David Doc Robertson
Description
Product Description
This epic novel spans 32 years from 1963 to 1995. Roman and his sister Virginia are products of Watts during a period of disconte
...
nt. Through them we get a glimpse of how the history of the time may have affected black families. Included in the past events are the assassinations of President Kennedy, his brother Bobby, and Martin Luther King, the Watts Riots, the Vietnam War, and the latest proliferation of drugs and gangs into the inner cities.
Though these events affect the two main characters there are other factors that also influence their upbringing and that of their children. Both suffer the abuse of a mother, Simone, who takes out her anger toward men on Roman. He responds by lashing out at the world by getting into fights whenever possible. Whoever is naïve enough to think they can take him on is in for a rude awakening. His move into manhood is flawed at best; two kids by two girls before turning 17 shows his ineptness at responsibility. He forgoes a possible football scholarship, and regains the desire to be the man inspired by his beloved grandmother. Roman’s children grow up in a loving home with two parents until the draft board calls and he is off to war. After his return home, he establishes himself in the community but finds that he cannot raise his children in the city he grew up.
His sister Virginia faces different obstacles on her way to adulthood. An early marriage ends tragically; her youth prevents her from helping her people; and at times she fails to recognize who is really on her side. Though she becomes an icon in her community, her commitment to help continues. She leads a nationwide effort to better educate inner-city students and finds that her voice is heard.
Their support for one another helps them accomplish goals set long before they are realized. As Virginia tells her brother, "We’ve done all right for a couple of nappy headed kids from the ghetto."
Review
Needed tighter editing, but this is a small complaint. Uplifting, hopeful and gutwrenching. Rendered in a warm and heartfelt manner. -- Tucson Weekly, July 2001
The Vietnam chapters are chilling. Loved the growth of both main characters. I was disappointed that it had an ending. -- English Chair, Amphitheater High School
This family saga is written with a flourish presenting a memorable group of characters - some beautiful writing. -- Book Reader, Spring 2001
From the Publisher
This book has gotten off to a slow start because of our meager resources, but time will show that it is probably one of the best literary works of the Third Millennium. The characters will appeal to more than African American because it is a story about family. The reviews are already starting to show that Doc is not only a writer of the future but a future icon as well. This book will be embraced and discussed in universities around the world for its poignant view of a difficult time.
About the Author
On the worst day of his life David Doc Robertson was paralyzed from the neck down in a high school football accident. After eleven months in the hospital and confinement to a wheelchair, he entered UCLA. He received his BA in English and then ventured across town to earn an MA in Journalism. This was a very productive period in Robertson`s life. He wrote, produced, and directed Something Cool, a stage-play set in Watts. He also established a student organization called the Equal Opportunity Film Institute, providing free, on-campus classes in film and video to minorities in the surrounding community. Robertson and the institute produced five video productions that played to capacity rooms on campus.
All of his efforts were inspired by research he conducted as part of his masters program. He focused on the effects of the media on African Americans, finding many disturbing results. For the Los Angeles Times he wrote articles on a regular basis about the use of minorities and the disabled in the film industry. While continuing to write for the
Read more