Page 55 - The Peorian, Vol 3 Issue 2
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way to celebrate our most well
known historic figure. It’s tragic,
embarrassing and one of this
city’s great shames. At its best,
considering this town’s history as
a proud bastion of vice, it’s hypo-
critical. At its worst, considering
this town’s history as well, it has
a stiff stench of racism.
People are always trying to
figure out ways to make Peoria
a bigger, better city. Well, give
Richard Pryor the recognition he
deserves and Peoria will become
a bigger city over night.
Don’t get me started on Betty
Friedan.
Oh, and regarding the book,
“Furious Cool: Richard Pryor
and the World That Made Him”
by David Henry and Joe Henry?
Well, that’s what fueled the
preceding rant. The book isn’t a
straight narrative of Richard’s life
but an attempt (it seems to me)
to define his rightful place beside
other pop-culture icons of the
time, including Muhammad Ali
and Bob Dylan, with whom Pryor
performed alongside in their
early days.
The Henry brother’s book
reads more like an essay than a
biography, which I think is key
as Pryor was about as complex,
conflicted and contradictory of a
genius as they come. A straight,
chronological, just-the-facts-
please bio would probably raise
more questions than it answered.
While they are rightfully harsh
about Pryor’s work in film in the
‘80s, I do have one disagreement
with them: “Harlem Nights” was
a helluva movie!
I highly recommend this book
in tandem with, if you haven’t
already read it, Pryor’s autobiog-
raphy, “Pryor Convictions: And
Other Life Sentences.”
FURIOUS COOL
Richard Pryor and the World That
Made Him
David Henry & Joe Henry
Algonquin Books
