“As the country enters a fresh atmosphere around our latest president, Letters From Black America strikes a vital, rich chord in which to breathe the new air.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer

“As the country enters a fresh atmosphere around our latest president, Letters From Black America strikes a vital, rich chord in which to breathe the new air.” —Karen R. Long, Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Ah, the lure and lore of the letter! Nowadays we turn to cell phones, e-mail and instant messaging to connect, but when you crack open Pamela Newkirk's Letters From Black America you'll see that the pen is mightier than the thumb.” —Mika Ono, Essence

“An instructive, moving—even delightful—primer on the myriad facets of African-American private and public life.” —Publishers Weekly

“This long-overdue collection by writers from all walks of life is moving, illuminating, and difficult to put down.” —Marian Wright Edelman, President, Children's Defense Fund

“When we think of great memorials and monuments, we often envision structures crafted out of steel or stone. But I believe the letters in Pamela Newkirk's tremendous collection represent perhaps the most powerful and enduring legacy to the strength, creativity, genius, and resilience of the African American community. Letters from Black America is itself a work of art.” —Andrew Carroll, editor of Letters of a Nation and War Letters

“Seldom has the intimate life of a people been more variously revealed. Think of the day when there may only be downloaded e-mail, and then thank Pamela Newkirk for the enduring significance, poignancy, and delight of her Letters from Black America.” —David Levering Lewis, Julius Silver University Professor, New York University, and author of W.E.B. Du Bois

“This is an extraordinary peek at what went on behind the closed doors of black America for nearly three hundred years. Notables are reduced to human beings, and the anonymous come to life. These extraordinary snapshots of the past will provide hours of informative pleasure and delightful reading. Wonderfully done.” —James McBride, author of The Color of Water

“The charm of these letters creeps up on you . . . Newkirk meant this collection to be representative of the black American experience, but truly, it's also a window into the human heart. Any human heart.” —Caroline Leavitt, The Boston Globe on A Love No Less