James McBride (1957-) is an author, screenwriter, and musician. McBride is best known for his novel The Good Lord Bird and his memoir The Color of Water.
Life[]
Born to a black Christian minister (who died shortly before James was born) and a Jewish woman (Ruth McBride Jordan), James was the eighth of twelve children in the McBride family.
James lived in New York for most of his childhood. During his childhood, James was raised by Ruth and Ruth's new husband - Hunter Jordan. Hunter died when James was fourteen years old. After this, James began to turn towards a life of crime before Ruth sent him to Kentucky. While in Kentucky, James met a man who he only knew as the "Chicken Man" who began his turn away from a life of crime.
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Writing style[]
Most of McBride's works revolve around African American and Jewish American history, most notably The Good Lord Bird (about John Brown's abolitionist crusades), Miracle at St. Anna (about the 92nd Infantry Division), and The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (a historical fiction novel possibly based on events detailed in The Color of Water).
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Notable works[]
- The Color of Water - McBride's memoirs, detailing his early life and the life of his mother.
- Kill 'Em and Leave - a biography of James Brown.
- Five-Carat Soul - a collection of short stories and novellas.
- The Under Graham Railroad Box Car Set
- The Five-Carat Soul Bottom Bone Band
- The Christmas Dance
- The Fish Man Angel
- Mr. P & the Wind
Novels[]
- Miracle at St. Anna - a novel about the mainly black 92nd Infantry Division's service in the Italian theatre of World War II.
- Song Yet Sung - a novel based around a young black woman's dreams of freedom.
- The Good Lord Bird - a novel based around the abolitionist John Brown.
- Deacon King Kong - a novel about a deacon who shoots a drug dealer.
- The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store - a novel detailing the lives of Jewish and Black inhabitants of a small town.
Cover gallery[]
Sources[]
- Wikipedia
- The Color of Water