Orchester Benjamin is an old school Hustler and ex-Black panther, 73 years of age, who has spent a life time on the streets playing the Game for fun and profit; now turned Researcher, Writer, and Historian of the Game.

His time is divided between his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, promoting his books, enjoying the Urban/Street literature movement on all levels, and working on the second book in his trilogy, Story of the Game the Black Family play.

Grandpa! Tell Us a Story; Drinking From Ancient Wells
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ISBN: 0977342115
Number Of Pages: 372
Publication Date: July 01, 2007
Publisher: SoulViewWorld LLC

Read an AALBC.com Book Review

Read an Excerpt

OLD SCHOOL HUSTLER AND EX-BLACK PANTHER, HIP-HOP GRANDPA, KICKING THE GAME AROUND WITH THE HIP-HOP GENERATION.

Rich with history and imagination, a perfect blend of historical facts and the facts of life, Grandpa! Tell us a Story: Drinking from Ancient wells-trilogy, is the story of the game Black people play to survive. The first of the trilogy, The Game's Soul, places you directly in the middle of the mind and life of a young Black outlaw from birth and into his teenage years, and goes into great detail of how he created and played the game he was to play the rest of his life; an existence with enough power and adventure to fill the days of a hundred years.

In the process, he demonstrates a revolutionary view of the complexities of a Black youth's mind while preparing to survive in America as a self made Black man. Visionary and inspirational realism: A work in the tradition of Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice (1968), and influenced by Ralph Ellison's Invisible man (1947). Yet it is a story that reaches out to the heart smashing realism of urban youth fiction of today and could stand toe to toe with Sister Souljah's The Coldest Winter Ever (1999).

Grandpa! Tell us a Story: Drinking from Ancient Wells-trilogy takes readers on a journey through the game Black people played in ancient West Africa, in slavery, in the 1960's Civil Rights movement, and the Hip-hop generation is playing in the 21st century. In this respect, his story deals with The Game, and the Loss and Redemption of Black people in America. Adults in general and young people in particular can simply relax and enjoy the work as a urban novel, and return to it for further study of its social/spiritual/historical value.

Contact
Orchester Benjamin
Toshsha@msn.com

Related Links
www.soulviewworld.com