The Other Wes Moore and Zami: Survival

So you've all probably read "The Other Wes Moore" for Enduring Questions, and we've recently finished "Zami". I immediately noticed some interesting similarities between the two after my reading and today's discussion.

First, the representation and importance of motherhood. For Lorde, her mother is this constant and dominating presence that controls basically every aspect of Lorde's life. Later on in her life, she would come to resent her mother and bear some emotional scars from her childhood. For the two Wes Moore's, their mothers were extremely important as well. However, this was influenced by their fathers: one had died when Moore was very young, the other was absent for nearly his entire life. Therefore both of their mothers worked exceptionally hard and had to rely on family support to help them survive. For Zami, we could say that Lorde's mother shaped her to live her life in a manner that was as dissimilar to her mother as could be. For the two Wes Moore's, their lives were shaped more by their mothers ineffectiveness and their rough environments.

Second, both Lorde and one of the Moore's came from West Indian backgrounds. As we know, Lorde was Grenadan and Moore's mother was Jamaican and Cuban. Moore's mother remarked that upon coming to America that "she studied the other kids at school like an anthropologist, trying desperately to fit in...The melodic, swooping movements of her Jamaican patois was quickly replaced by the more stable cadences of American English." This sort of adaptation for survival upon coming to America was one that we see as the Lorde family learn what it means to be "white", "black" and "colored".

I very much enjoyed Wes Moore, and as it examines in detail certain socio-economic issues and racial ones as well, I hope to analyze the book in depth as it relates to our course readings.

Thinking about Feminism, Thinking about Lorde, Thinking about Flint

Yesterday, I was able to tag along with Professor Marshall, Dr. Thomas of the History department, and two other students to the #JusticeForFlint fundraiser in Flint, MI. I got to take a picture with Vic Mensa and I survived a heart attack after Janelle Monae looked at me for the SECOND time.

But that isn't the sole reason for this blog post. Last Monday 7 different student organizations and academic departments sponsored a Black Feminism/Womanism Forum. I organized it and gave the introduction. In that introduction a posed a question in a similar form as Meno at 80d of Plato's Meno. How do we as Black people know what liberation is if we have know idea of what freedom looks like? The feminist response, it seems, to oppression is creativity love. And I think the feminist response to that question is creativity and love as well.

The Meno-esque problem is an epestimic one but the feminist answer is an aesthetic one -- an ethical one. Oppressed peoples are required to create the world they want to live in and center love in it. That's what the #JusticeForFlint fundraiser felt like to me. In the face of environmental racism and violence (that is, a poisoning of predominately Black and Brown people's water) is a concert and organizing. Aesthetic and ethic.

This event allowed me to make more sense of Audre Lorde's charge that poetry is not a luxury. Poetry is a product of creativity. And sense creativity is the response to oppression, shouldn't poetry be included in it?

Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon

Toni Morrison is often referred to as one of the Great Black American Authors and is very accomplished in the field of literature. For my class, English 310 with Professor Rosenberg, we are just beginning to read this novel and I thought it would be appropriated to share similarities between Morrison and authors we've read in this class so far.
Morrison uses vivid language and deeply built characters within her novels. But the themes in her novels, particularly "Song Of Solomon" spark my interest. In this novel, the themes are that of flight, segregation, color, class, and also women, who play a vital role in this novel. In the beginning of the novel, we find out that one of the characters so far, Ruth Dead, after an array of events, becomes the first black patient in the hospital in this town and gives birth in the hospital. Ruth is a complex character who feels alone in this world, even though she is married and has many children and the theme of abandoned women first comes out at this point.
As with many women we've looked at thus far in the semester, Morrison is using her stage to write a novel that delivers a message, one that is not fully clear at the beginning of the novel, but will be later. She also uses her identity and background to make for a more rich reading and background around the novel itself. Her identity and background are present at the beginning of the novel and I believe will play a vital role, along with these common themes, throughout this reading.

Lavelle- Cisneros Heart

Blog post

On page thirty-three of Sandra Cisneros’s Loose Woman book there is the poem titledThe Heart Rounds up the Usual Suspects.  I found this poem very interesting because I read it as a message to all women.  In the poem Cisneros’s has one stanza that reads

I’m loony as a June Bride. 

