How I Became Hettie Jones
by Hettie Jones
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Book Summary Information
Author: Hettie JonesEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1996-12-06
ISBN: 0802134963
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Grove Press
Book Reviews of How I Became Hettie Jones
Book Review: not just another beat memoir
Summary: 5 Stars
hettie jones' well-written book is more than just another account of life in what was then the "new bohemia." the parties, the readings, the hand-to-mouth existence are all there, but hettie jones focuses on the every day events and ordinary moments that ultimately define a life and make it real. through one woman's story, we get equal glimpses into women's lives, their unique struggles even within the "free" subculture of the bohemians, the beat scene, and relations between the races. i originally picked up this book because of my interest in the beat generation and growing interest in the role of the women in this movement, but it is so much more. hettie jones uses seemingly ordinary events and through them draws a clear picture of time, place, emotion, and attitude. throughout it all, she manages to be both unbiased and sympathetic, neither overly critical of herself or others nor excessively self-important about being at the center of a cultural revolution. she brings what has become an idolized and mythological movement down to its true base element: people. hettie jones writes about their lives and conflicts and communications and misunderstandings, removing their status as demi-gods or jobless hedonists (depending on if you are a fan or critic) and revealing accessible, real individuals with real lives who just happened to be looking for a little bit more than the accepted american ideals. this book belongs equally in the womens' studies, beat literature, and race relations sections of any bookstore or library.
Summary of How I Became Hettie Jones
Greenwich Village in the 1950s was a haven to which young poets, painters, and jazz musicians flocked. Among them was Hettie Cohen, who'd been born into a middle-class Jewish family in Queens and who'd chosen to cross racial barriers to marry the controversial black poet LeRoi Jones. Theirs was a bohemian life in the awakening East Village of underground publishing and jazz lofts, through which drifted such icons of the generation as Allen Ginsberg, Thelonious Monk, Jack Kerouac, Frank O'Hara, Billie Holiday, James Baldwin, and Franz Kline.
Jones' atmospheric prose brings the Beat era to life with more gusto than any previous memoir, thanks to homely details like eating potato pancakes at the Second Avenue Deli and wearing Ukrainian scarves and black tights. She looks back on her marriage to LeRoi Jones with tenderness, even as she delineates the cultural forces that eventually ripped them apart. Famous friends like Allen Ginsberg make appearances, but Jones' focus is on family (her two daughters are lovingly described) and individual growth. Evocative and touching.
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