Ishmael Reed facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ishmael Reed
Reed in 2019
Born	Ishmael Scott Reed (1938-02-22) February 22, 1938 (age 87) Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation	Poet essayist novelist playwright lyricist
Education	University at Buffalo
Notable works	Full list
Spouse	Priscilla Thompson (m. 1960; divorced) Carla Blank ​ ​ (m. 1970)​
Children	2

Ishmael Scott Reed, born on February 22, 1938, is a famous American writer. He is a poet, novelist, essayist, songwriter, and playwright. He is also an editor and publisher. Reed is known for his funny and smart stories that question American society. One of his most famous books is Mumbo Jumbo, written in 1972. This book is a big, unusual novel set in New York in the 1920s. Reed's writing often shares important stories and viewpoints from African and African-American history that might have been overlooked.

Early Life and Education

Ishmael Reed was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. When he was a child, his family moved to Buffalo, New York. This move was part of a big event called the Great Migration. After going to local schools, Reed attended the University at Buffalo. However, he left college during his third year. He left partly because of money, but mostly because he wanted a new place to help his writing and music.

Reed once said that leaving college was good for him at the time. It allowed him to try new things with his writing. He was influenced by writers like Nathanael West. He did not want to just follow someone else's reading list. He later mentioned that he faced some challenges because he did not finish college.

Family Background and Inspiration

In a 2022 interview, Reed talked about his family. He said he comes from a family of "fighters" from Tennessee. He greatly admired his mother. She was abandoned and had to use her skills to succeed. She even organized two strikes. One strike was for maids at a hotel in Buffalo. The other was at a department store. Black women were doing stock work, while white women were salespersons. As a result of the strike, his mother became the first Black salesperson there. She wrote a book called Black Girl from Tannery Flats. Reed said his mother's biggest achievement was becoming a salesperson. She was a true fighter.

Writing Career and Contributions

Bob Callahan, Reed, Carla Blank, Shawn Wong in 1975

In 1962, Reed moved to the Lower East Side of New York City. There, he started Advance, a community newspaper for Newark, New Jersey. He also helped start East Village Other with Walter Bowart. This became a very famous underground newspaper. Reed was also part of the Umbra Writers Workshop. He joined in 1963. Other writers like Lorenzo Thomas and David Henderson were also there. Some members of this group helped create the Black Arts Movement. This movement promoted a Black Aesthetic in art. Even though Reed did not join that movement, he has always studied the history of Black Americans.

While writing his novel Flight to Canada in 1976, he created the term "Neo-Slave narrative." He used this term in 1984 during an interview. During this time, Reed also met many musicians and poets. These included Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, and Albert Ayler. These connections helped Reed experiment a lot with jazz music.

Publishing and Teaching

Since the early 1970s, Reed has worked as an editor and publisher for small presses and journals. He edited Yardbird Reader from 1972 to 1976. He also co-founded Reed, Cannon and Johnson Communications. This was an independent publishing house that focused on literature from many different cultures. Today, Reed's publishing company is called Ishmael Reed Publishing Company. His online magazine, Konch Magazine, shares poetry, essays, and stories from around the world.

In 1970, Reed moved to the West Coast. He began teaching at the University of California, Berkeley. He taught there for 35 years, retiring in 2005. He is now a special professor at California College of the Arts.

Mentoring and Foundations

Many writers were first published by Reed when they were students in his writing classes. These include Terry McMillan, Mona Simpson, and John Keene. Reed also helped produce The Domestic Crusaders. This is a play about Muslim Pakistani Americans. It was written by his former student, Wajahat Ali. The first part of the play was performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in 2010.

Ishmael Reed also started the Before Columbus Foundation. Since 1980, this foundation has given out the American Book Awards every year. He also founded the Oakland chapter of PEN. This group is known as the "blue-collar PEN" and also gives awards to writers each year.

Art and Poetry Installations

Reed's writings have been featured in public art. In 1972, his poem "from the files of agent 22" was put up in New York City buses and subways. This was part of a project called Poetry in Public Places. In 2004, a bronze plaque of his poem "Going East" was placed in the Berkeley Poetry Walk in California. This spot was named a National Poetry Landmark.

From 2010 to 2013, Reed worked on a public art project called Moving Richmond. This project was for the Richmond, California's BART station. It included two of Reed's poems. These poems were written after he met with people living in Richmond. The poems were put on iron sculptures by Mildred Howard. In 2013, the SF JAZZ Center installed Reed's poem "When I Die I Will Go to Jazz" on its North Gate.

Influences on Reed's Work

Reed has shared who influenced his writing. He said that poets have probably influenced him more than novelists. He mentioned poets from the Harlem Renaissance and the Beat Generation. He also named the American surrealist Ted Joans. Reed believes poets need to be more original. They come up with ideas and connections that regular prose writers might not think of.

He admires many writers from the Harlem Renaissance. These include Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Arna Bontemps. In a 2016 interview, Reed also talked about other literary influences. These included Dante, the Celtic Revival poets, James Baldwin, and Nathanael West.

