Books

Comrade King

Khulu Radebe had already had a full life learning at age 50 that he was a king. As a teenager, he was part of the Alexandra Township 1976 uprisings. Arrested and sent to Robben Island, he was one of the youngest prisoners there. Returning to Alex, he participated in the township’s 1986 Six Days War. Radebe joined the armed struggle, repeatedly dodging death from the enemy and from fellow MK soldiers in Angola. Then, at age 50, and proving a prophet’s prediction correct, he learned that he was the ruler of the AmaHlubi people of the Embo Nation, a nation that stretches along the east coast of Africa. In chronicling his extraordinary life and times in this landmark biography, Radebe, in a humane and vivid way, chronicles too, the revolutionary path for freedom in South Africa. Alexandra Township in Johannesburg is a central character in this book and Radebe reveals an astonishing story of the post-1990 war between Inkatha and the ANC in Alex. Gripping, bold and original, Comrade King, is an unforgettable story.

Meaningful Matters: Reflections on Joy, Loss and Our Changing World

A selection of Jeff Kelly Lowenstein’s favorite blog posts from the more than 1,100 pieces he wrote between late 2008 and the end of 2015. Started after a challenge from a colleague and friend and written during a highly consequential period in American and world history, the work brings together Kelly Lowenstein’s writings on sources of momentary delight, tributes to deceased loved ones and analysis of the seismic changes gripping our planet. Containing poetry, personal accounts, book reviews and open letters, Meaningful Matters tackles history’s painful legacies and affirms life’s daily gifts. Ultimately, it is a meditation on living with gratitude and joy in a profoundly imperfect world.