No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.16, 2014, under Biography or Autobigraphy, Coretta Scott King, Historical Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Anyone interested in Harlem or the history of Blacks during the Civil Rights Movement and beyond.
The goods on this book: This book is significant both for the historical events that it includes and for the format in which it is presented. The author meticulously researched the life of her great uncle, Lewis Michaux, through conducting interviews, digging into family archives, and combing through library records. Nelson focused on how Michaux, in 1939, responded to the racist comments of a white banker by starting a bookstore in Harlem with five books and $100. This bookstore, the National Memorial African Bookstore, became the center of intellectual life in Harlem for decades, frequented by leaders such as Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X. Instead of presenting these events in a nonfiction format, the author presents the story as a documentary, giving a series of first-hand narratives by Michaux and a broad range of other voices. This technique, along with the striking illustrations by R. Gregory Christie, paints a vivid picture of Michaux, his bookstore, and Harlem from the 1930s through the 1970s. It’s a fascinating presentation of historical events and biography in a fictional format.
The details: 188 pages; 2012
