The Re-Remembered (Paperback)
An enthralling collection of short stories based on Dwight's own family history. He takes us through the lives of African Americans and Native Americans in the early parts of the United States. A must read.
Dwight Wilson's work is a carefully researched historical fiction series Esi Was My Mother, which follows the lives of an enslaved black family from 18th century Africa to the American Civil War. He strives to portray triumphant examples of black stories that will make history come alive for readers. He is also author of two short story collections, The Kidnapped and The Resistors, as well as a memoir centered on caring for children, Whispering to Babies, and two psalms books: Modern Psalms In Search of Peace and Justice and Modern Psalms of Solace and Resistance.
"Dwight Wilson’s writing is lively, well-paced, historically well-informed, psychologically acute, and highly imaginative. It’s not easy to be both entertaining and educational, but Wilson does it well, immersing his readers in the joyous yet deeply fraught worlds of nineteenth-century African-American folk. Enjoy and savor his long-simmering stories!"
—Stephen W. Angell, author of The Cambridge Companion to Quakerism
"Dwight Wilson's stories bring the past to life with humor and poignancy. Memorable, quirky characters emerge from these pages. Readers will be troubled by the injustice and consequent tragedy that lurks in these tales, just as they will be moved by the courage and perseverance that thrive there as well. These stories cross bridges and bring people together, inspiring hope."—Michael Birkel, Author of Silence and Witness
"Wilson’s short stories are a balm to the soul in a time all too challenging for most of us. They amplify voices that historically have not been adequately heard, while telling stories that simultaneously entertain and teach us on the deepest levels. Curl up with these true-to-life tales and prepare to enjoy a wondrous journey!" —Jennifer Elizabeth Brunton, Ph.D., author of The #ActuallyAutistic Guide to Advocacy: Step-by-step advice on how to ally and speak up with Autistic individuals and the autism community (forthcoming, 2/22, from Jessica Kingsley Press)
"Dwight and I have been friends since our seminary days. His writing is as he is—thoughtful, well-researched, poetic, passionate, disturbing where we need to be disturbed, and uplifting where we need hope and faith to carry on."—Dr. Gary Alan Chamberlain, The Psalms: A New Translation for Prayer and Worship.
"Dwight Wilson has an uncanny knack for conjuring up vivid anecdotes about fugitive slaves, Underground Railroad conductors, savvy abolitionists and other heroes and heroines of the Antebellum South. Mixing lean prose with passionate dialogue, he pulls readers into America’s past via stories that are as frank and realistic as they are gut-wrenching. His work is historical fiction at its best."—Denise Crittendon, author of Girl in the Mirror, A Teen’s Guide to Self Awareness
"Dwight writes with clarity and historical detail. He draws the reader in, transporting and teaching us about unfamiliar practices, like the process of quartering of pigs and arrangement of smoked hams at the center of a gathering of friends and family. Yet the deeply familiar themes in these stories, the feeling of a husband’s touch or the discomfort of an old friend’s unwelcome advances, connect us across time—and space—to what it is to be human. There is no sugarcoating in this storytelling; Dwight’s skillful prose identifies the ways deep inequalities connected to race shaped the intimacy of lives more than a century ago, but are also the building blocks of the complexities of U.S. society today."—Joanna Dreby, author of Divided by Borders (University of California Press 2010) and Everyday Illegal (University of California Press, 2015)
"Wilson is an extraordinary story-teller. His writing makes the characters and the times they live in truly come alive for the reader. Written with passion and respect for his family history, Wilson's stories are fascinating and compelling."—Rabbi Robert Dobrusin, author of The Long Way Around: Stories and Sermons from a Life's Journey
"Dwight Wilson’s writing is sensitive, lyrical and penetrating. Whether writing fiction, memoir, or poem, Dwight leads his readers through gripping narratives to a deeper, more compassionate understanding of his subject." —Wendy Gavel, author of Scandal in Spades
"Riffing off the story of his own ancestors and covering a wide swath of history, Dwight Wilson, through these historical fiction related stories, has created an important picture of slavery and escapes to freedom and abolitionists and native peoples trying to navigate a difficult and oppressive world. What unifies all the stories is inner and outer resistance. He shows the resistance of white quakers civilly disobeying inhuman laws by helping slaves escape and refusing to see them as less than fully human. And he shows the resistance of slaves who risk being beaten and torture by running and trying find their freedom. He shows native people challenging other native people who are assimilating to remember who they are and hold onto their dignity and humanity. And he also shows the resistance of the enslaved, people without power, but people who refuse to see themselves as less than fully human, who remember the power and beauty of their ancestors from Africa, who hold onto their humanity even when the white slaveholders around them are oppressing, beating, raping and dehumanizing them. It is the stories of people rising up in the face of so much darkness and oppression and finding strength. Given the current political climate I found this book to be profoundly important in reminding me and other readers about the possibilities of resistance and the many forms it can take. It is the kind of inspiration and kind of remembering that this time in history needs. It is also such a reminder that resistance is first an inner act of rebellion, refusing to be seen and labeled by those trying to oppress you, choosing to name and define yourself. From there, outer acts of resistance can be born." —Mark J Goodman, Seattle-Based Psychotherapist, Poet and Podcaster
