All Things Censored [With CD]

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

To some, Abu-Jamal, convicted in the 1981 murder of a Philadelphia police officer, is a cold-blooded cop killer, but to his supporters, the death-row inmate is a hero, wrongly condemned by a racist system. In this collection of forceful prison essays and radio talks written over the last decade (a sequel to Live from Death Row and Death Blossoms), former Black Panther Abu-Jamal maintains that he was targeted by the state because of his political beliefs and associations. He cites a recent Amnesty International report that calls for a new trial on the grounds that his 1982 trial was riddled with procedural errors and quite possibly contaminated by racism. Hanrahan, director of Prison Radio (which aired several of these commentaries after Abu-Jamal was pulled off the air by NPR's All Things Considered), describes Abu-Jamal's life in solitary confinement as a living hell and accuses prison authorities of constant harassment and censorship. Whatever one thinks of Abu-Jamal's guilt or innocence, his attack on capital punishment as a discriminatory, racist practice is compelling, as is his critique of our bloated prison system, which, according to an American Bar Association report cited here, is self-defeating because dehumanizing conditions produce more criminals. An outspoken political analyst, Abu-Jamal condemns Clinton's adoption of NAFTA, calls the war on drugs largely a "War on Blacks" and offers incisive commentary on rap music, the decline of African-American community life, police brutality and recent developments in Mexico, Peru, Iran and South Africa. (May) FYI: A CD accompanies the book, featuring Abu-Jamal's radio essays plus comments from Alice Walker, Cornel West, Martin Sheen, John Edgar Wideman and others. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Booknews

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist who was elected president of the Philadelphia chapter of the Association of Black Journalists in 1981. His 1982 murder trial and conviction has been contested on various constitutional, legal, and moral grounds. The title of this collection of 79 essays from death row alludes to Mumia's hiring as an on-air columnist by National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," and his subsequent banning from that venue under pressure from law and order groups. An accompanying CD contains readings by Mumia and other writers and activists, including Adrienne Rich, Martin Sheen, and Alice Walker. Includes b&w photos. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)