• Summarize the book: What is the memoir about? Who is the author and what was his life like growing up in West Baltimore? Provide an overview of the author’s experiences and insights. • Analyze the book: Explain what this book tells you about America in the 1970s and 1980s. What were the historical factors that created a neighborhood like West Baltimore? Who lived there? What was life like then? What kinds of social, economic, and cultural forces were at play in creating the neighborhood that Coates describes?
How does this neighborhood and its social life, as Coates describes it, reflect themes and events in the history of the U.S.? Is the book a story of achieving the “American Dream” and can anyone achieve it? Be sure to reference other course materials. • Contextualize the book: Choose at least five passages from the book that address events, issues, or controversies of importance to the United States during the 1970s and 1980s. Summarize the passages (or quote sparingly). Explain why you’ve chosen these passages and include references to other course materials. • Assess the book: How effective is Coates’ memoir in helping you understand the U.S after the turbulent decade of the 1960s? Explain your reasoning. Criteria: • Your essay should be a minimum of 1,200 words (five pages). List the word count on your last page
