Ishmael Reed: THE SELLING OF ‘PRECIOUS’ ~ Hollywood’s Enduring Myth of the Black Male Sexual Predator
__________________________________
Gabourey Sidibe as Precious
Courtesy of Crown Publishers
Ishmael Reed
Renowned poet-novelist-essayist-playwright Ishmael Reed unpacks the motion picture Precious — recipient of two Oscars at this year’s Academy Awards — based on Push, a novel published in 2009 by the poet-novelist Sapphire (Ramona Lofton).
Courtesy photo
Barbara Bush
Not only did former First Lady Barbara Bush review Precious for Newsweek; she and her husband held two private screenings at their home. “Recently,” she wrote, “George and I hosted a special sneak preview of Precious in our hometown, Houston. The audience of 200 included young people and old, teachers and corporate executives, parents and grandparents, and folks of just about every ethnic and economic background. I planned to say a few words when the movie was over—but I was speechless. (My husband would tell you that is highly unusual.)” Written before Mrs. Bush’s Newsweek account appeared, Reed’s 25,000-word consciousness-expanding essay was posted online in early December at CounterPunch.
__________________________________
Read Ishmael Reed’s “The Selling of Precious“
__________________________________
__________________________________
