Friday, December 15, 2006

COMMENTS ON MARVIN X

Marvin X is the USA's Rumi…He's got the humor of Pietri, the politics of Baraka, and the spiritual Muslim grounding that is totally new in English--the ecstasy of Hafiz, the wisdom of Saadi….

Bob Holman, Bowery Poetry Club, New York City



Still the undisputed king of black consciousness!

Dr. Nathan Hare, Black Think Tank



Declaring Muslim American literature as a field of study is valuable because by re-contextualizing it will add another layer of attention to Marvin X's incredibly rich body of work. Muslim American literature begins with Marvin X. (Note: The University of California , Berkeley , Bancroft Library, recently acquired the archives of Marvin X.)

Dr. Mohja Kahf, Dept. of English & Middle East & Islamic Studies,
University of Arkansas ,Fayetteville




In terms of modernist and innovative, he's centuries ahead of anybody I know.

Dennis Leroy Moore, Brecht Forum, New York


Marvelous Marvin X!


Dr. Cornel West, Princeton University



Courageous and outrageous! He walked through the muck and mire of hell and came out clean as white fish and black as coal.

James W. Sweeney, Oakland CA


His writing is orgasmic!

Fahizah Alim, Sacramento Bee



Jeremiah, I presume.

Rudolph Lewis, www.nathanielturner.com



He's Plato teaching on the streets of Oakland . His play One Day In the Life

is the most powerful drama I've seen.


Ishmael Reed


One of the founders and innovators of the revolutionary school of African writing.


Amiri Baraka



He laid the foundation and gave us the language to express Black male urban experiences in a lyrical way.

James G. Spady, Philadelphia New Observer


An outspoken critic of American economic, social and cultural discrimination of African Americans at home and Third World peoples abroad.

Dr. Julius E. Thompson, African American Review


Although Marvin X emerged from an extremely politicized era and enthusiastically confronted the issues of the day, his work is basically personal and religious and remains most effective on that level. It should remain relevant long after issues are resolved, if ever, and long after slogans and polemics are forgotten.

Lorenzo Thomas, Dept. of English, University of Houston , Texas

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