books: i put a spell on you

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:18:03 -0800

I Put a Spell on You: The Autobiography of Nina Simone

Nina Simone

I Put a Spell on You: The Autobiography of Nina Simone by Nina Simone with Stephen Cleary (1993, Da Capo). In the very first paragraph of the prologue, Nina Simone reflects on a statement James Baldwin – Jimmy, to her – had directed to her, “This is the life that you have made, Nina. Now, you have to live in it.” She doesn’t come back to acknowledge that simple but important truth until the end of her tale but it is the one that stuck with me throughout my reading.

To be quite frank, Ms. Simone is much less effective with prose than lyrics and melody. This is not about insight into her psyche or much reflection on the challenges and triumphs of her life. If you’re looking for that, if you’re interested in her passions and emotions, stick with the music. You’ll find no new access here. If you want to know about her life’s loves, her relationship with her family, and her near constant lack of business acumen, well, this is for you.

This is not what I was hoping for. I wanted her to delve deeper into her connection with the civil rights movement. A good portion of the middle passages deal with this part of her life but only anecdotally. I yearned for a stronger discussion of her politics and how she reconciled that with her music and her career and her station. I wanted less about how her relationships with men dominated her emotional state and effected her movements.

What we do get, however, are glimpses into her genius and how, despite suggesting up and down at the opening of the book that she wasn’t proud of her skill as a musician, her awareness of her own genius gave her a unique point of view. Wealth was not really a concern for her but respect – for her celebrity, her craft, and her skin – were incredibly important to her. This ego -- a hallmark of her career, her performances, her relationship with her audiences – rears it’s head often. I found these glimpses into how she saw herself most fascinating. We could all learn to demand to be treated with the kind of respect Ms. Simone often required.

As Jimmy noted, “We are the creators of the worlds we live in.” If that’s the case, might as well make it a world where our own brilliance is acknowledged.

Mildly recommended but, really, I’d just recommend picking up as much of her catalogue as you can. The recent re-issues Nina Simone Sings The Blues, Forever Young Gifted & Black, and Silk & Soul are great starts.

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books: i put a spell on you