One of the first racism protest songs to be recorded in popular music, 1939s strange fruit is. Caryl phillips traces the dark history of the song strange fruit books. Strange fruit is a 1944 bestselling novel debut by american author lillian smith that deals with the thenforbidden and controversial theme of interracial. Oct 20, 2016 strange fruit this track has to be at the top of the list. After writing it, meeropol put music to his lyrics and the song gained attention in new york. When it was first published in 1944, this novel sparked immediate con. Billie holiday vintage books, 1998 describes strange fruit.
Prezis director of product marketing on working from home and finding balance. In strange fruit and subsequent writings, smith attempted to untangle and expose the web of white racism, gender, class, religion, and myriad traditions she thought had put a straitjacket on what her contemporary and admirer, w. Billie holiday, cafe society, and an early cry for civil rights, notes that the song was not written specifically for holiday, though she took it and made it her own, even if it was not particularly a jazz song. Strange fruit this track has to be at the top of the list. Vinyl 10 josh white strange fruit 1949, vinyl discogs. Feb 16, 2011 billie holidays 1939 song about racist lynchings redefined popular music. Apr 20, 2017 billie holiday didnt write strange fruit, but her voice made it the song it is today.
Vinyl 10 josh white strange fruit 1954, vinyl discogs. Early repress late 1939 to approximately 1944 with 52nd street and fonttext changes. Originally given the working title jordan is so chilly, smith later changed the title to strange fruit. Written by teacher abel meeropol as a poem and published in. Jan 28, 2015 mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system. Roosevelt termed a very moving book and an extraordinary one, has been banned in boston because of obscene language. It protested american racism, particularly the lynching of black americans. Goodreads members who liked strange fruit also liked. The night before they had been charged with murdering a white factory. The complete jazz at the philharmonic on verve, 19441949 with him. Feb 16, 2001 strange fruit is one of the most potent protest songs ever written. Originally using the working title jordan is so chilly, smith later changed the title to strange fruit prior to its publication. When it was first published in 1944, this novel sparked immediate controversy and became a huge bestseller.
Strange fruit by lillian smith, first edition abebooks. Billie holiday lover, come back to me 1944 by okmusix. Strange fruit by lillian smith madison smartt bell. She was also called lady day, a nickname that her friend and musical partner lester young gave her. Dealing with the theme of interracial romance, its no. Buy strange fruit by lillian smith online at alibris. Strange fruitwritten first as a poem by jewish schoolteacher abel meeropol 19031986 in the late 1930s, strange fruit captures the haunting and violent history of lynching in america. So horrific are the images conjured up by strange fruit that billie. Dec 22, 2011 a magic song from a magic voice lyrics strange fruit southern trees bear strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the root black bodies swinging in the southern breeze strange fruit hanging. Originally given the working title jordan is so chilly, smith later changed the title to strange fruit prior to its publication.
Billie holidays 1939 song about racist lynchings redefined popular music. Mar 23, 2008 as i listen to the song today, im thinking also of a different strange fruit, the novel by lillian smith, which was published in 1944, and then staged on broadway in 1945. Other films have been made using the same title, but like smiths novel the. Billie holiday was not the fist singer to perform strange fruit. The strange life of strange fruit deep south magazine. Strange fruit is a 1944 bestselling novel debut by american author lillian smith that deals with the thenforbidden and controversial theme of interracial romance. Strange fruit inspired obscenity charges, court decisions, and police action, but outrage peaked over the fact that the 1944 bestseller was written by a white woman. It captured with devastating accuracy the deepseated racial conflicts of a tightly knit southern town. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published.
Strange fruit, written fifty years ago, confronts problems that have yet to be resolved, that need to be read about and acted upon. Aug 26, 20 strange fruit is only second book on my list that hasnt had a fulllength film adaptation the first being 1917s bestseller, mr. But few know that its three short antiracist verses were written by a white new york schoolteacher or that it contributed to. The title was originally jordan is so chilly, with smith later changing the title to strange fruit. Find books like strange fruit from the worlds largest community of readers. Georgia author lillian smiths bestselling novel strange fruit was released in 1944. The diminutive planet is about 3,030 miles 4,876 kilometers in diameter, making it about the size of the continental united states and only. Earmarked as oneofakind, this graphic novel is not only an additional masterpiece to black history, but also a delightfully educational read for both young and old. A magic song from a magic voice lyrics strange fruit southern trees bear strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the root black bodies swinging in the southern breeze strange fruit. Strange fruit lilian smiths 1944 novel deals with the racial tensions of the time just, as meeropols song did, though it engages the reader with a tale of the interracial romance between a. Strange fruit lilian smiths 1944 novel deals with the racial tensions of the time just, as meeropols song did, though it engages the reader with a tale of the interracial romance between a white man and a black woman. In an extract from his history of protest songs, dorian lynskey explores the power of strange fruit. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The book was also banned from shipping through the mail for three days that year until its publisher talked eleanor.
