Book Review of “Facade…In Every Mortal Lies a Dormant God!” by Sanford S. Shuman

Book Review by Sundiata Acoli

“Facade…In Every Mortal Lies A Dormant God!,” by Sanford S. Shuman, 2011, 180 pgs., Trafford Publishing ,   www.trafford.com, email orders@trafford.com or tel. toll free 1 (888) 232-4444, price $16.04.

“Facade…In Every Mortal Lies A Dormant God!” is a good book of poetry. It is an honest days work, attractively packaged and worth the price. And it can be a constant source of spiritual and emotional inspiration to the reader.

Sanford Shuman himself is a very spiritual person and his poems expound on a range of topics:

PASSIONS & EMOTIONS: comprised mostly of love poems;

NOTIONS and MOTIVATIONS: inspirational poems for facing life’s challenges and mastering them;

DIVINE and FRAME OF MIND!: revels in praise of Jah, Yahweh, Zion, Allah, Brahma, Lord of Lords or God by whatever such name and petitions him for help in ones earthly endeavors;

REBELLION and UNREST: a call to arms against oppression, injustice, racism, neglect and unjust practices against Africans at home and abroad. Shuman dedicates various parts of the chapter to Bob Marley, Malcolm X, Huey P. Newton, Marcus Garvey and other contributors to the struggle of Black Liberation and World Liberation. Altho he states several times thru out the book that all Whites are not the oppressor he still lapses from time to time into a a broad brush painting of “Europeans” or “the white man” as the culprit. That is wrong and he shouldn’t do so.

One of his best poems, “Youth’s Plight,” is inspiring for it’s capture of our youths condition precisely!…after which he blasphemes the rapper, in his poem “Reproach,” for destroying youths.

“Facade…” is a good book of poetry that could be a great one if it’s tone was a little less didactic and it’s rhyme scheme a little less monotonous but nevertheless its insights, spirit and content more than make up for any foibles.”