Brer Rabbit Retold

von ,

The Brer Rabbit stories were originally oral tales told by slaves from the American South. In this powerful rendering for children and adults, writer and griot Arthur Flowers re-tells them as wisdom tales for a contemporary audience, bringing them back to us as one of the sturdy roots of African-American literature. This version also straddles storytelling forms– connecting the spoken and written word in surprising ways. The text is heir to the original oral stories, exquisitely illustrated by Jagdish Chitara, a ritual textile painter from Gujarat. Arthur Flowers then takes his stories back into the realm of the oral, with a musical spoken word performance in collaboration with a group of young Indian musicians. Printed and bound by hand, this limited edition artists’ book comes with a music album and short film. This genre defying cross-media project pushes the boundaries of narrative art – inviting the reader (and listener) to explore through sight and sound, text and imagination. Includes an audio CD and download code.