Stride! cover

Stride!

by John L. Fell

Stride! traces the stride piano style from its roots in minstrel shows and ragtime, through the contributions of itinerant entertainers, to its joyful birth in Harlem, where it became known as Harlem Piano. With its speakeasies, nightclubs, and rent parties, Harlem provided a setting in which hot-blooded stride could blossom. The development of stride spans a period from World War I to the depression years, and younger players maintain its traditions today. It is a musical style marked by friendly rivalry and shared pleasures. Stride! provides a carefully documented, accurate, yet colorful account of that world and the players at the origin of stride piano.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?