Writing Style and Themes

In a 2011 interview, Reed explained his writing style. He said his work "holds up the mirror to hypocrisy." This means he shows when people or systems are not honest. He sees himself as part of a long tradition of American writers who do this. Reed has also said that he wants to "sabotage history." He wants to keep readers guessing if he is serious or if he is writing fiction.

His novel Conjugating Hindi explores how different cultures can come together. It looks at the similarities and differences between African-American and South Asian American cultures. It also discusses how white neo-conservative Americans view both groups. Critics have called this novel brilliant and experimental. They say it is like the works of Thomas Pynchon but easier to understand. Conjugating Hindi is described as a powerful novel that does not care about genre rules or historical boundaries. It is a book by someone who deeply cares about creating new things in writing.

Music Projects

Reed has been a key part of the longest ongoing music and poetry collaboration. These are called the Conjure projects. They were produced by Kip Hanrahan on American Clavé. The albums include Conjure I (1984), Conjure II (1988), and Conjure Bad Mouth (2005). The songs on Conjure Bad Mouth were created during live performances from 2003 to 2004. These performances took place in places like Paris, London, and Tokyo. In 2006, the Village Voice newspaper named the 2005 Conjure CD one of the best spoken-word albums.

In 2007, Reed started playing jazz piano and leading a band. Their album was called For All We Know by The Ishmael Reed Quintet. His piano playing was even mentioned in Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. This was when he played for a 2019 fashion show in London. In 2008, Reed was named Blues Songwriter of the Year. This award came from the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame.

A CD by David Murray released in 2009, The Devil Tried to Kill Me, includes two songs with lyrics by Reed. One song, "Africa," was sung by Taj Mahal. The title song was performed by Sista Kee. In 2011, a concert in Paris featured three new songs with lyrics by Ishmael Reed. These were performed by Macy Gray, Tony Allen, and others. In 2013, David Murray released the CD Be My Monster Love. It had three new songs with lyrics by Reed.

In 2022, Reed released his first album of original music, The Hands of Grace. In 2023, Konch Records released Blues Lyrics by Ishmael Reed. On this album, Reed reads his poetry with the East Coast Blues Caravan of All Stars.

Personal Life

In 1960, Ishmael Reed married Priscilla Thompson. Their daughter, Timothy, was born that same year. Timothy later wrote a book called Showing Out (2003) and dedicated it to her father. Reed and Thompson divorced in 1970. Since 1970, he has been married to writer and teacher Carla Blank. Their daughter, Tennessee, is also an author. Ishmael Reed lives in Oakland, California, with his wife, Carla Blank. They have been married for over 50 years. Carla Blank is a well-known author, choreographer, and director.

Awards and Recognition

Ishmael Reed has received many awards for his writing and contributions to the arts.

Film and TV Appearances

Ishmael Reed has also been involved in film and television projects.

Discography

Ishmael Reed's lyrics have been featured on several music albums.

Albums with Reed's Lyrics

Kip Hanrahan has released three albums that include lyrics by Reed:

• Conjure: Music for the Texts of Ishmael Reed (American Clave, 1985)
• Conjure: Cab Calloway Stands in for the Moon (American Clave, 1985)
• Conjure: Bad Mouth (American Clave, 2005)

David Murray has released several albums with lyrics by Reed:

• Sacred Ground (Justin Time, 2007) – features "Sacred Ground" and "The Prophet of Doom" sung by Cassandra Wilson
• The Devil Tried to Kill Me (Justin Time, 2009) – includes "The Devil Tried to Kill Me" sung by Sista Kee and "Africa" sung by Taj Mahal
• Be My Monster Love (Motéma, 2013) – features "Be My Monster Love" sung by Macy Gray, and "Army of the Faithful (Joyful Noise)" and "Hope Is a Thing with Feathers" sung by Gregory Porter
• blues for memo (Doublemoon Records, 2016) - includes "Red Summer" sung by Pervis Evans

Yosvany Terry has released one album with lyrics by Reed:

• New Throned Kings (SPassion 2014), which was nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award. It features Ishmael Reed's lyrics on the song "Mase Nadodo."

Albums Produced by Ishmael Reed

• His Bassist (Konch Records, 2014), produced by Ishmael Reed. It features Ortiz Walton and includes music based on Reed's poetry.
• For All We Know (Ishmael Reed Publishing, 2007) by the Ishmael Reed Quintet. This album features David Murray, Carla Blank, Roger Glenn, Chris Planas, and Ishmael Reed on piano. It includes jazz standards and original songs with Reed's lyrics.

Albums with Music by Ishmael Reed

• The Hands of Grace (Reading Group, 2022). This album features music composed and performed by Ishmael Reed on piano. Other musicians include Roger Glenn, Ray Obiedo, Carla Blank, and Ronnie Stewart. Poet Tennessee Reed also appears on the album.
• Blues Lyrics by Ishmael Reed (Konch Records, 2023). On this album, Ishmael Reed is the vocalist. He performs with the West Coast Blues Caravan of All Stars and guest artist David Murray.

See also

In Spanish: Ishmael Reed para niños