Cold as a bruja’s tit. 

A pathetic bitch. 

In short, an ordinary woman. 

Grateful to excessiveness.

When Cisneros’s references ordinary woman, it seems to me that this poem is made in honor of woman who feel that being alone and accepting to whatever they are already able to do is enough.  Also in the poem she has two lines that read “Armed and Dangerous.  But only to me”.  Clearly she is making the assumption or the statement that woman are very accepting of the bare minimum and in the long run it is only hurting them.  One may believe that since Cisneros’s is Hispanic that she could possibly be speaking on behalf of minority women as well.  This poem itself does well with tying into a lot of the readings and video viewings we have did in class that consists of powerful women who are making statements on behalf of their gender or their race such as Audre Lorde or Phyllis Wheatley.      

Today's (Feb. 23rd) discussion in class about the poem "Cultural Diversity" was very fulfilling. I enjoyed how we dissected the poem line-by-line and saw the maturity of a young character by her acceptance of someone who is considered different from her by her very own parents. Through the poem, we learn that this is perhaps the authors first encounter with a Jewish person-Mr. Greenberg-and her parents are making sure that she knows there is a difference between herself and the Jewish man. However, this interpretation can be tricky because even though the parents are making Mr. Greenberg out to be very different from the others, they still accept his beliefs in a way by having the option to eat a burger rather than pork.

There is some dramatic irony in this piece. The author found her parents being very exclusive. She had thought that her parents were not allowing Mr. Greenberg to eat the pork. She was unaware that it was against his religion, although her parents knew it was against his religion, they preferred not to tell their daughter this and instead, made Mr. Greenberg out to be different from the rest. So, after watching Mr. Greenberg and not noticing a difference in his behavior from the others, she offered Mr. Greenberg pork, thinking she was doing the right thing by not excluding him from what everyone else was eating.

Connecting Wabash's Controversy with Discussion of Gender

So, in the past week or so, there has been a lot of discussion (I hope) regarding Wabash's current status as an all-male institution, and a new proposal to have an acceptance of trans-gender applicants to the College on the books. As a Student Senate Representative and as a friend to those who are pushing this through the Senate, I have my own convictions on how important it is that Wabash remain all-male (this is well known to you, I think). And while I will put it out there that I do not agree with the resolution, and where I can see inherent problems of autonomy and giving up of a unique element of the College, I still think that the issue of gender deserves good discussion. And I think that it could be had in talking about multicultural women writers who have verged on this.

If we think back to our somewhat heated discussion regarding the principle of the gentleman, and how that connects with other same-sex institutions like St. Mary of the Woods, I think that we can see a point where traditionalism plays a role. It certainly plays a role in Wabash's case, which prides itself on flowing with the times of social change, yet remaining all-male and preserving its customs. Along with this, and more importantly, this issue deals with many variables that can either support or destroy the leigitmacy of such a resolution as we see here now. They are the issues of pre-op vs. post-op; being accepted to this school simply because you say you are male, but may clearly be otherwise (I hate to relate it, but this could be seen as being dishonest); and finally to the sticky issue of gender fluidity, to where an individual flip-flops on his/her gender. And what if a student undergoes a change during their time here? Do we kick them out? These considerations and more strike me as legitimate cocnerns.

But how do we relate it to our discussions in class? We can do this by talking discrimination and traditionalism together, because it is these that the authors that we have read thus far have had to deal with. Naturally, along with this comes the personal issue of identity, and (to the controversy) whether it is viable for one to associate him or herself as a male or female, and how we verge on discrimination. Again, we have touched on this once before in class; but I think we need to futher connect this issue with the experiences that these authors have went through. Whether we can merely imply them or not is irrelevant; what is important is the discussion.

Non-Target Audience Frustration

Recently we've spent a bit of time talking about Beyonce and impact of the Formation video as well as her Super Bowl halftime show performance. Not to be left behind, SNL created a horror movie-esque trailer for a movie "The Day Beyonce Turned Black," lampooning and hyperbolizing the reactions that quite a few white people have had to Formation.

