First published 2024
This collection presents the spoken words of Sidney Poitier, the first Black actor to win the Best Actor Oscar and Hollywood's top box office star at his career peak. Compiled by his wife Joanna Poitier, the volume gathers addresses delivered at commencements, award ceremonies, family gatherings, and memorial services. Poitier's speeches cover entertainment history, filmmaking craft, civil rights struggles, and parenthood wisdom. He pays tribute to fellow artists including Dorothy Dandridge, Spencer Tracy, Stanley Kramer, and Denzel Washington. The book preserves his distinctive speaking voice through careful transcription, sometimes including his handwritten edits and additions. Professional photographs and family images accompany the text. Poitier overcame childhood poverty and near illiteracy to become one of America's most articulate public speakers. His words capture moments from decades of cultural and political change while offering personal reflections on career, family, and artistic purpose.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, african-american, autobiography, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, film
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, overcoming-adversity
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
182 pages · Kindle Edition · Running Press Adult