I See the Promised Land - by Arthur Flowers (Hardcover)

About the Book

This stunning graphic novel biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. describes the apartheid South of his time, which in many ways was not very different from the early days of slavery. Included are descriptions of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the formation of civil rights groups, mass movements against segregation, such as the Albany Movement and the Children's Crusade in Birmingham, and the influence on King of Gandhi, with his nonviolent approach to resistance. Flowers' text smoothly incorporates excerpts from many of King's most moving speeches and concludes with a brief look at his legacy. Flowers tells a masterful story in musical prose, while Manu Chitrakar carries the tale into the vivid idiom of Patua art, turning King's historic journey into a truly universal legacy.

Book Synopsis

African American writer, griot and blues singer Arthur Flowers and Indian scroll painter Manu Chitrakar combine their very distinctive storytelling traditions in an extraordinary jam session, creating this stunning graphic narrative-style biography of Martin Luther King Jr.

The engaging text describes the apartheid South in Martin Luther King's time, which in many ways was not very different from the early days of slavery. Included are descriptions of the Montgomery Bus Boycott; the formation of civil rights groups; mass movements against segregation, such as the Albany Movement and the Children's Crusade in Birmingham, after which King became black America's acknowledged leader; and the influence on King of Gandhi, with his nonviolent approach to resistance. We are told about King's personal struggles as well as the political challenges he faced with the rise of Malcolm X and Black Power. Flowers' text concludes with a brief look at his legacy.

Arthur Flowers tells a masterful story in musical prose, based on griot oral storytelling traditions, bringing his own perspective to the events he describes, while Manu Chitrakar carries the tale into the vivid idiom of Patua art, turning King's historic journey into a truly universal legacy.

Includes editorial notes, a description of how this extraordinary cross-cultural book came to be, and a note on Patua art.

Review Quotes

... a compelling biography that reawakens a life story... an impassioned, sympathetic, and dimensional portrait of [Martin Luther King Jr]... The result is a piece that's both dramatic and informative, a combination of rolling narration and striking visuals that suggests theater and cinema. Its creative approach will help veteran readers discover King afresh.--Deborah Stevenson "Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"

An innovative homage to Martin Luther King that mythologizes him even as it acknowledges his foibles, this book uses a cohesive design to blend African griot storytelling and folk art from India to create a bold graphic novel.--Jonathan Hunt "Horn Book Reviews"

An outstanding cultural hybrid of unexpected storytelling and graphic traditions.-- "Book Dragon"

Both evocative and factually rich . . . Flowers provides an incisive and succinct text that steadily maintains the propulsive griot narrative style of King's African ancestry.-- "Booklist, STARRED REVIEW"

Brilliant and engaging . . . A colorful and passionate addition to the Martin Luther King, Jr., bookshelf.--Paula Willey "School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW"

About the Author

Arthur Flowers teaches in the English Department at Syracuse University in New York. A native of Memphis and co-founder of the New Renaissance Writers Guild, he is a performance poet who considers himself heir to the Western written tradition as well as to the African oral one. He lives in Syracuse, NY.
Manu Chitrakar lives and works in Naya Village in Bengal, India. A Patua scroll artist who sings and paints, he is part of a living art and performance tradition that is as open to contemporary news stories and politics as it is to ancient legend and myth. He lives in Naya Village in Bengal, India.