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My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
15 posts | 11 read | 12 to read
In this captivating new memoir, award-winning writer Jessica B. Harris recalls a lost era--the vibrant New York City of her youth, where her social circle included Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and other members of the Black intelligentsia. In the Technicolor glow of the early seventies, Jessica B. Harris debated, celebrated, and danced her way from the jazz clubs of the Manhattan's West Side to the restaurants of the Village, living out her buoyant youth alongside the great minds of the day--luminaries like Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and Toni Morrison. My Soul Looks Back is her paean to that fascinating social circle and the depth of their shared commitment to activism, intellectual engagement, and each other. Harris paints evocative portraits of her illustrious friends: Baldwin as he read aloud an early draft of If Beale Street Could Talk, Angelou cooking in her California kitchen, and Morrison relaxing at Baldwin's house in Provence. Harris describes her role as theater critic for the New York Amsterdam News and editor at then burgeoning Essence magazine; star-studded parties in the South of France; drinks at Mikell's, a hip West Side club; and the simple joy these extraordinary people took in each other's company. The book is framed by Harris's relationship with Sam Floyd, a fellow professor at Queens College, who introduced her to Baldwin. More than a memoir of friendship and first love My Soul Looks Back is a carefully crafted, intimately understood homage to a bygone era and the people that made it so remarkable.
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Jen2
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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Pickpick

Lovely!

53 likes1 stack add
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MEGR
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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Mehso-so

I wish I had been in NYC when reading this. It captured a certain time and place. It was balanced between Ms.Harris‘s experiences, friends and the politics, culture and food that brought them together. She was able to reveal aspects of her relationships with women that mentored and befriended her and it would have been satisfying and touching to have had that same insight into her romantic relationship with Sam as well. Overall a unique memoir!

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amma-keep-reading
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
Mehso-so

Golly, this woman is bougie! I don't think I would like her in real life, but she sure has an amazing story to tell. I wish she would have opened herself up more to the amazing people in her life. It felt like she was just a “fly on the wall“ and not an active participant in the group.

If you want to read about someone who was in the room or “ a friend of a friend“ of James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, etc... this is your book.

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bookwrm526
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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Mehso-so

This was an interesting memoir about the life of the author as it intertwined with the circle of friends surrounding James Baldwin and later Maya Angelou. It is also about her relationship with the enigmatic Sam. It wasn‘t exactly my cup of tea, and I enjoyed the last half more than the first, but it was an enjoyable read. Counting for bought or borrowed in 2019 for #ReadingWomen Challenge

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MrCoachU
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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Currently Reading.

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CoCo_Chasing_Adventures
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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Morning views

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bookloo
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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This is a fascinating read because her life was extremely privileged as an African-American in those times, and it's not often you hear about the "other side" of the black community in anything. However, she writes with a bit of arrogance and is a constant name dropper without the details of the intimate conversations she's had with these authors. I still recommend it, but beware the ego.

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kendrastephaniekaryn
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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Bailedbailed

This book is written well, but it's way out of my knowledge base. I'm struggling to understand a lot of the references, so my understanding of Jessica B. Harris' story is fragmented at best. This would be a really enjoyable book for someone who is familiar with the geography and history of NYC and the socialites of the 1970s.

Release date: May 9, 2017
DNF @ 35%
#ARC #netgalley

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kendrastephaniekaryn
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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Today's reading: this memoir about NYC in the early 1970s. #ARC #netgalley

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DarcysMom
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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DarcysMom
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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Pickpick

🌟🌟🌟🌟

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DarcysMom
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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Excited to start this memoir!

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DarcysMom
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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Must stop browsing Netgalley. I will never get caught up!

rubyslippersreads I know--I've been trying to stay away! 😄 8y
DarcysMom @rubyslippersreads I have no self control! It is even worse than it would normally be - this is my year of spending no money on books (which is *killing* me). 😛 8y
rubyslippersreads @DarcysMom Have you also signed up for Overdrive and Hoopla to feed your habit for free? 8y
DarcysMom @rubyslippersreads Overdrive, yes. I haven't heard of Hoopla. **runs to Google to find it and sign up** 8y
8 likes4 comments
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NerdyRev
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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Pickpick

I will admit I had to look up who Jessica B Harris was and it then made sense why every chapter ends with a recipe. This memoir walks a fine line between simple name drops and great stories of a who's who of famous NY African American authors of the 70s. She knew a whole slew of authors who were her contemporaries and friends. Great memoir, even though I wanted a touch more stories.

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scatterall
My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir | Jessica B Harris
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I read Harris' memoir this week and loved it, could relate to many parts of it and envied most of the rest! She mentioned this 1969 cookbook and neighborhood restaurant guide, and it just came in the mail! One of my favorite forms of time travel.