This raises lot of interesting questions for me in regards to target audience. On a broad scale, we like the idea that the stories we tell are universal in some way - that no matter who consumes media they'll be able to relate. People 'lost their damn minds' at Formation because they found themselves unable to relate. "Hot sauce in my bag"? I have guesses, but no real idea. And that does come with some sense of frustration - why isn't Beyonce making music that I find accessible?

But it strikes me that maybe the media I consume is not as universal as I think it is, and I'm just now experiencing that exclusion lack of consideration from the other side. I guess that I just assume that I am universal.

I'm experiencing it again, a small bit in reading A Walk Through Victoria's Secret. Part of our discussion had been around lingerie and breasts, and as a gay man, I generally don't have much input, which is frustrating.

The best I can do during these situations is sit back and listen, which is going to be a challenge.

Sex as a Language

As we wrapped up our discussion of Cisneros, we explored the use of sex as a poetic tool taking on several meanings. While he may be an old, white guy, Walt Whitman understood the power of sex as a language and tool for expression. Not only did he use sex a means of communicating liberation and pantheistic spirituality, but he also appreciated the erotic for what it is in the most literal and physical sense. In his most famous poem, "Song of Myself," Whitman explores this duality to sex. In the second section of the poem, Whitman writes:

The atmosphere is not a perfume, it has no taste of the distillation, it is odorless,
It is for my mouth forever, I am in love with it,
I will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked,
I am mad for it to be in contact with me. 

The smoke of my own breath,
Echoes, ripples, buzz’d whispers, love-root, silk-thread, crotch and vine,
My respiration and inspiration, the beating of my heart, the passing of blood and air through my lungs,
The sniff of green leaves and dry leaves, and of the shore and dark-color’d sea-rocks, and of hay in the barn,
The sound of the belch’d words of my voice loos’d to the eddies of the wind,
A few light kisses, a few embraces, a reaching around of arms,
The play of shine and shade on the trees as the supple boughs wag,
The delight alone or in the rush of the streets, or along the fields and hill-sides,
The feeling of health, the full-noon trill, the song of me rising from bed and meeting the sun.

In this section of the poem, he describes the unity between the speaker and nature through an erotic experience. However, his sensory imagery also speaks to his appreciation for sex (without specifically laying out specific acts) as a physical interaction. Cisneros does something very similar in many of her poems. She speaks to issues of race, gender, and sexuality, but we may lose sight of her acknowledgement of the beauty of the male and female body and sex itself.

Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution

Here's a stream of an excellent documentary on The Black Panther Party. Talks a lot about women's role in the movement. Very entertaining if you want to check it out.

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365657009/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=lens_blackpanthers_2016

Prof. M.

Femininity and the "post-Colonial"

For Thursday last week, we read the first half of Sandra Cisneros' poetry collection. "Loose Women." One poem that really stood out to me was her piece titled, "You Bring Out the Mexican in Me" with a sweeping rhythm and sharp lines like "You bring out... The Aztec love of war in me./ the fierce obsidian of the tongue in me./" contrasted it with "...arrogant as Manifest Destiny."

This poem, got me thinking about women in post/anti-colonial struggles and literature. I did this sort of research and thinking in a South African and United States context and began to understand that as much as the Abolitionist movement and the anti-Apartheid movements wished to liberate Black people from their oppression, they never really centered on women. So I would imagine that this is the same in a Latin American context.

Furthermore, I think it is interesting how Cisneros connected powerful imagery to femininity.  And this makes me wonder if a real post/anti-Colonial struggle and world can only be realized if our understanding of power and governance was truly post/anti-Colonial. That is, a non-paternal or patriarchal understanding of power and governance. Because surely we can replace the color of those in power. But if our structures are still oppressive, we'll just be changing the color of the oppressed too.

Just some thoughts.

