended and Steph looks tired, but don’t bet against the best team in basketball.
Poetry: ‘Yesterday’s Newsreel Was Chasing Me’
Ishmael Reed contemplates the enduring impact of the newsreels.
Poetry: ‘Lady Stardust’
This work by Ishmael Reed was influenced by his conversations with physicists and an ongoing curiosity about the universe.
Fighting Oppression with Diamonds
The history of hip-hop suggests that it could one day lead to greater participation in capitalism by Black people—for the good of all.
A Tale of Two Theaters
In a city renowned for its progressive values and support of the arts, the Black Repertory Group struggles and the Berkeley Repertory Theatre thrives. It’s business as usual for Black theater.
Why This Art: ‘Settlement and Development’
Ishmael Reed finds inspiration in Woodruff’s contribution to the Black painting tradition.
Opinion: Why Do New York Times Columnists Despise California?
With their Eurocentric leanings, writers like Stephens, Egan, Brooks, and Friedman entertain themselves by sneering at the Golden State’s progressive values.
The Thrill Is Gone
Forty Oakland blues musicians gathered in 2003 in front of Esther’s Orbit Room. Today, seven of the performers have passed away, the venue is closed, and the once lively scene is memorialized by a Walk of Fame. But it’s never too late for a repeat performance.
Poetry Picks
Celebrate a poetic change of season with essential works from Jim Harrison, Kim Shuck, and Forrest Gander.
My Neighborhood
My Neighborhood, Part 2
An acclaimed writer’s 40-year quest for peace and belonging in a community that has endured incursions of crack cocaine, gang violence, and neglect.
‘Pluto and Luca Walk Into a Bar’
A new poem by Ishmael Reed. His latest honors include the Alberto Dubito Award for International Poetry and the AUDELCO award for theatre.