Black People : Fantasia's New Book - Someone Else Wrote

[Destee]

Crowd packs bookstore for 'American Idol' winner

By sarah buchanan
October 10, 2005

Philadelphia resident Crystal Smaller left the Penn Bookstore Friday inspired.
In her hands, she clutched an autographed copy of American Idol winner Fantasia's new book -- impressive because the author did not pen a single sentence.

Fantasia, winner of the third season of the hit Fox show, had to dictate her book to a ghostwriter because she cannot write.

In her book's second chapter, Fantasia reveals that she dropped out of school while in the ninth grade. One reason, she confessed, was that "I really couldn't read ... I had gotten to the eighth grade, but I had really just slid by."

Fantasia soon had a child and began singing to earn a living.

Things turned around for her last May, as she emerged triumphant over about 70,000 Idol hopefuls. She beat finalist Diana DeGarmo by a margin of 1.3 million votes out of 65 million cast. After her victory, her debut single "I Believe" opened at No. 1 and her first album brought her voice to radio stations nationwide.

While competing on American Idol, Fantasia struggled with her limited reading skills, performing songs based on having previously heard them. Now, however, she's focusing on another one of her dreams: earning her GED.


Full Article: http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/10/10/434a0255823d0

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Family ... what, if anything, does this say about the condition of our youth and young adults?

We will be reading in our Online Book Club tomorrow night. Click here for more info. Let's read together.

Much Love and Peace



Destee

 

[Jflex!]

If anything, I think it says that she was very fortunate to achieve the level of success that she has, while illiterate. Hopefully she gets her GED and develops a love for reading & becomes an actual "student".

We all know that learning is a life-long process that must be enjoyed to be endured, and she will need to prepare her child earlier than perhaps her parents prepared her.

 

[PoeticManifesta]

Okay.. most autobiographies are not by they actual person. Many ppl hire ppl to write it for them.. to follow them around.. transcribe their stories and thoughts.. most publishers will be glad to send someone to do this for a busy person.. whos book can make a nice bit of dough. I do applaud her however for... admiting. Its not easy admitting to others your weaknesses... and the school system these days claim so often that these ppl do not slip by.. and this proves.. that there is still a problem. We should thank her for her contributions.. musically.. ethically.. and personally. For exposing the plight..of a black child left behind.

 

[ladymonay]

Hopefully she will not only get her GED, but give back by passing on what she's learned to someone else who fell through the cracks.

 

[panafrica]

Okay.. most autobiographies are not by they actual person. Many ppl hire ppl to write it for them.. to follow them around.. transcribe their stories and thoughts.. most publishers will be glad to send someone to do this for a busy person.. whos book can make a nice bit of dough. I do applaud her however for... admiting. Its not easy admitting to others your weaknesses... and the school system these days claim so often that these ppl do not slip by.. and this proves.. that there is still a problem. We should thank her for her contributions.. musically.. ethically.. and personally. For exposing the plight..of a black child left behind.

Poetic is absolutely correct, most autobiographies are not written by the actual person. Thus the real story is not Fantasia having someone else writting her autobiography. The real story is a young lady who went through 20 years of life not being able to read. A young lady who dropped out of high school in the 9th grade, and who had a child with a man that gave her no support....one who by her own admission didn´t do much of anything until she entered a singing contest called American Idol. The real story is of a young lady who has become successful because of a God giving talent (her amazing voice). In my opinion Fantasia is the only true star that Americal Idol has produced; however, what would have happened if she never won? Many people where critical of her song, "Baby Momma" because they felt it glamorized single parenthood & teen mothers. I was one of them, and this revelation doesn´t make me change my mind.