Damballah

by John Edgar Wideman

Book Overview

This collection of interrelated stories spans the history of Homewood, a Pittsburgh community founded by a runaway slave. With stunning lyricism, Wideman sings of "dead children in garbage cans, of gospel and basketball, of lost gods and dead fathers" (John Leonard). It is a celebration of people who, in the face of crisis, uphold one another--with grace, courage, and dignity.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679720286
• ISBN13: 9780679720287
• Release Date: October 1988
• Publisher: Vintage Books USA
• Length: 205 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Contains Some of Wideman's Best Short Stories

Even if you don't read the rest of the Homewood Books, this collection stands up strong on its own. Stories such as "Damballah," "Daddy Garbage," and "The Caterpillar Story" are engaging although they are only a few pages long. The stoies are diverse, but they fit together to form an understanding of how a community survives through poverty and alienation. Some of the best stories in this collection are the touching "Daddy Garbage," the spirited "Love Songs of Reba Love Jackson," and the realistic "Rashad."