ALWAYS OUTNUMBERED, ALWAYS OUTGUNNED

Masterfully read and masterfully acted by Peter Francis James, Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned is a recording to put on the top of your list. The story of Socrates Fortlow, struggling to survive in Watts after 27 years in prison, relates his Herculean struggles to maintain dignity and integrity after a harrowing passage in life. It is one of the rare works of fiction that can be listened to repeatedly, as the richness of the performance and the layers of meaning in the text bear up well. It’s fair to say this work not only starkly defines the black experience in America, but the human experience itself. D.J.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 03]