Lamar & Beyonce

Recently, there have been two performances that stuck out on highly watched televised events. Beyonce and her Super Bowl halftime performance, and Kendrick Lamar and his Grammy Awards performance. Both of these performances sent the message about Black Lives Matter and a lot of white people are angry about it. I just finished watching Lamar's Grammy performance, and the statement is a more explicit one. Lamar walks on stage in shackles and cuffed, in a jail setting, with other black men on stage with him. I believe that much like Beyonce's performance, Kendrick Lamar's will, and already has, blown up in the media sphere.
So, with these two both using their voices and platform to send a message, do you think the message will be better heard now since someone else, particularly a man, has also stepped up and did what Beyonce has done? I think right now, it is too early to know, but I do think another person stepping up will help get the message across, obviously. Is it a big deal that Beyonce took the role in what may be many performances speaking on this message? Or does it not matter at all that one of the biggest artists of our generation took the charge in sending this message, and others are and are probably planning to follow?
I think it does and I think it speaks on many levels, but we are just on the brink of another social movement where big stars are going to start using there platform to take direct aim at this movement.

Was Beyonce out of Line?

It has been just over a week since the controversial Super Bowl halftime performance from Beyonce. Beyonce sang a song about black pride that wasn't an issue. The issue for many people was the outfits worn and the message she displayed to America. During this rough, racially segregated time in America, Beyonce went above and beyond social justice. She honored the Black Panther Party when she and her crew wore outfits that clearly resembled those of the Panther Party. The Black Panther Party was a violent movement of African Americans towards mainly the police force and the government of the United States.

Speaking as a fan of Beyonce and not as a white American, she was completely out of line. This is a time in America that has seen its fair share of racial profiling and disputes between African American citizens and the police force. Beyonce is well respected and has as many followers who will act upon issues by what she says. She is openly saying that violent protests against the police force is necessary for change in America. This is completely outrageous. It doesn't matter what has happened in history, we as citizens should never promote the deaths of other citizens, especially those who are out to protect the general population. The fact that someone with so much respect and power did this during the most globally watched event does not only make her ignorance obvious, but it shows the rest of the world that the United States is a divided country right now. Don't get me wrong, I do like Beyonce and I do believe there is a race issue in America, but when someone promotes violence, no matter who it is, they lose my respect. Beyonce was out of line in her attempt to make police brutality known because she supported the violence of our citizens; an unacceptable way to make this country better. In fact, Beyonce, you just may be what is wrong with this country. #sorrynotsorry

Ethnicity in "Loose Woman" and other texts

I'll grant that this posting may be quite moot, but I think that there is an important connection we can make between the texts that we have read so far. As we are reading quickly through Loose Woman, there is a palpable sense of identity that Cisneros has as being of Spanish descent. However, it seems that much of it is not too positive. I think that we can see clear enough that she struggles with the violence and even discrimination that she sees as an individual who is of another ethnicity. We can also say that this struggle is a sum of social unrest, but it is interesting how Cisneros makes her Spanish identity, and what she may believe to be "flaws", at the core of her poems.

I would posit that there is a connection that Cisneros makes with Audre Lorde and even back to Phillis Wheatley. Even though both of these previous poets have different technical circumstances, the ends are the same. Outside racial prejudice and discrimination clearly affect their livelihoods, but this struggle seems to come back to the concept of actual identity, specifically ethnicity. Even so, all three of these authors have a certain level of command and power to their words (Wheatley is a unique case, as we have debated here and in class), and they also are able not to truly "accept" their being, but to embrace it, and try to find a better way out for themselves. The only difference I would extend with Cisneros is that she seems, to me, not to do a whole lot about the violence that she comes into contact with or is aware about. I could be going into this completely off-the-rock, and I encourage you all to tell me otherwise; it just may be that I am not reading deeply enough.

The crux of this is that ethnicity, as a component of identity, seems to be a great part of this intersectionality connecting these women writers to each other. It drives the hardship, but it may also be an influence in driving each's ambitions. It also here that we could make a connection or distinction between race, ethnicity, and personage as a whole.

Skinhead

In class on Tuesday, we listened to the poem skinhead which was performed by Patricia Smith.  This poem was very interesting simply because Patricia, who is obviously an African-American woman recites a poem from the point of view of a white supremacists.  She portrays this man as someone who justifies his actions of hating the black, homosexual, and female oriented cultures.  This poem was very deep and strong felt simply because Patricia spoke out against a variety of cultures in which white supremacists tend to antagonize.  Her physical appearance in comparison to her voice throughout this poem is very powerful because the message she was sending was unexpected.  I received her message as a justification for skinheads or white supremacists in a means to them being raised and created by the American culture.  At the end she says “and remember I was born right here” referring to America.  I believe her to have been playing into society’s views on Blacks, homosexuals, and women in general to have been the reasons behind white supremacists in the first place.  One question It raises for me though is through America’s early ages and early policies, is the white supremacists actions to be justified?

