County of Kings

By Lemon Andersen

Book Overview

A jarring and poignant coming-of-age memoir told in a unique voice that seamlessly flows from hard-edged drama to urban poetry. This poetic and often times gritty narrative creates a vivid portrait of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0976140101
• ISBN13: 9780976140108
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: County of Kings Publishing
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.5" x 6.5"
• Age Range: 14 months and up

Customer Reviews

Lemon is a voice shouting to be heard...

I am on my third reading of this collection and still can't put it down.

A memoir for the ages.

County of Kings by Lemon Andersen is definitive tale of coming of age in New York City during one the most tumultuous times of modern history. Amidst the birth of hip-hop, the proliferation of drugs, and an unthinkable disease Lemon shows the reader how he struggles helped him to find his voice, his purpose in life. Breathlessly intertwining poetry and prose to create a one of a kind memoir that can only be described as the rhythm infused child of the classics Down These Mean Streets and the House on Mango Street. County of Kings is sure to become a classic not only for its powerfully poetic verses that conjure not only a different place and time but often different characters. The narrative prose gives the readers insights into multidimensional characters that are difficult to describe but easy to fall in love with. County of Kings is not only the story of a young boy coming into his manhood, but the story of a poet and writer finding his voice and honing his talent. In a lot of ways this book is a love story to the all of the pieces of literature that deeply influenced the author. I would highly recommend this book to anyone whether reading is your thing or not. Whether you grew up in Brooklyn or not. This is a story for the ages.

an engaging & fresh memoir in verse

I was lucky enough to see Lemon Andersen perform in the Public Theater's run of "County of Kings," the autobiographical one man show on which this book is based. I was familiar with Andersen from his stand-out performances on the HBO TV show, "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry" and the related stage show, "Def Poetry Jam on Broadway." He has a charming, easy bravado on stage, which compliments his sly and intimate poetics. His one-man show was a perfect evolution of his short form work, and his performance in it was so sure-footed & open that the entire audience was on its feet at the end. When I heard that he was releasing a book version of the show, I was eager to pick it up. But I have to admit, I was worried that the magic seen on the stage might not translate to the page. But I am happy to say, "County of Kings" (the book) is just as fantastic. The hour & half long show is broken down into almost four dozen poems, which tell Andersen's entire life story -- from his mother Millie (a loving mother trying to do her best to raise her sons in a tough section in Brooklyn), to his adolescence (where struggled not be kicked out of school while wooing neighborhood girls), to his descent into crime, his stints in prison and his wonderful & heartening redemption through poetry. The story of Andersen's life is surely remarkable, but how he translates it to the page & stage is simply astonishing. Combining prose poems, with tightly rhymed verses, with found poems of news broadcasts, with finely-tuned, slang-filled persona pieces (the book comes with a glossary of terms), Andersen keeps the audience / reader on their toes & utterly engaged. His poetry allows us not only an insight into Andersen and his life, but also into the lives of people living in some of the tougher neighbors in New York City and beyond. It is a honest and unflinching work, that is nonetheless is heartening and inspiring by the end. Andersen is a fresh new voice -- both on the stage and on the page -- and this book is wonderful showcase for his latest project. Kudos!