"In a Spring when many people are learning about the Tulsa Race Massacres for the first time, Dwight Wilson's historical fiction hits a sweet spot. The audience is ready and eager to read this blend of truth and fiction, and Wilson writes brilliantly. His characters educate us about the range of human emotions and proclivities needed to bring change to troubled times. Wilson's own sensitivity to human dignity--from infants to elders--radiates through his historical fiction. These are stories for our times, when once again we find ourselves needing to identify warriors and allies, negotiators and financial backers, to bring changes to broken social systems." —Donna Akiba Sullivan Harper, Ph.D. (She/ Her) Professor Emerita, Department of English, Spelman College
—Stephen W. Angell, author of The Cambridge Companion to Quakerism
"Dwight Wilson's stories bring the past to life with humor and poignancy. Memorable, quirky characters emerge from these pages. Readers will be troubled by the injustice and consequent tragedy that lurks in these tales, just as they will be moved by the courage and perseverance that thrive there as well. These stories cross bridges and bring people together, inspiring hope."—Michael Birkel, Author of Silence and Witness
"Wilson’s short stories are a balm to the soul in a time all too challenging for most of us. They amplify voices that historically have not been adequately heard, while telling stories that simultaneously entertain and teach us on the deepest levels. Curl up with these true-to-life tales and prepare to enjoy a wondrous journey!" —Jennifer Elizabeth Brunton, Ph.D., author of The #ActuallyAutistic Guide to Advocacy: Step-by-step advice on how to ally and speak up with Autistic individuals and the autism community (forthcoming, 2/22, from Jessica Kingsley Press)
"Dwight and I have been friends since our seminary days. His writing is as he is—thoughtful, well-researched, poetic, passionate, disturbing where we need to be disturbed, and uplifting where we need hope and faith to carry on."—Dr. Gary Alan Chamberlain, The Psalms: A New Translation for Prayer and Worship.
"Dwight Wilson has an uncanny knack for conjuring up vivid anecdotes about fugitive slaves, Underground Railroad conductors, savvy abolitionists and other heroes and heroines of the Antebellum South. Mixing lean prose with passionate dialogue, he pulls readers into America’s past via stories that are as frank and realistic as they are gut-wrenching. His work is historical fiction at its best."—Denise Crittendon, author of Girl in the Mirror, A Teen’s Guide to Self Awareness
"Dwight writes with clarity and historical detail. He draws the reader in, transporting and teaching us about unfamiliar practices, like the process of quartering of pigs and arrangement of smoked hams at the center of a gathering of friends and family. Yet the deeply familiar themes in these stories, the feeling of a husband’s touch or the discomfort of an old friend’s unwelcome advances, connect us across time—and space—to what it is to be human. There is no sugarcoating in this storytelling; Dwight’s skillful prose identifies the ways deep inequalities connected to race shaped the intimacy of lives more than a century ago, but are also the building blocks of the complexities of U.S. society today."—Joanna Dreby, author of Divided by Borders (University of California Press 2010) and Everyday Illegal (University of California Press, 2015)
"Wilson is an extraordinary story-teller. His writing makes the characters and the times they live in truly come alive for the reader. Written with passion and respect for his family history, Wilson's stories are fascinating and compelling."—Rabbi Robert Dobrusin, author of The Long Way Around: Stories and Sermons from a Life's Journey
"Dwight Wilson’s writing is sensitive, lyrical and penetrating. Whether writing fiction, memoir, or poem, Dwight leads his readers through gripping narratives to a deeper, more compassionate understanding of his subject." —Wendy Gavel, author of Scandal in Spades
"Riffing off the story of his own ancestors and covering a wide swath of history, Dwight Wilson, through these historical fiction related stories, has created an important picture of slavery and escapes to freedom and abolitionists and native peoples trying to navigate a difficult and oppressive world. What unifies all the stories is inner and outer resistance. He shows the resistance of white quakers civilly disobeying inhuman laws by helping slaves escape and refusing to see them as less than fully human. And he shows the resistance of slaves who risk being beaten and torture by running and trying find their freedom. He shows native people challenging other native people who are assimilating to remember who they are and hold onto their dignity and humanity. And he also shows the resistance of the enslaved, people without power, but people who refuse to see themselves as less than fully human, who remember the power and beauty of their ancestors from Africa, who hold onto their humanity even when the white slaveholders around them are oppressing, beating, raping and dehumanizing them. It is the stories of people rising up in the face of so much darkness and oppression and finding strength. Given the current political climate I found this book to be profoundly important in reminding me and other readers about the possibilities of resistance and the many forms it can take. It is the kind of inspiration and kind of remembering that this time in history needs. It is also such a reminder that resistance is first an inner act of rebellion, refusing to be seen and labeled by those trying to oppress you, choosing to name and define yourself. From there, outer acts of resistance can be born." —Mark J Goodman, Seattle-Based Psychotherapist, Poet and Podcaster
"In a Spring when many people are learning about the Tulsa Race Massacres for the first time, Dwight Wilson's historical fiction hits a sweet spot. The audience is ready and eager to read this blend of truth and fiction, and Wilson writes brilliantly. His characters educate us about the range of human emotions and proclivities needed to bring change to troubled times. Wilson's own sensitivity to human dignity--from infants to elders--radiates through his historical fiction. These are stories for our times, when once again we find ourselves needing to identify warriors and allies, negotiators and financial backers, to bring changes to broken social systems." —Donna Akiba Sullivan Harper, Ph.D. (She/ Her) Professor Emerita, Department of English, Spelman College