-Lavelle Hughes

A Curious Note

So I open up "Loose Woman" by Sandra Cisneros (I have a used copy) and I find a very emotional and sincere personal note on the page right before the title. I have omitted the names.

"______
When I was younger, I used to love to read this author's books. When I came across this one, the title called to me! :)
In another 30 years, look back and have a laugh on me.

This is proof someone loves you

You're the best friend God ever gave me.

Keep your head high, smile,
________
4/11/02"

I want to connect this brief message to something that I thought of while reading Zami. Attachment, connection and friendship are three immensely important themes in Lorde's biomythography. This stems from her early childhood and relationship with her mother. Lorde had very few friends growing up grew very close to a select few and developed deeply emotional relationships with them. Indeed, this is something that persisted throughout her life. Though the name that signed this note is not "Audre", I have no trouble imagining it that way.

Audre became attached and deeply devoted to her friends and eventual partners. She spent countless hours with Genevieve and considered her to be her best friend. Lorde and Gennie greatly upset Lore's mother with their friendship, though Lorde paid this no mind. When Gennie died, Lorde fell into a state of depression and felt as if she would never find another like her. As she grows up, she finds several other women with whom she forms intense and intimate bonds. Depending on another person is a sort of recurring theme throughout Lorde's life.

Additionally, the level of connection that Lorde shares with her friends and partners is astonishing. This becomes very evident when she begins having sex with her partners. The level of passion she conveys with her writing does an excellent job of describing how even their souls are connected on a metaphysical level. Lorde truly becomes one with several of her partners, and she is almost like a sponge, absorbing and growing with each relationship.

Lastly, she is a devoted and caring friend. "The Branded", though they would gradually work their ways out of her life, are her best friends for may years. The ladies share everything and depend on each other for both emotional and material support. Later on, we see several other women enter Lorde's life, and she is determined to do everything she can for each of them, like a true and honest friend.

So, the connecting point with this letter is that whoever wrote this note was attached, connected, and very friendly towards the former owner of my book. It speaks to the power of literature and it's connection to friendship. I hope that one day I can find a book or poem that enhances my life like "Loose Woman" has for this person.

"A Brass Furnace Going Out: Song After an Abortion" by Diane Di Prima

Our discussion today about Audre Lorde's recount of her abortion reminded me of Beat poet Diane di Prima's "Brass Furnace Going Out," for obvious reasons, though in perspective of Lorde's abortion coming from an attempt to regain some personal autonomy, di Prima's takes on a different tone, as she was initially unwilling and only later convinced to abort by the father, Amiri Baraka. 

