Marvin X has done extraordinary mind and soul work in bringing our attention to the importance of spirituality,
as opposed to religion, in our daily living. Someone—maybe Kierkegaard or maybe it was George Fox who—
said that there was no such thing as "Christianity." There can only be Christians. It is not institutions but rather
individuals who make the meaningful differences in our world. It is not Islam but Muslims. Not Buddhism but
Buddhists. Marvin X has made a courageous difference. In this book he shares the wondrous vision of his
spiritual explorations. His eloquent language and rhetoric are varied—sophisticated but also earthy, sometimes
both at once. His moods are both reverent and irreverent: at times he consoles, other times cajoles with biting
mockery. At times amusing but always deadly serious.
as opposed to religion, in our daily living. Someone—maybe Kierkegaard or maybe it was George Fox who—
said that there was no such thing as "Christianity." There can only be Christians. It is not institutions but rather
individuals who make the meaningful differences in our world. It is not Islam but Muslims. Not Buddhism but
Buddhists. Marvin X has made a courageous difference. In this book he shares the wondrous vision of his
spiritual explorations. His eloquent language and rhetoric are varied—sophisticated but also earthy, sometimes
both at once. His moods are both reverent and irreverent: at times he consoles, other times cajoles with biting
mockery. At times amusing but always deadly serious.
Highly informed, he speaks to many societal levels and to both genders—to the intellectual as well as to the
man/woman on the street or the unfortunate in prison—to the mind as well as the heart. His topics range from
global politics and economics to those between men and women in their household. Common sense dominates
his thought. He shuns political correctness for the truth of life. He is a Master Teacher in many fields of thought—
religion and psychology, sociology and anthropology, history and politics, literature and the humanities. He is a
needed Counselor, for he knows himself, on the deepest of personal levels and he reveals that self to us, that
we might be his beneficiaries.
man/woman on the street or the unfortunate in prison—to the mind as well as the heart. His topics range from
global politics and economics to those between men and women in their household. Common sense dominates
his thought. He shuns political correctness for the truth of life. He is a Master Teacher in many fields of thought—
religion and psychology, sociology and anthropology, history and politics, literature and the humanities. He is a
needed Counselor, for he knows himself, on the deepest of personal levels and he reveals that self to us, that
we might be his beneficiaries.
All of which are represented in his Radical Spirituality—a balm for those who anguish in these troubling times
of disinformation. As a shaman himself, he calls too for a Radical Mythology to override the traditional
mythologies of racial supremacy that foster war and injustice. It's a dangerous book, for it reveals the inner
workings of capitalist and imperialist governments around the world. It's a book that stands with and on
behalf of the poor, the dispossessed, the despised, and downtrodden. Marvin X has found a way out of our
spiritual morass, our material quagmire. We are blessed to still have him among us. If you want to reshape
(clean up, raise) your consciousness, this is a book to savor, to read again, and again—to pass onto a friend or
lover.
of disinformation. As a shaman himself, he calls too for a Radical Mythology to override the traditional
mythologies of racial supremacy that foster war and injustice. It's a dangerous book, for it reveals the inner
workings of capitalist and imperialist governments around the world. It's a book that stands with and on
behalf of the poor, the dispossessed, the despised, and downtrodden. Marvin X has found a way out of our
spiritual morass, our material quagmire. We are blessed to still have him among us. If you want to reshape
(clean up, raise) your consciousness, this is a book to savor, to read again, and again—to pass onto a friend or
lover.
—Rudolph Lewis, Editor, ChickenBones: A Journal
We honor and praise our beloved publisher who has joined the ancestors, Itibari Zulu! Praise be to Itibari always as cool as Cool Hand Luke!
Amiri Baraka, (RIP), Marvin X's best friend and revolutionary comrade.
"Amiri was a brother like no other. Better Ax somebody (as they say in the Dirty South!)." Marvin X say, "Amiri help a nigga, just don't upstage him!"
Marvin X in St. Louis, MO at Akhbar Muhammad's Book Fair
Hurriyah Asar and Marvin X, revolutionary comrades in the Black Arts Movement. Marvin has written several books while visiting Hurriyah on her island property,Beaufort, South Carolina. While in the area, he usually pays a visit to the king at the Yoruba African Village, Sheldon, SC.
Two titles: Love and War, poems, and How to Recover
from the Addiction to White Supremacy, a recovery manual
based on the 12 Step model. He completed How to Recover
from the Addiction to White Supremacy in South Carolina.
FYI, in late January, Marvin X will read his poetry at the Duke University conference on Black Islam in the Atlantic. Dr Mohja Khaf considers him the Father of the genre known as Muslim American literature. Bob Holman says he is America's Rumi, Saadi, Hafiz, three of the greatest names in Persian literature. Ishmael Reed says he is Plato teaching on the streets on Oakland. Harvard University Professor Dr. Cornel Wests says Marvin X is the African Socrates teaching in the hood. West says further, "Marvin X is a combination of Theolonious Monk and Marianne Williamson."
But, ultimately, we know Marvin X is Marvin X, like no other god in human form who walked among us. Marvin says, "Elijah and Guru Bawa taught we are in God and God is in us, nada mas! Basta ya!" Arabia, "Fahim? La fahim? Fahim! Anna Allah, Allah anna! La fahim?"
Ain't no real nigga orthodox nothing. Nigga by definition is beyond the pale, radical, extremist, original, aboriginal. An orthodox nigga ain't no real nigga. He serving somebody else's idea of somebody else's world, Sun Ra would say. What's your idea of your world, Nigga? Everybody got they own world but a nigga. He wanna be in somebody else's world, any world except his own black nigga world, wanna be African, African wanna be nigga! He wanna be Arab, Arab wanna be him, talk like him, dress like him, fuck like him. Nigga please, just be a nigga nigga and the world will follow you like they been doing the last fifty trillion years, Nigga!
No comments:
Post a Comment