I am on a June Jordan kick lately. She was one special writer, and this is one special book. Her only novel--published in 1971--Jordan writes all 93 pages in Black English. While it takes a little while to fall into the rhythm of it (and there is a stunning, poetic, startling rhythm), there is a vibrant energy here the entire way through.June Jordan is known for her wildly resistant and loving poetry, and this short novel is one similarly about resistance and love. A sort of modern update of Romeo & Juliet, the book tells the story of teenage lovers Buddy and Angela and their budding social consciousnesses. While they search for an authentic, safe space all their own, they learn about adulthood, emotional trial and themselves without ever losing hope.In a time when young adult fiction is currently awash with teen characters in crisis, I wish there were more characters like these--characters with true agency who fight the hegemonic order with a resilience that inspires readers to do the same. The style of the book likewise affirms young people and their perspective on the world. But then, I totally credit June Jordan with that, for she was a poet and teacher who loved youth, despised oppression, and knew the power of spoken and written word.This book is a true revelation! And losing June Jordan was a tremendous loss.
Can I just tell you about the rhythm of the story? It ebbs and flows and rolls through your mind. The sincere and genuine love between Angela and Buddy is the naive yet unyielding love that I know I have experienced back when I was the kid who was going up against the world. I read this in a sitting because the story soothed me. Although Angela and Buddy were living in the brokenhearted brooklyn they had love. There was always a struggle something going wrong but they were there for one another and they accepted the consequences of thier love... because the love was there; Buddy had his Angela and she had him. Loved it. So poetic. I wish it was longer.
What do You think about His Own Where (2010)?
The book from 1971 feels a bit like something that would be assigned in college and many students would struggle through. It’s written in Black English and frequently veers into a rapping, slamming poetry style; you can sense that it’s a precursor to later books by writers such as Ntozake Shange, Sandra Cisneros and Sapphire, who writes the introduction and narrates the audio version. I almost gave up early on but decided to push through because I’ve heard so many great things about June Jordan, and then suddenly I was lost in the story about two Brooklyn teenagers in love, with one dealing with a dying father and the other kicked out of her home. I ended up really liking it but it’s not for everyone. Bechdel test: Pass. Grade: A-
—Mark