BRASS FURNACE GOING OUT: Song, after an Abortion

I
to say I failed, that is walked outand into the arctic     How shd I know where I was ? A man chants in the courtyard     the window is open someone else drops a pecan pie     into the yard two dogs down there play trumpet     there is something disturbed about the melody.
and what of the three year old girl who poisoned her mother ?that happens, it isn't just us, as you can see --what you took with you when you leftremains to be seen.
II
I want you in a bottle to send to your fatherwith a long bitter note.I want him to knowI'll not forgive you, or him for not being bornfor drying up, quitting     at the first harsh treatment as if the whole thing were a rent party& somebody stepped in your feet
III
send me your address a picture, I want tokeep in touch, I want to know how youare, to send you cookies.
do you have enough sweaters, is the winter bad,do you know what I've done, what I'm doingdo you carewrite in detail of your day, what time you get up,what you are studying,when you expectto finish & what you will do.is it chilly?
IV
your face dissolving in water, like wet claywashed away, like a rotten water lilyrats on the riverbank barking at the sightdo they swim ?the trees here walk right down to the edgeconversingyour body sank, a good way backI hear the otters will bring it to the surface
and the wailing mosquitoes even stop to examinethe last melting details of eyelid & cheeckbonethe stagnant bloodwho taught you not to tangle your hair in the seaweedto disappear with finesse
the lion pads     along the difficult path in the heart of the jungleand comes to the riverbankhe paws your faceI wish he would drink it upin that strong gut it would cometo life.     but he waits till he floatsa distance     drinks clean water dances a little     starts the long walk again
     the silent giraffe lets loose a mourning cry     fish surface     your mouth and the end of your nosedisappear.
the water was cold the day you slipped into the riverwind ruffled the surface, I carried you on my backa good distance, then you slipped inred ants started up my leg & changed their mindsI fed my eyeballs to a carnivorous snake& chained myself to a tree to await your end.your face no sooner dissolved than I thought I sawa kneecap sticking up where the current is strongesta turtle     older than stars walked on your bones
V
who forged this night, what steelclamps down?like gray pajamas on an invalidif I knew the name of flowers, the habitsof quadrupeds, the 13 points of the compass ......an aged mapmaker who lived on this streetjust succumbed to rheumatism
I have cut the shroud to measure     bought the stone a plot in the cemetery set aside     to bury your shadow take your head & go!& may the woman that you find know betterthan talk to me about it
VI
your goddamned belly rotten, a home for flies.blown out & stinking, the maggots curling your hairyour useless neverused cock, the pitiful skullthe pitiful shell of a skull, dumped in the toiletthe violet, translucent folds     of beginning life 
VII
what is that I cannot bear to say ?that if you had turned out mad, a murderera junkie pimp hanged & burning in lime     alone & filled w/the rotting darkif you'd been frail and a little given to weirdnessor starved or been shot, or tortured in hunger campsit wd have been frolic & triumph compared to this --
I cant even cry for you, I cant hang onthat long
VIII
forgive, forgivethat the cosmic waters do not turn from methat I should not die of thirst
IX
oranges & jade at the shrinemy footprintswet on the stonethe bells in that clear airwind from the seayour shadowflat on the flat rocksthe priestess (sybil)spelling your namecrying out, behind copper doorsgiving birthatone     silence, the air moving outsidethe door to the temple blowing on its hingesthet was the spirit she saidit passed above you
the branch I carry home is mistletoe& walk backwards, with my eyes on the sea
X
here in my room I sit at drawing tableas I have sat all day, or walkedfrom drawing table to bed,or stopped at windowconsidering the things to be doneweighing them in the hand and putting them downhung up as the young Rilke.here in my room all day on my couch a strangerwho does not speakwho does not take his eyesoff me as I walk & walk from table to bed.
and I cannot stop thinking I would be three months pregnantwe would be well out of here & in the suneven the telephone would be politewe would laugh a lot, in the morning.
XI
your ivory teeth in the half lightyour armsflailing about.that is youage 9 months     sitting up & trying to stand cutting teeth.     your diaper trailing, a formality elegant as a loincloth, the sweet stenchof babyshit in the house: the oilrubbed into your hair.blue off the moon your ghostshape     mistaken as brken tooth your flesh rejected     never to grow - your hands that should have closed around my fingerwhat moonlight     will play in your hair ? I mean to say     dear fish, I hope you swim
in another river.I hope that wasn'trebuttal, but a transfer, an attemptthat failed, but to be followed     quickly by another suck your thumb somewhereDear silly thing, explodemake someone's colors.
the senses (five)     a gift to hear,see , touch, choke on & lovethis lifethe rotten globeto walk in shoeswhat apple doesnt get     at least this much ? 
a caramel candy sticking in your teethyou, age threebugged     bearing down on a sliding pond. your pulled tooth in my hand     (age six)your hair with clay in it,     your goddamn grin 
XII
sun on the green plants, your prattleamong the vines.that this possibility is closed to us.my house is small, my windows look out on grey courtyardthere is no view of the sea.will you come here again ? I will entertain youas well as I can - I will make you comfortablein spite of new york .
willyoucome hereagain
my breasts prepareto feed you: they do what they can
----
Song for Baby-O, Unborn
Sweetheartwhen you break thruyou'll finda poet herenot quite what one would choose.
I won't promiseyou'll never go hungryor that you won't be sadon this guttedbreakingglobe
but I can show youbabyenough to loveto break your heartforever

A New Reading of Phillis Wheatley's "On Being Brought from Africa to America"

One of the more problematic things I do as an English Major is privilege interpretations based on whether or not I think they're "better" than others. Typically "better" for me is an interpretation that is more interesting, or less problematic in a wider sense.

