Synopses & Reviews
What could make a smart woman ignore doctor's orders? andlt;BRandgt; What could get a hardworking employee fired from her job? andlt;BRandgt; What could get a black woman in hot water with her white boyfriend? andlt;BRandgt; In a word... andlt;BRandgt; andlt;Bandgt;HAIR.andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt; When does a few ounces feel like a few tons? When a doctor advises a black woman to start an exercise program and she wonders how she can do it without breaking a sweat. When an employer fires her for wearing a cultural hairstyle that's "unprofessional," and she has to go to court to plead for her job. When she's with her man, and the moment she's supposed to let loose, she stops to secure her head scarf so he doesn't disturb the 'do. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;Bandgt;TENDERHEADED?andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Yes, definitely. All black women are, in one way or another. andlt;BRandgt; The issue is not only about looking good, but about feeling adequate in a society where the beauty standards are unobtainable for most women. andlt;Iandgt;Tenderheadedandlt;/Iandgt; boldly throws open the closet where black women's skeletons have been threatening to burst down the door. In poems, essays, cartoons, photos, and excerpts from novels and plays, women and men speak to the meaning hair has for them, and for society. In an intimate letter, A'Leila Perry Bundles pays tribute to her great-grandmother, hair-care pioneer Madam C.J. Walker, who launched a generation of African-American businesswomen. Corporate consultant Cherilyn "Liv" Wright interviews men and women on the hilarious ways they handle "the hair issue" between the sheets. Art historian Henry John Drewal explores how hairstyles, in Yoruba culture, indicate spiritual destiny, and activist Angela Davis questions how her message of revolution got reduced to a hairstyle. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;Iandgt;Tenderheadedandlt;/Iandgt; is as rich and diverse as the children of the African diaspora. With works by Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, bell hooks, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and other writers of passion, persuasion, and humor -- this is sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.
Review
andlt;iandgt;Black Issues Book Reviewandlt;/iandgt; It's time to get down to the nappy truth about all the pros and cons of black hair. Harris and Johnson's 'comb-bending collection' is a tell-it-like-it-is compilation of essays that give insight into what we and others think about it, the history behind our hair, and how it affects our lives.
Review
andlt;iandgt;The Washington Postandlt;/iandgt; Because of the variety of voices in andlt;iandgt;Tenderheadedandlt;/iandgt;...the book has a feeling of breadth and nuance.
Review
Heart and Soul A must-read that unravels our deep-rooted history and relationship with hair.
Review
andlt;iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/iandgt; This remarkable array of writings and images illuminates black women's hair and its cultural meaning....Beyond the variety of contributors and the provocative quotes and historical tidbits sprinkled between the entries, it's the wealth of feeling rooted in hair that makes this volume so compelling. With its (s)nappy jacket and generous helpings of art and photos, this mini-encyclopedia should attract an avid audience.
Review
Essence Ought to be at the top of everyone's must-read list.
Review
Boston Herald An outstanding volume!
Review
andlt;iandgt;The Boston Heraldandlt;/iandgt; Peter Harris' piece...is just one gem in this outstanding volume.
Review
andlt;iandgt;The Times-Picayuneandlt;/iandgt; (New Orleans) Perfectly captures black people's progress (or lack of it) on the hair issue....Valuable and enlightening to anyone who is tenderheaded in one way or another.
Review
andlt;iandgt;Essenceandlt;/iandgt; Ought to be at the top of everyone's must-read list.
Review
andlt;iandgt;Boston Heraldandlt;/iandgt; An outstanding volume!
Review
andlt;iandgt;Heart and Soulandlt;/iandgt; A must-read that unravels our deep-rooted history and relationship with hair.
Synopsis
What could make a smart woman ignore doctor's orders?
What could get a hardworking employee fired from her job?
What could get a black woman in hot water with her white boyfriend?
In a word...
HAIR.
When does a few ounces feel like a few tons? When a doctor advises a black woman to start an exercise program and she wonders how she can do it without breaking a sweat. When an employer fires her for wearing a cultural hairstyle that's unprofessional, and she has to go to court to plead for her job. When she's with her man, and the moment she's supposed to let loose, she stops to secure her head scarf so he doesn't disturb the 'do.
TENDERHEADED?
Yes, definitely. All black women are, in one way or another.
The issue is not only about looking good, but about feeling adequate in a society where the beauty standards are unobtainable for most women. Tenderheaded boldly throws open the closet where black women's skeletons have been threatening to burst down the door. In poems, essays, cartoons, photos, and excerpts from novels and plays, women and men speak to the meaning hair has for them, and for society. In an intimate letter, A'Leila Perry Bundles pays tribute to her great-grandmother, hair-care pioneer Madam C.J. Walker, who launched a generation of African-American businesswomen. Corporate consultant Cherilyn Liv Wright interviews men and women on the hilarious ways they handle the hair issue between the sheets. Art historian Henry John Drewal explores how hairstyles, in Yoruba culture, indicate spiritual destiny, and activist Angela Davis questions how her message of revolution got reduced to a hairstyle.
Tenderheaded is as rich and diverse as the children of the African diaspora. With works by Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, bell hooks, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and other writers of passion, persuasion, and humor -- this is sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.
Synopsis
In this "outstanding volume" (Boston Herald) that "ought to be at the top of everyone's must-read list" (Essence), Black women and men evocatively explore what could make a smart woman ignore doctor's orders; what could get a hardworking employee fired from her job; what could get a black woman in hot water with her white boyfriend? In a word: hair. In a society where beauty standards can be difficult if not downright unobtainable for many Black women, the issue of hair is a major one. Now, in this evocative and fascinating collection of essays, poems, excerpts, and more, Tenderheaded speaks to the personal, political, and cultural meaning of Black hair.
