Parallel Time: Growing Up in Black and White

by Brent Staples

Book Overview

In this evocative memoir, Brent Staples poses some compelling questions: Where does the family end the self begin? What do we owe our families and what do we owe ourselves? What part of the past is a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380724758
• ISBN13: 9780380724758
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Parallel Time

Parallel Lives. Best book I have ever read about US.

parallel time

"Parallel Time" was an interesting book. It told a story about Brent's life and his struggle to be a writer. The message I got out of this book was that you are your own person and that you have total control over your life. I was able to read and visualize how Brent grew up as a black child, and how hard it was. By reading this story I have a better picture of how difficult being black in America was.

Parallel time

"Parallel Time" was an interesting book. It told a story about Brent's life and his struggle to be a writer. The message I got out of this book was that you are your own person and that you have total control over your life. If you want to be someone important in your life, you must never give up on your dream. Also, I was able to read and visualize how Brent grew up as black child, and how hard it was. By reading this story I have a better picture of how difficult being black in America was.

Parallel Time

Parallel Time was a very interesting book. I learned a lot about what he went through growing up. He had to deal with his father being an abusive alcoholic, and the obsitcals of growing up black and white. He went into good detail when he talked about each event that happend when he was young. he also talks about his brother being a drug dealer. He gives support of why his brother was already dead to him in his mind. He list all the things that were important to him. He was responsible in taking the role of his father. I feel that this is a good book to read if you are interested in seeing what it was like to grow up black in the 1960's.

An amazing book

Brent Staples is so subtle at revealing himself that you hardly notice you are thinking his thoughts until something bad happens in the book and you have to put the it down and recover from the shock. He is that good. I read this book a while ago, but I am still concerned about his little sister who was burned in a fire, I still wonder where the hairdresser ran off to, and I still see the big red tail-lights of the old American cars blasting down the highway like rockets.The only bad thing about this book is that it ended.

Visually rich narrative

This book captures more than the important chronicles of a black male growing up in the South and earning his Ph.D. It is the story of a writer realizing his craft. With every page you are invited into Brent Staples living room in his mind as he paints the portrait of growing up black in the South capturing the essence of an era. He went on to earn his Ph.D and tells of the value of growing from obstacles. He is honest without being a heavy load, in fact, he is very uplifting. This book helps to aquaint the human race, very intimately, with a black mans journey through the realization that he is a writer first and everything else next. I recommend this book as an important historical prospective but also as a treat for people suffering from a lack of quality reading material.