Dark Was the Night
  • Published: 25 November 2020
  • ISBN: 9781524738884
  • Imprint: Nancy Paulsen Books
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 32
  • RRP: $35.00

Dark Was the Night

Blind Willie Johnson's Journey to the Stars

Formats & editions
EBook
25 Aug 2020
Hardback
25 Nov 2020
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The poignant story of Blind Willie Johnson--the legendary Texas musician whose song "Dark Was the Night" was included on the Voyager I space probe's Golden Record

The poignant story of Blind Willie Johnson--the legendary Texas musician whose song "Dark Was the Night" was included on the Voyager I space probe's Golden Record

Willie Johnson was born in 1897, and from the beginning he loved to sing--and play his cigar box guitar. But his childhood was interrupted when he lost his mother and his sight. How does a blind boy make his way in the world? Fortunately for Willie, the music saved him and brought him back into the light. His powerful voice, combined with the wailing of his slide guitar, moved people. Willie made a name for himself performing on street corners all over Texas. And one day he hit it big when he got a record deal and his songs were played on the radio. Then in 1977, his song--"Dark Was the Night"--was chosen to light up the darkness when it was launched into space on the Voyager I space probe's famous Golden Record. His immortal song was selected for the way it expresses the loneliness humans all feel, while reminding us we're not alone.
  • Published: 25 November 2020
  • ISBN: 9781524738884
  • Imprint: Nancy Paulsen Books
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 32
  • RRP: $35.00
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Praise for Dark Was the Night

Spirit Seeker: The Musical Journey of John Coltrane, by Gary Golio
     * "Lyrically narrated . . . deeply respectful of both subject and audience."--Kirkus STAR
     * "The dizzying heights and lowest moments of John Coltrane's life are portrayed with energy and care."--PW STAR

Carlos Santana: Sound of the Heart, Song of the World, by Gary Golio
     * "Exemplary . . . an immersive experience that will captivate readers and bring them to a greater understanding of an artist."--Booklist STAR

Preaching to the Chickens, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (by Jabari Asim)
     "The poignant, observant watercolors . . . are bathed in subtly changing light, making homespun scenes of country life seem celestial and exalted."--NY Times Book Review

Each Kindness, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (by Jacqueline Woodson)
     "Lewis dazzles with frame-worthy illustrations, masterful use of light guiding readers' emotional responses."--Kirkus
     "Lewis embraces the effects of light like an Impressionist, while his creative, often cinematic uses of point of view add resonance to the story."--BCCB

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