Fist Stick Knife Gun

A Personal History of Violence

A new edition, including the story of the founding of the Harlem Children’s Zone
 
Long before the avalanche of praise for his work—from Oprah Winfrey, from President Bill Clinton, from President Barack Obama—long before he became known for his talk show appearances, Members Project spots, and documentaries like Waiting for “Superman”, Geoffrey Canada was a small boy growing up scared on the mean streets of the South Bronx. His childhood world was one where “sidewalk boys” learned the codes of the block and were ranked through the rituals of fist, stick, and knife. Then the streets changed, and the stakes got even higher. In his candid and riveting memoir, Canada relives a childhood in which violence stalked every street corner.
“A searing memoir . . . Canada’s blunt observations are as refreshing as they are bold.”
—Paula Woods, San Francisco Chronicle
 
“Geoffrey Canada is one of this country’s genuine heroes. His personal meditation on America’s culture of violence is a beacon of hope for our humanity.”
—Charles Johnson, author of Middle Passage
 
“Canada has never lost touch with the child within himself or with the fears of the children around him struggling to reach adulthood in the violent streets of America.”
—Marian Wright Edelman, author of The Measure of Our Success
 
“Canada takes us on a powerful journey . . . he is a man of hope and a wonderful storyteller.”
—Henry Hampton, executive producer, Eyes on the Prize
Geoffrey Canada is the president and CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone, a nonprofit, community-based organization deemed “one of the most ambitious social experiments of our time” by the New York Times Magazine. Jonathan Kozol called him, “One of the few authentic heroes of New York and one of the best friends children have, or ever will have, in our nation,” and Oprah Winfrey simply refers to him as “an angel from God.” Canada is featured in Davis Guggenheim’s documentary Waiting for Superman.

Educator Guide for Fist Stick Knife Gun

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

About

A new edition, including the story of the founding of the Harlem Children’s Zone
 
Long before the avalanche of praise for his work—from Oprah Winfrey, from President Bill Clinton, from President Barack Obama—long before he became known for his talk show appearances, Members Project spots, and documentaries like Waiting for “Superman”, Geoffrey Canada was a small boy growing up scared on the mean streets of the South Bronx. His childhood world was one where “sidewalk boys” learned the codes of the block and were ranked through the rituals of fist, stick, and knife. Then the streets changed, and the stakes got even higher. In his candid and riveting memoir, Canada relives a childhood in which violence stalked every street corner.

Reviews

“A searing memoir . . . Canada’s blunt observations are as refreshing as they are bold.”
—Paula Woods, San Francisco Chronicle
 
“Geoffrey Canada is one of this country’s genuine heroes. His personal meditation on America’s culture of violence is a beacon of hope for our humanity.”
—Charles Johnson, author of Middle Passage
 
“Canada has never lost touch with the child within himself or with the fears of the children around him struggling to reach adulthood in the violent streets of America.”
—Marian Wright Edelman, author of The Measure of Our Success
 
“Canada takes us on a powerful journey . . . he is a man of hope and a wonderful storyteller.”
—Henry Hampton, executive producer, Eyes on the Prize

Author

Geoffrey Canada is the president and CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone, a nonprofit, community-based organization deemed “one of the most ambitious social experiments of our time” by the New York Times Magazine. Jonathan Kozol called him, “One of the few authentic heroes of New York and one of the best friends children have, or ever will have, in our nation,” and Oprah Winfrey simply refers to him as “an angel from God.” Canada is featured in Davis Guggenheim’s documentary Waiting for Superman.

Guides

Educator Guide for Fist Stick Knife Gun

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

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