From A'Leila Perry Bundles, the great-granddaughter of hair care pioneer Madam C.J. Walker celebrating her ancestor's legacy, to an art historian exploring the moving ways in which Black hair has been used to express Yoruba spirituality, to renowned activist Angela Davis questioning how her message of revolution got reduced to a hairstyle, Tenderheaded is as rich and diverse as the children of the African diaspora.
With works from authors including Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, bell hooks, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and more, this "remarkable array of writings and images" (Publishers Weekly) will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
About the Author
andlt;Bandgt;Ntozake Shange,andlt;/Bandgt; poet, novelist, playwright, and performer, wrote the Broadway-produced and Obie Award-winning andlt;iandgt;For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf.andlt;/iandgt; She has also written numerous works of fiction, including andlt;iandgt;Sassafras, Cypress and Indigo, Betsy Brown,andlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;Liliane.andlt;/iandgt;
Table of Contents
andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Ms. Strand Calls a Press Conference andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Peace Be Stillandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;NTOZAKE SHANGEandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Heads of Steamandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Madam C. J. Walker: "Let Me Correct the Erroneous Impression That I Claim to Straighten Hair"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;A'LELIA BUNDLESandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The Hairdresser and the Scholarandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;MARK HIGBEEandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Severedandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;ANNABELLE BAKERandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;It All Comes Down to the Kitchenandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HENRY LOUIS GATES JR.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The Kink That Winkedandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;CYNTHIA COLBERTandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Tenderheaded, or Rejecting the Legacy of Being Able to Take Itandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;MEG HENSON SCALESandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Baby Hairandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Baby Hairandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;CONSTANCE NICHOLSandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;A Day at the Beachandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;KAY BROWNandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Learning the Language of My Daughter's Hairandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;PETER HARRISandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Hair (R)evolutionandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;CYNTHIA COLBERTandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Things My Mother Never Taught Meandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;JACQUELYN LONGandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Tenderheadedandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;NIKKY FINNEYandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Cornrow Calculations (or Math Is Beauty)andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;TONI WYNNandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Store-Bought Hairandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Fakeandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;GERRIE SUMMERSandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Planet Hairandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;LISA JONESandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Hair Braiding, Miss?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;TAIIA SMARTandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Madam Speaksandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;MARK RICHARD MOSSandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Straight Talkandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Relax Your Mind!andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;JENYNE M. RAINESandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;When Black Hair Tangles with White Powerandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;MARIAME KABAandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Hot Combandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;NATASHA TRETHEWEYandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Straightening Our Hairandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;BELL HOOKSandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;A Rio Crimeandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;LAURA SULLIVANandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;A Short History of Early Hair Straighteningandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;WILLIE MORROWandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;All-Time Top Hair Divasandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;JENYNE RAINESandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Wrappers' Delightandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Under Coverandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;HALIMA TAHAandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Grandma Blows Her Topandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;GLORIA WADE GAYLESandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Upliftandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;LIDDY JONESandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Bandannaandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;MICHAEL D. HARRISandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The Culture of Hair Sculptureandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;JULIETTE HARRISandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Pillow Talkandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;If You Let Me Make Love to You, Then Why Can't I Touch Your Hair?andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;CHERILYN "LIV" WRIGHTandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Battle of the Wigsandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;GEORGE C. WOLFEandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;White Boyfriendandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;EVANGELINE WHEELERandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Hagar's Bluesandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;TONI MORRISONandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Dekar's Touchandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;PAMELA JOHNSON andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;When Worlds Collideandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The Curse (and Redemption) of Short Hairandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;THOMAS "TAIWO" DUVALLandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Hair Hysteriaandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;S. PEARL SHARPandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Afro Images: Politics, Fashion and Nostalgiaandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;ANGELA Y. DAVISandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Daughters of Africaandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;EVANGELINE WHEELERandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;On Short Nappy Hair and the Business of Blackness: From Ohio to South Africaandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;PAITRA D. RUSSELLandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Smooth Heated Stones and Sunlight Soapandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;ROSALIE KIAHandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Crowning Glories: Hair, Head, Style, and Substance in Yoruba Cultureandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;PHOTOS AND TEXT BY HENRY JOHN DREWALandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;No Longer Strandedandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;IDARA E. BASSEYandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Silver Foxesandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;My Smart Gray Streakandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;YVONNE DURANTandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Attitude at Seventy-Fiveandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;NAOMI LONG MADGETTandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In Her Hairandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;S. PEARL SHARPandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Homage to My Hairandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;LUCILLE CLIFTONandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Something's Lost in Living Every Dayandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;LEATHA SIMMONS MITCHELLandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;She Who Mirrors Meandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;RUBY DEEandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Gray Strandsandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;NAOMI LONG MADGETTandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Locks and Keysandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Don't Even Pretend (The Saturn Poem)andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;PETER HARRISandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In the Kitchenandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;JEWELLE GOMEZandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The Callandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;TAMARA JEFFRIESandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Clean Breakandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;JILL NELSONandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;My Bold Black Statementandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;SUSAN L. TAYLORandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Post-Traumatic Tress Syndromeandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;DENISE L. DAVIS, M.D.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In Sickness and in Healthandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;FRANKIE ALEXANDERandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Oppressed Hair Puts a Ceiling on the Brainandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;ALICE WALKERandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;A Happy Nappy Hair-Care Affairandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;LINDA JONESandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Ms. Strand Adjournsandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;About the Contributorsandlt;/Bandgt;