Black Bottom Saints

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Randall, Alice, Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Randall, Alice
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Randall, Alice	4-week checkout	Reshelving
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Randall, Alice	4-week checkout	Due 04-27-2024
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Randall, Alice	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Randall, Alice	4-week checkout	Due 05-09-2024

A celebrated columnist, nightclub emcee, and fine arts philanthropist draws inspiration from the Catholic Saints Day books to reflect on his encounters with black artists in Detroit's legendary Black Bottom neighborhood, from the Great Depression through the post-World War II years.
In the black-owned-and-operated Kirkwood Hospital, Joseph “Ziggy” Johnson reflects on his life. From the Great Depression through the post-World War II years, Ziggy had been the pulse of Detroit's famous Black Bottom. A celebrated gossip columnist for the city's African-American newspaper, the Michigan Chronicle, he was also the emcee of one of the hottest night clubs, where he rubbed elbows with the legendary black artists of the era. In his hospital bed, Ziggy curates his own list of Black Bottom’s venerable "52 Saints," local heroes whose unstoppable ambition, love of style, and faith in community made this black Midwestern neighborhood the rival of New York City’s Harlem. -- adapted from jacket

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Black Bottom Saints submitted by jillyn.crane on January 7, 2021, 3:23pm This is a review of the many different communities in Detroit in the late 1960's. Many of the discussions fit in well with current situations in urban communities in the USA.

Black Bottom Saints: Read This for so Many Reasons submitted by Moira A Tannenbaum on August 27, 2023, 10:11pm This clever, beautiful and well-written book interweaves fictional and real characters from Detroit and Chicago's Black music and dance scene, as told by a narrator looking back at his life. There are 52 artist portraits, one for each week. One of the key messages is that Detroit's working people supported the arts scene and another message is that the LGBTQIA+ community was always part of the Black community. Each portrait comes with a cocktail recipe personifying that person; these are fun to read even if you don't drink.