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The measure of a man : a spiritual autobiography / Sidney Poitier.
In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. His body of work is arguable the most morally significant in cinematic history, and the power and influence of that work are indicative of the character of the man behind the many storied roles. Here, Sidney Poitier explores these elements of character and personal values to take his own measure - as a man, as a husband, and father, and as an actor. Poitier was uncompromising as he pursued a personal and public life that would honor his upbringing and the invaluable legacy of his parents. Committed to the notion that what one does for a living articulates who one is, Poitier played only forceful and affecting characters who said something positive, useful, and lasting about the human condition. Here, finally, is Poitier's own introspective look at what has informed his performances and his life. Poitier explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, pride and humility, rage and forgiveness, and paying the price for artistic integrity. What emerges is a picture of a man seeking truth, passion, and balance in the face of limits his own and the world's. A triumph of the spirit, The Measure of a Man captures the essential Poitier. Author Biography: Sidney Poitier was the first and remains the only African American actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his outstanding performance in Lilies of the Field in 1963, but he believes that will soon change, given the excellence of African-American talent in the industry today. He has starred in over forty films, directed nine, and written four. His landmark films include TheDefiant Ones, A Patch of Blue, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and To Sir, With Love. Among his many accolades, he has recently been selected as the thirty-sixth recipient of the Screen Actors Guild's highest honor, the Life Achievement Award for an outstanding career and humanitarian accomplishment.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780062516077
- ISBN: 9780062516084 (pbk.)
- ISBN: 9780061357909 (pbk.)
- ISBN: 0062516078
- ISBN: 0062516086 (pbk.)
- ISBN: 0061357901 (pbk.)
- Physical Description: xiii, 255 p., [8] p. of plates : ill ; 25 cm.
- Edition: 1st ed.
- Publisher: San Francisco, CA : HarperSanFrancisco, c2000.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | Includes index. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Poitier, Sidney. Actors > United States > Biography. Motion picture actors and actresses > United States > Biography. |
Available copies
- 17 of 17 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Prince Rupert Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 17 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Rupert Library | B POIT (Text) | 33294001115336 | Biographies | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Monthly Selections - #2 March 2000
/*Starred Review*/ By any measure, Sidney Poitier has led a remarkably successful life. One of the legendary American actors, he has starred in more than 40 films and acted in many successful Broadway plays. His career is even more remarkable considering his background. Born dirt poor in the Bahamas, Poitier came to the U.S. penniless at age 15 in 1943. After working odd jobs and scraping by in Florida and New York City, Poitier landed, by chance, a small acting role. His performance was noticed by talent scouts, and with a combination of luck, grit, and sheer willpower, he went on to become Hollywood's first leading black actor and one of its greatest stars. In Measure, Poitier attempts to unravel for himself his own remarkable life story, looking at early life experiences, his family, and various themes that he believes have contributed to his success. Measure is not a chronological autobiography; the book emphasizes themes that have shaped his life. The author examines rural poverty, racism in "Jim Crow" Florida, morality, self-esteem, and the nature of being an "outsider" . Poitier is an excellent storyteller, and the book is anecdotally rich. Calling this autobiography--the author's second--"spiritual" may be somewhat misleading. Religion is a minor part of the story. Instead, Poitier's tale is an affirmation of the value of morality and personal integrity in leading a successful, fulfilling life. ((Reviewed March 15, 2000)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews - BookPage Reviews : BookPage Reviews 2000 May
Long before Denzel and Wesley, and Angela and Will, and so many others, there was Sidney Poitier. And only Sidney. For Hollywood's first major black star was, for many years, Hollywood's only major black actor. "I felt very much as if I were representing 15, 18 million people with every move I made," he admits. Indeed, when he stood before millions of TV viewers, clutching his 1964 Best Actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field, he knew he was "a one-man show." Some years back, Poitier reflected on his watershed career in his autobiography, This Life. Now he reflects on "just life itself" in The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Biography.Poitier has always sought to make movies that reflect his standards. In this conversational book, he utilizes some of those films, such as A Patch of Blue and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?, to explore his views about contemporary life and values.
Born on Cat Island in the Bahamas, the son of a tomato farmer, Poitier ruminates on topics ranging from racism to kids' incessant exposure to TV (and its often violent imagery).
Recounting lessons learned on the streets of Miami (where he was sent to live with an older brother) and, later in New York City (where he moved at age 16), he recounts the humiliation he felt following a reading for the American Negro Theatre. The young Poitier was soundly rejected, since he could barely read and spoke with a thick Caribbean accent. "Get yourself a job as a dishwasher or something!" he was told. Stung by those words, and by the thought that dishwashing might be his destiny, Poitier set out to change. He began by learning to read.
He would go on to slowly and carefully climb the film industry ladder. Though he sometimes turned down roles that did not meet his standards, he was never above taking menial jobs. After all, his father had taught him that the measure of a man was "how well he provided for his children." Poitier would always provide, but would not sell his soul. Now that's spiritual.
Pat H. Broeske is an associate producer on the Court TV series, Anatomy of Crime. Copyright 2000 BookPage Reviews
- Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2000 January #1
Following his autobiography (This Life); something with a spiritual dimension. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information. - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2000 May #1
There should be a rule that celebrities can't write memoirs until they are at least 70 to avoid the inevitable rehashing of one's life in a second or even third memoir. Poitier wrote his first autobiography (This Life) in 1980 and is following it up now with a second. However, in addition to rehashing some of the stories from the first book, he also wants to share his wisdom and ponder the meaning of life. He wistfully remembers the simplicity of growing up on Cat Island in the Bahamas and pities privileged children who have never experienced such an unspoiled life. He regrets his early divorce and the effects it had on his children. There is almost a sense of apology as Poitier examines his actions, but at the same time there is quite a bit of self-importance. By the end, he seems to have forgiven himself and figured it all out: "We're all imperfect, and life is simply a perpetual unending struggle against those imperfections." When he talks about acting technique, the book sizzles, but otherwise it is not a necessary purchase unless book promotion efforts generate requests. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/00.]--Rosellen Brewer, Monterey Cty. Free Libs., Salinas, CA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2000 May #1
Poitier's second memoir retains the soul-searching candor that marked his first (This Life, 1980), but lacks its narrative drive. After painting an idyllic portrait of his youth on Cat Island in the Bahamas ("a place of purity"), Poitier traces his path to Hollywood stardom with frustratingly broad strokes. (For the details of Poitier's journey, and his involvement in the civil rights movement, readers are left to consult his earlier work.) Poitier demonstrates the strength of his character with moving stories about his struggles with racism, and he includes anecdotes about his roles in such memorable productions as A Raisin in the Sun, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night and A Patch of Blue. But in the end, this book reads like the random thoughts of a sincere and honorable celebrity channeled through the pen of an experienced and jaded ghostwriter. As an autobiography, it is "spiritual" only in the loosest sense of the term. Poitier's relationship with God, whom he conceives in Hollywood terms as a vague cosmic consciousness, is not mentioned until one of the last chapters of the book. Throughout, he offers moralizing reflections on rage, forgiveness ("a sacred process"), marriage, parenting, prostate cancer and the burning question of whether Sidney Poitier has a dark side. "I had come to believe a little bit in my own press clippings," he notes, reflecting on his reputation as a man of unusual integrity and virtue; for better and for worse, this book contains little to complicate that belief. (May) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