In reading Phillis Wheatley's "On Being Brought from Africa to America," I was struck by how unaware it was, praising the people who stole her from her family and forced her to abandon her culture and language. Phillis Wheatley proved herself to be exceptionally intelligent, as she learned English in record time and took on the classics. I find it hard to believe that Wheatley's poetry lacked any attempts to subvert her position.

I found my subversion in the penultimate line of "On Being Brought from Africa to America," where Wheatley writes "Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain,/May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train." The typical reading suggests that Wheatley's speaker is reminding Christians that negroes may be refined. However, nothing requires that interpretation except maybe unspoken grammatical convention, a convention that poetry is not generally in the business of keeping.

I posit instead that "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is instead written to the negroes, reminding them that the Christians may be refined. The only difference is an unusual change in emphasis in the line, but it opens the entire poem up to be read subversively. Perhaps the "Pagan Land" is not Africa.

A Woman Speaks

On Tuesday last week, there was a bit of a heated discussion on Audre Lorde's poem, "A woman Speaks." Particularly on the last stanza that read:

I have been woman
for a long time
beware my smile
I am treacherous with old magic
and the noon's new fury
with all your wide futures
promised
I am
woman
and not white.

I am not quite sure what everyones argument was because there were so many, but I decided to pitch my two cents. I believe that her poem is about woman wanting more. She is writing this as a woman looking for equal opportunities in life, not as an African-American seeking rights. First of all, the poems title is "A Woman Speaks," blatantly implying that a woman is writing the poem. On the last few lines, Lorde says "I am, woman, and not white." She is implying that her gender is as big of, if not a bigger issue than the color of her skin. She has been demoralized in her life by her skin-color, but in this poem, she is fed up with the way she is treated because she is a woman, not because she is black. This type of poetry is how Lorde captured the attention of white audiences by directing this poem at a group of people (woman) that include whites.

They Set if Off

On Tuesday, we watched the rap video “Set if Off” by an all-female cypher. First off, this song was sick and kept me entertained throughout the whole song. But, more importantly it delivered a powerful message not only through the lyrics, but through the structure of the cypher as well. This song delivered messages of fighting the power and oppression, especially in the forms of racism, sexual orientation, and the spirit of not only women, but as black women. What I found particularly astounding, was each woman’s different message that they sent. Even though they each took aim at something in particular, they each fought a part of the same beast. After hearing this song, I had to give it another listen and also look up the lyrics. These are some of my favorite lyrics in the piece, coming from the 3^rd woman in order, “I heard through the grapevine that the world mine. Like them Cherokee Indians: land mine. Yo I’m just tryna blow, land mine. Tell Christopher Columbus this land mine!” This reference to the manifest destiny of white man, and white man’s excuse to rule the land was spot on, and spinning it in her own way makes it that much more of a potent statement.

But, I’m also curious on what your thoughts are on this piece. What were your favorite parts? Have you listened to it more than once?

This song is legit.

A Space for Women in Our Construction of Woman

Charlene Carruthers, national director of BYP100 (shout out!), gave a Chapel Talk this past Thursday titled, "Building a Black Freedom Movement: How Black Queer Feminism Builds Power for Us All." From that talk, there was one thing, among others, that really stood out to me, that being: black queer feminism means that we all should be able to live in our full dignity as human beings. And having read Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde, I could not but think of Audre Lorde, another black, queer, feminist.


I am reminded sort of the history of Black feminism from Harriet Tubman to Sojouner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" speech to Lorde's "A Woman Speaks" to Angela Davis's lecture at the University of Chicago in May 2013 to Charlene Carruthers's talk at Wabash.


Black feminism has always walked the intersection between racial oppression and gender oppression (and capitalist oppression too!). Even the conventional way we approach conversations about womanhood or feminism is sort of problematic. When we look at studying works outside the cannon in English or Philosophy, we often approach "women's perspectives" and "Black perspective." The authors in the former camp are typically white. The authors in the latter are typically male. Where are the Black women? They are in an upper level English course.

