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Gr 6-Up Poems in various forms parallel the reproduced text of "A Narrative of the Life & Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa", published in 1798. Nelson's depictions and interpretations of scenes from Venture's account bring a musical, emotional, and inquisitive context to the true story of an enslaved African who eventually bought freedom for himself and his family. Similar in format to "Fortune's Bones" (2004) a...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Venture Smith was captured by slave traders in Guinea when he was six. Nelson partners Smith's 1798 autobiography, reproduced in full on the left-hand pages of this book, with her poems, inspired by particular moments from the ex-slave's life, on the right. As Nelson acknowledges in her preface, Smith's is an unusual slave memoir: bought and sold so many times himself, Smith goes on to purc...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Nelson partners the 1798 autobiography of ex-slave Venture Smith (reproduced on the book's left-hand pages) with twenty-five free- and ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Venture Smith was, as Marilyn Nelson puts it in her preface, “a man caught up in a nightmare of history who nevertheless managed to retain his fundamental decency, humanity, and self-respect . . . who rose above the limitations imposed by r...Log In or Sign Up to Read More