She was also called lady day, a nickname that her friend and. Aug 26, 20 in 1949 she unleashed another diatribe against racism in an imaginative autobiography, killers of the dream, widely considered to be her best book. Holiday first recorded it on this day in 1939, less than a month after first performing it at the. Strange fruit is a courageous debut with a remarkable range in theme and tone, from the nostalgic to the comedic to the bawdy, and to the angry, the melancholic and the steadfast and comforting. See the article in its original context from july 30, 1944, section m, page 10 buy reprints view on timesmachine timesmachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. It addresses issues of race in america, something that has been played up to show the comic as being challenging and provocative. Strange fruit is a song recorded by billie holiday in 1939, written by abel meeropol and published in 1937. Strange fruit by lillian smith madison smartt bell bookforum. Sep 05, 2012 one of billie holidays most iconic songs is strange fruit, a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism.
Stay connected to your students with prezi video, now in microsoft teams. November 2, 2016 this, then, is how one of the most controversial comics in recent ye. Billie holidays label wouldnt touch strange fruit smart. Other films have been made using the same title, but like smiths novel the title is a reference to a billie holiday song. In hindsight, the controversy that greeted the publication of lillian smiths strange fruit in 1944 seems unusually heated today. Illustration by charley harper illustration by charles harper charley harper. Strange fruit is one of the most potent protest songs ever written. Lillian smiths 1944 bestseller, strange fruit, about interracial romance, was originally. Uncelebrated narratives from black history, volume 1 is indubitably a work of love.
Many people know that the man who wrote the song was inspired by a photograph of. Established by clive selwood and john peel in 1986, strange fruit closed its doors in 2004. Jul 12, 2017 strange fruit inspired obscenity charges, court decisions, and police action, but outrage peaked over the fact that the 1944 bestseller was written by a white woman. Strange fruit is the bestselling debut novel by american author lillian smith 18971966, that deals with the then forbidden and controversial theme of interracial romance. Esquire jazz concert, metropolitan opera house, 1944. In her autobiography, singer billie holiday wrote that smith chose to name the book after her song strange fruit. In 1944, strange fruit was banned in boston and detroit months after its release, making it the first no. It will delight, shock, anger, induce laughter, shock more, delight more. Strange fruit by david margolick books the guardian.
Strange fruit is only second book on my list that hasnt had a fulllength film adaptation the first being 1917s bestseller, mr. Background strange fruit strange fruit was written by abel meeropol, a jewish school teacher and union activist. Strange fruit by smith, lillian and a great selection of related books, art and. Writings strange fruit is a 1944 bestselling novel debut by american author lillian smith that dealt with the thenforbidden and controversial theme of interracial romance.
April 7, 1915 july 17, 1959 was an american jazz singer and songwriter. Strange fruit inspired obscenity charges, court decisions, and police action, but outrage peaked over the fact that the 1944 bestseller was. Vaughan emarcy and complete sarah vaughan on mercury, vol. For company related credits such as use strange fruit records ltd. Bookshop amazon best sellers of yesteryear often dont wear well, so i have only recently read lillian smiths strange fruit, in spite of having a sense of its political importance and iconic place in the canon of southern literature and despite having once received a prize named after the author. This history is related in margolicks book, as well as in the film, strange fruit, which received its world premiere last month at the film society of lincoln center. Billie holiday billie holiday sings mercury clef 118 lp vinyl record album cover. Meeropol was said to have written the poem after viewing a disturbing photograph of thomas shipp and abram smith, two young black males lynched in marion. Billie holiday simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Lillian smiths bombshell novel about interracial love. Soon after, he discovered a book on the fruit by the food scientist herve rogez, who. This isnt the first time the title strange fruit has been appropriated, either. Strange fruit is a song performed most famously by billie holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939.