The author of fourteen books, including the New York Times bestseller Our Kind of People, and a contributing editor for Reader's Digest, Lawrence Otis Graham's work has also appeared in the New York Times, Essence, and The Best American Essays.
"Graham's research is impressive and comprehensive....this compelling story shows how the American Dream can transmute into the American nightmare." -- Kirkus Reviews"Informative...many striking tales. Mr. Graham is right to want to bring the story to a reading public." -- Wall Street Journal"Graham's fluid prose paints an absorbing picture." -- Roll Call"THE SENATOR AND THE SOCIALITE offers a compelling portrait of the Bruce family's rise, dynamics and downfall...A poignant tale of struggle, accomplishment...and an illuminating account of American racism." -- Washington Post"A rare, detailed glimpse into politics, race, and class in post-Reconstruction America." -- U.S. News & World Report"Few authors or journalists probe with more specificity and irony the dynamic of race and class than Lawrence Otis Graham....An entertaining, intriguing and sometimes amazing story of personal mobility and ambition. Provides thorough and solid historical detail, political analysis and cultural discussion. Without diluting the prose, downplaying the negatives or weakening the story, Graham presents a vital, previously underreported tale of glory, achievement and eventual disappointment." -- Book Alert"Graham paints a compelling portrait of the important role Bruce played in the country's history." -- Chicago Sun-Times"Graham...recovers the history of a family that broke barriers in Washington and at Exeter and Harvard. At the same time, he offers a devastating view of the compromises it made. -- The New Yorker"A compelling portrait of the Bruce family's rise, dynamics and downfall...A poignant tale of struggle, accomplishment...and an illuminating account of American racism." -- Washington Post"A cohesive picture of an extraordinary figure...The issues raised by Bruce's life and career resonate today, making Graham's book not just a history but a revealing commentary on race and class, and on their inordinately powerful force in shaping our lives today." -- Chicago Tribune "This book opens the door to a rich, though frustrating, period in the country's past." -- New York Post"Graham draws on his expertise to chronicle the astonishing rise of Blanche Bruce, the first black man to serve in the U.S. Senate...Graham cogently explains the treacherous post-Civil War political situation...Graham's real strength is his intricate delineation of class, color, culture and social climbing." -- USA Today"Graham details the political machinations of the post-Reconstruction South and one man's attempt to build and maintain a dynasty." -- Booklist"There is an intensity in Graham's use of language and the inherent family drama that gives the narrative a novelistic tone. Graham is a superb storyteller, and the Bruce dynasty perfect fodder for this gifted writer." -- Amsterdam News"Graham digs deep and unearths secrets in...his absorbing book on money, class and color issues." -- Essence"In another piece of powerful nonfiction, Lawrence Otis Graham returns to the shelves with The Senator and The Socialite." -- Ebony"This account of a black family is a rags to riches to welfare tale that ought to intrigue." -- Publishers Weekly
Buried within this account of a black family that includes "a United States senator; a bank president; [and] a Washington socialite" is a rags to riches to welfare tale that ought to intrigue, but merely bores. Slave-born Blanche K. Bruce (1841-1898) was the first African-American to serve a full term in the United State Senate (1874-1880). Having obtained wealth in addition to political clout in Mississippi, he acquired elite class status through his marriage to Josephine Willson, daughter of a wealthy dentist whose freeborn roots extended back to the late 18th century. The first half of this repetitious family biography focuses largely on Bruce's political life, the second on his son Roscoe, who after a stint at Tuskegee returns to Washington as superintendent of "Colored Schools." The family spirals through a decline that finds Roscoe managing an apartment complex in Harlem and his sons jailed for fraud. In tracing the fortunes of the clan, Graham (Our Kind of People: Inside America's Black Upper Class) allows an absorption with class status to obscure fresher areas, such as Blanche Bruce's involvement in the serious work of the black women's club movement. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
"Graham's research is impressive and comprehensive....this compelling story shows how the American Dream can transmute into the American nightmare." -- Kirkus Reviews"Informative...many striking tales. Mr. Graham is right to want to bring the story to a reading public." -- Wall Street Journal"Graham's fluid prose paints an absorbing picture." -- Roll Call"THE SENATOR AND THE SOCIALITE offers a compelling portrait of the Bruce family's rise, dynamics and downfall...A poignant tale of struggle, accomplishment...and an illuminating account of American racism." -- Washington Post"A rare, detailed glimpse into politics, race, and class in post-Reconstruction America." -- U.S. News & World Report"Few authors or journalists probe with more specificity and irony the dynamic of race and class than Lawrence Otis Graham....An entertaining, intriguing and sometimes amazing story of personal mobility and ambition. Provides thorough and solid historical detail, political analysis and cultural discussion. Without diluting the prose, downplaying the negatives or weakening the story, Graham presents a vital, previously underreported tale of glory, achievement and eventual disappointment." -- Book Alert"Graham paints a compelling portrait of the important role Bruce played in the country's history." -- Chicago Sun-Times"Graham...recovers the history of a family that broke barriers in Washington and at Exeter and Harvard. At the same time, he offers a devastating view of the compromises it made. -- The New Yorker"A compelling portrait of the Bruce family's rise, dynamics and downfall...A poignant tale of struggle, accomplishment...and an illuminating account of American racism." -- Washington Post"A cohesive picture of an extraordinary figure...The issues raised by Bruce's life and career resonate today, making Graham's book not just a history but a revealing commentary on race and class, and on their inordinately powerful force in shaping our lives today." -- Chicago Tribune "This book opens the door to a rich, though frustrating, period in the country's past." -- New York Post"Graham draws on his expertise to chronicle the astonishing rise of Blanche Bruce, the first black man to serve in the U.S. Senate...Graham cogently explains the treacherous post-Civil War political situation...Graham's real strength is his intricate delineation of class, color, culture and social climbing." -- USA Today"Graham details the political machinations of the post-Reconstruction South and one man's attempt to build and maintain a dynasty." -- Booklist"There is an intensity in Graham's use of language and the inherent family drama that gives the narrative a novelistic tone. Graham is a superb storyteller, and the Bruce dynasty perfect fodder for this gifted writer." -- Amsterdam News"Graham digs deep and unearths secrets in...his absorbing book on money, class and color issues." -- Essence"In another piece of powerful nonfiction, Lawrence Otis Graham returns to the shelves with The Senator and The Socialite." -- Ebony"This account of a black family is a rags to riches to welfare tale that ought to intrigue." -- Publishers Weekly
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