First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The legendary Greek figure Orpheus was said to have possessed magical powers capable of moving all living and inanimate things through the sound of his lyre and voice. Over time, the Orphic theme has come to indicate the power of music to unsettle, subvert, and ultimately bring down oppressive realities in order to liberate the soul and expand human life without limits. The liberating effect of music has been a particularly important theme in twentieth-century African American literature. The nine original essays in Black Orpheus examines the Orphic theme in the fiction of such African American writers as Jean Toomer, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, James Baldwin, Nathaniel Mackey, Sherley Anne Williams, Ann Petry, Ntozake Shange, Alice Walker, Gayl Jones, and Toni Morrison. The authors discussed in this volume depict music as a mystical, shamanistic, and spiritual power that can miraculously transform the realities of the soul and of the world. Here, the musician uses his or her music as a weapon to shield and protect his or her spirituality. Written by scholars of English, music, women's studies, American studies, cultural theory, and black and Africana studies, the essays in this interdisciplinary collection ultimately explore the thematic, linguistic structural presence of music in twentieth-century African American fiction.

Sambach brings together an ethnograhic study of a school and community in East Africa. Stambach focuses on the role school plays in the development of the children's identity and relationships to their parents and community, as well as in the development of the region. At issue here are the competing influences of Western modernity and the cultural traditions of East Africa-ideas about gender roles, sexuality, identity, and family and communal obligations are all at stake. Stambach looks at the controversial practice of female circumcision in the context of school and community teachings about girls' bodies and examines cultural signifiers like music, clothing and food to discuss the tensions in the region.

Author Bowling pens a first-person account of his attempt to climb to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the life-changing lessons learned along the way during the nine days it took to reach the peak of Africas tallest mountain and highest free-standing volcano. (Motivation)

"My own journey to the summit of Kilimanjaro opened me to a life of adventure, and this book brought me right back to the slopes of that magical mountain. An honest and affirming tale of embracing the unknown and the transformative power of nature, Jeff's journey is an invitation to all of us to get outside our comfort zone, see the world, and let it change us." —Josh Gates, Explorer, Host of Discovery's Expedition Unknown An honest and engaging account of one amateur hiker's journey to spiritual transformation as he climbs to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. After his brother-in-law Chris passed away, author Jeff Belanger made the decision to take the trip of a lifetime, both in honor of Chris and in pursuit of clarity about his own life and goals. The Call of Kilimanjaro is a day-by-day record of Belanger's ascent to the peak of Africa's highest mountain. By turns contemplative and irreverent, joyful and thoughtful, boyish and wise, this is a book for all ages - from 10 to 100 - and a memoir for armchair travelers with an interest in spirituality. By example, Belanger teaches us to take stock of our accomplishments, eye the lofty goals we've placed in front of ourselves, and push higher than we've ever dared, turning an honest eye toward past, present, and future, through the end of life and beyond.

In July 2008, international business executive Herta von Stiegel led a group of disabled people to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for charity. The story was captured in the award-winning documentary The Mountain Within—and now the expedition has inspired this remarkable work, which blends the gripping tale with powerful leadership lessons and conversations with many of the world’s most influential business leaders: Kay Unger Sung-Joo Kim Dr. Joachim Faber Baroness Scotland of Asthal Marsha Serlin Dr. Karl (Charly) and Lisa Kleissner Martha (Marty) Wikstrom Sam Chisholm Minister Mohamed Lotfi Mansour Karin Forseke President and Lt. General Seretse Khama Ian Khama Christie Hefner Abeyya Al-Qatami Hon. Al Gore and David Blood Dr. Mohamed “Mo” Ibrahim Life may be full of obstacles, but it is the mountain within that most often needs to be conquered. No matter your challenges or where you are on your climb to the top, this unique work helps you become a resilient leader capable of guiding your team to achieve even the most challenging goal.

Africa's Highest Mountain Waited to Teach Them Its Own Lessons Each with his own reason for going, four men arrive in Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Together, they face the challenges of climbing the Marangu route of the mountain, while at the same time developing friendships, overcoming personal hurdles, and coming to grips with their own and each other's limitations. Written by two-time Mount Kilimanjaro climber, H. Macon Dunnagan, this story accurately portrays the real hardships involved in climbing Kilimanjaro. He accents the positive aspects of the natural beauty of the mountain while describing the real challenges one will face as one climbs from a tropical rainforest below to Arctic white wilderness at 19,340 feet to reach the highest point in Africa!