J. J. Phillips facts for kids

Jane J. Phillips (born April 2, 1944), known as J. J. Phillips, is an African-American poet, novelist, and civil rights activist. Her most famous book is Mojo Hand, first published in 1966. This novel tells the story of a young woman from San Francisco, California. After hearing a record by a blues musician named Blacksnake Brown, she searches for him. Their relationship becomes a central part of the story.

About J. J. Phillips

J. J. Phillips grew up in Los Angeles, California. She came from a family that believed in progress and equality. Her mother was a school teacher for 60 years. Her father was the first African-American lawyer and real estate developer in Pasadena. Phillips has shared that her family was very much like other families around them.

Early Life and Activism

Phillips attended Immaculate Heart College. In 1962, as a freshman, she became very interested in black roots music. She traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, to join the civil rights movement. This movement worked to end unfair treatment and gain equal rights for African Americans.

She helped with a voter-registration campaign. Later, she joined a Congress of Racial Equality sit-in. This was a peaceful protest at a Howard Johnson's restaurant. She was arrested and spent 30 days in jail. After this, she returned to California.

Writing Mojo Hand

After reading a book called The Country Blues, Phillips listened to the music of Lightnin' Hopkins. She decided she wanted to meet him. She went with a friend to Houston, Texas, to hear him play.

She was asked to leave Immaculate Heart College in January 1963. Phillips felt very upset about this. She still wanted to be in school. Soon after, she got the idea to write a book. This book would combine her interest in Lightnin' Hopkins with her love for snakes, especially blacksnakes. This became the inspiration for the blues singer's name in Mojo Hand.

The Novel Mojo Hand

Her first novel, Mojo Hand, came out in 1966. It was reprinted 20 years later with more details. People have called it a "blues lament in literary form." This means it's like a sad blues song, but written as a story.

A reviewer for the Los Angeles Times wrote about the book in 1986. They said Mojo Hand showed how women often keep things together. The novel connects music, mystery, and feelings in a special way. An excerpt from Mojo Hand was included in Daughters of Africa, a collection of writings by African women. In 2015, a writer named Nat Hentoff called it "the most neglected book I know of."

Creative Inspirations

Phillips was interviewed for a book about Lightnin' Hopkins. In this interview, she talked about how Mojo Hand came to be. She wanted to tell a story about someone's journey from a world without racial differences to the real world where race matters. This was happening to her too.

She said that the perfect way to tell this story was through her own "bluesy Orphic quest." This idea came after she watched the film Black Orpheus many times. The movie is a version of the ancient Greek story of Orpheus and Eurydice. It is set in the black neighborhoods of Rio during Mardi Gras. Phillips was always interested in old myths and snakes. She was also influenced by writers who explored deep ideas about life and freedom.

Awards and Recognition

• 2008 American Book Award, Lifetime Achievement

Published Works

Novels

• Mojo Hand (1966)
  • Revised as Mojo Hand: An Orphic Tale (City Miner Books, 1985; Serpent's Tail, 1987).

Poems

• "Brautigan’s Brains" (2002). Later published online in Exquisite Corpse.
• "Lines Gleaned from the ŠÀ.ZI.GA", Exquisite Corpse.
• "Three Poems to the Eternal Beloved", Exquisite Corpse.
• "Throat Song: A Threnody for Ibrahim Qashoush", Exquisite Corpse.

Other Writings

• Editor and introduction to The Before Columbus Foundation Poetry Anthology: Selections from the American Book Awards, 1980-1990 (W. W. Norton & Company, 1992, ISBN: 978-0-393-30833-4).