In BORN TO BE one of America's foremost Negro spiritual-singers has written a real American autobiography. Starting with the days when he was a page in a questionable Montana resort, Mr. Gordon gives the story of his life. His experiences as a Pullman porter, his years with the Ringling Brothers circus, and hundreds of other interesting and unusual things that happened to him, all lead up to his great success in the last few years. Accepted as one of the finest exponents of Negro spirituals, Mr. Gordon has gone from one triumph to another. In London he was lionized by society, fraternized with nobility, and met all the writers, critics, painters and musicians of importance. Mr. Gordon tells his story in a racy, spicy, gamey vernacular that swings you along irresistibly.
Muriel Draper in her Introduction, and Carl Van Vechten in his Foreword, sketch in the intimate and personal background, based on their long friendship with Mr. Gordon, and Covarrubias, famous for his pictures of Negroes, has caught the spirit of the book as no other artist could have done.
BORN TO BE is one of the most amusing and smartest books of the season.