Arthur Flowers facts for kids

Arthur R. Flowers, Jr. (born in 1950) is an American writer. He writes novels, memoirs, and performs his poetry. His stories often explore the African-American experience. They feature themes like folklore, blues music, and a spiritual practice called hoodoo.

Mr. Flowers grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. He served in the Vietnam War. After the war, he started his writing career in New York City. There, he became a leader at the Harlem Writers Guild. Since 1996, he has been a professor at Syracuse University.

Today, Arthur Flowers lives in Syracuse, New York.

Arthur Flowers: His Life Story

Growing Up in Memphis

Arthur Flowers was born in Memphis, Tennessee. His father, Arthur R. Flowers, Sr., was a doctor. His mother, Eloise Flowers, was a nurse and teacher. Growing up, he was part of the American civil rights movement.

In high school, he was known for being smart. People called him "Mr. Brain." He was also known for his strong beliefs. He wore a bullet on a necklace, earning him the nickname "Bullet." In 1968, he heard Martin Luther King Jr.'s final speech. After King's assassination, he led his high school class in a walkout.

Serving in Vietnam

Mr. Flowers joined the U.S. Army. He was sent to Vietnam during the Vietnam War. He has said that his time in the war changed how he saw history.

Starting a Writing Career

After Vietnam, Flowers moved to New York City. He took writing classes with John Oliver Killens. Killens was an important writer in the Black Arts Movement. Flowers looked up to him as a mentor.

Flowers joined the Harlem Writers Guild. This group was for African-American writers. He met other famous writers there, like Terry McMillan. Later, Flowers became the executive director of the Harlem Writers Guild. He also helped start another group, the New Renaissance Writers Guild.

First Novels and Themes

In 1986, Flowers published his first novel, De Mojo Blues. It tells the story of three African-American soldiers. They try to get used to life back home after the Vietnam War. Publishers Weekly called it a "sincere and creative first novel." Essence magazine said it was a "compelling look" into the characters' feelings.

His second novel, Another Good Loving Blues, came out in 1993. This book is about a love story. It follows a hoodoo practitioner and a blues musician. They travel from Arkansas to Tennessee during the Great Migration. Publishers Weekly described it as a "spirited effort." The New York Times called it a "charming, provocative novel."

Teaching and Later Works

In 1996, Arthur Flowers began teaching at Syracuse University. He taught in the Creative Writing Program. Since then, he has written a memoir called Mojo Rising (2001). He also wrote The Hoodoo Book of Flowers (2019), which is about hoodoo spiritualism. He has also written three books for young readers.

Arthur Flowers: His Writing Style

How He Writes

Arthur Flowers's writing often sounds like blues music. He uses different dialects and African-American Vernacular English. His stories often begin with him talking directly to the reader. This shows his interest in oral storytelling and hoodoo. It also highlights that he is the one telling the story. Flowers calls his writing approach "literary hoodoo."

As a performer, Flowers has a "blues-based act." He uses traditional African storytelling techniques. This style is known as "griotic performance."

Main Ideas in His Work

Experts who study Flowers's novels focus on certain main ideas. These include language, cultural traditions, and social responsibility.

Scholar Keith Gilyard says that in De Mojo Blues, Flowers shows how important language skills are for African-American culture. Another scholar, Patricia Schroeder, notes that Flowers's work aims to preserve history and traditions. She points to Another Good Loving Blues as an example. This novel connects to history and community.

Kameelah Martin, another scholar, has looked at Another Good Loving Blues. She says Flowers wanted to connect and refresh two important parts of African-American culture: hoodoo and the blues.

Flowers's focus on tradition and community shows his deep care for social responsibility. His work tries to create a "modern myth" from African-American culture. He turns important stories, traditions, and places into what Deborah Smith Pollard calls "African-American holyground." By making these traditions special, his work stresses the need to protect them.

Who Influenced Him

Flowers has said that John Oliver Killens greatly influenced his work. He also talks about the impact of African oral storytelling traditions. Scholars and critics also see the influence of writers like Zora Neale Hurston and Ishmael Reed in his writing.

Awards and Recognition

Arthur Flowers has received several honors for his writing:

• New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Fiction (1985)
• National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship (1991)
• New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Nonfiction (1999)
• New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Fiction (2008)
• Keeping the Blues Alive Award from The Blues Foundation (2008)

His work has appeared in collections like Breaking Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary African-American Fiction and Gumbo: An Anthology of African American Writing. He has also been a guest professor or speaker at many schools. He has spoken at literary festivals around the world. These include the Jaipur Literature Festival in India and the Indian Summer Festival in Canada.

Impact on Culture

Arthur Flowers was a consultant for Spike Lee's 2020 film, Da 5 Bloods. This movie was about Vietnam War veterans. Spike Lee hired Flowers after reading his first novel, De Mojo Blues.