Songs My Mother Taught Me: Why the Artist Must Take Sides (Paperback)
by Saul Williams
Description
Songs My Mother Taught Me is Williams' clear-eyed exploration of the role of the artist in these times by answering the question: what radicalized you? He answers by examining how his role models--writers and artists, from Amiri Baraka to local musicians in Brazilian bars to Palestinian hip-hop heads--have responded to imperialist violence, oppression, and genocide. Riffing on Paul Robeson's famous declaration, Williams builds a provocative case for why today's artists cannot remain neutral in the face of injustice. "We need songs that crumble empires," he writes, "films that teach, remind, and inspire, poems that would make a despot revoke your citizenship."
About the Author
Saul Williams is an American filmmaker, musician, poet, writer, and actor. Saul has toured in more than forty countries and lectured in hundreds of universities. He holds a BA in Theater and Philosophy from Morehouse College and MFA in Acting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
Product Details
Category: Nonfiction, Memoir
Language: English
Format/Binding: Paperback
Book Condition: New
ISBN-10:
ISBN-13: 979-8888905845
Publisher: Haymarket Books
Date Published: September 08, 2026
Pages: 204
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