Give Me My Forty Acres Because I Know My Mule Is Dead

About the Book

Join Al Hall as he shares his impressions in poetic form. Whether he’s recounting what it was like to grow up in segregated schools or dishing out the flavor of life in the Deep South, the emotional power of his lyrics can touch anyone.

In “My Name is Status Quo,” Hall takes the perspective of someone intolerant of affirmative action, writing:

I’ll hang in there as long as I can,
But my tolerance is running extremely low.
I’m not ready for these new leaders,
So you can just call me Mr. Status Quo.

In “Holding onto Nothing,” he tells of someone down on their luck, writing:

I lost my house through a swindler’s hand,
Because I wanted a little more than I had.
I signed something that I didn’t understand,
And now that deal has gone bad.

Divided into six themed sections, this collection is full of emotion. Learn what it means to struggle and not give up hope in Give Me My Forty Acres Because I Know My Mule Is Dead.

About the Author

Al Hall, a native of Mississippi, attended segregated schools and experienced years of discrimination. He graduated from Prentiss Institute and Jackson State University, both in Mississippi, and Western New Mexico University. He lives in Alexandria, Va., with his wife, and he has two adult sons.