"In Celebration of My Uterus" - Anne Sexton

I will start by admitting that, yes, this post is simply an excuse to share a poem from my absolute favorite poet. However, it is also very relevant. Not only does Anne Sexton identify as a woman and embrace the ideals of feminism, but her poems also explore sexuality and the limitations placed on a female's expression of that sexuality during the 1960s and early 70s.

Similar to Lorde's life as described in Zami, much of Sexton's work communicates a certain dissonance felt between the desires of women and the socially constructed roles placed on them since infancy. 

Sexton's poem, "In Celebration of My Uterus," is a triumphant praise of womanhood and an encouragement to love and live out one's life as a woman unapologetically and unrestricted. This is yet another perspective on what it means to be a woman -- a perspective not too far distant temporally or ideologically from Lorde's. 

In Celebration of My Uterus 

Anne Sexton

Everyone in me is a bird.
I am beating all my wings.
They wanted to cut you out
but they will not.
They said you were immeasurably empty
but you are not.
They said you were sick unto dying
but they were wrong.
You are singing like a school girl.
You are not torn.

Sweet weight,
in celebration of the woman I am
and of the soul of the woman I am
and of the central creature and its delight
I sing for you. I dare to live.
Hello, spirit. Hello, cup.
Fasten, cover. Cover that does contain.
Hello to the soil of the fields.
Welcome, roots.

Each cell has a life.
There is enough here to please a nation.
It is enough that the populace own these goods.
Any person, any commonwealth would say of it,
“It is good this year that we may plant again
and think forward to a harvest.
A blight had been forecast and has been cast out.”
Many women are singing together of this:
one is in a shoe factory cursing the machine,
one is at the aquarium tending a seal,
one is dull at the wheel of her Ford,
one is at the toll gate collecting,
one is tying the cord of a calf in Arizona,
one is straddling a cello in Russia,
one is shifting pots on the stove in Egypt,
one is painting her bedroom walls moon color,
one is dying but remembering a breakfast,
one is stretching on her mat in Thailand,
one is wiping the ass of her child,
one is staring out the window of a train
in the middle of Wyoming and one is
anywhere and some are everywhere and all
seem to be singing, although some can not
sing a note.

Sweet weight,
in celebration of the woman I am
let me carry a ten-foot scarf,
let me drum for the nineteen-year-olds,
let me carry bowls for the offering
(if that is my part).
Let me study the cardiovascular tissue,
let me examine the angular distance of meteors,
let me suck on the stems of flowers
(if that is my part).
Let me make certain tribal figures
(if that is my part).
For this thing the body needs
let me sing
for the supper,
for the kissing,
for the correct
yes. 

Audre Lorde's Zami as a Model of Resistance Against Tension

As we are to be wrapping up on reading Zami, there is one element to Audre Lorde's biomythography that I am still pondering on. Much of this thought revolves around the shear discord that she endures as she tries to settle into her own, and as she tries to find her one true love. As these are a mirror of what might virtually have happened in Lorde's actual life, I can't help but wonder if "Zami" is a reflection of the tension that is prevalent ins society, especially as it relates to racism, sexuality, and humanity.

It is nothing new to say that that Lorde's character never finds true happiness. There are moments where she is able to find an indeterminable modicum of bliss, but these are momentary, and are eventually hounded by societal pressures, as well as personal conflict with trying to fit in a world that essentially condemns not just her sexual orientation, but her very skin. However, through all of the strife that comes with her "unorthodox" lifestyle and her paranoia of sexual "longing", Zami comes through it all with a deeper sense of herself, her sexuality, and her womanhood. He these elements intersect with her life experiences can give some credence to Zami as a resistor to this societal and personal tension.

It would be interesting if this theme would be seen in some similar works by Lorde, or if this model is specific to her character in Zami. The concept of intersectionality will, no doubt, permeate deeply as we come to understand more about the experiences of women and their expressions in literature. Even so, Audre Lorde's story is a good introduction to figuring out such a concept, and puts the struggles of black women in general, whether gay or not, into perspective.

Volta and the Dissonant Chord

When Professor Marshall first described the "volta", I immediately made a connection with what my old music teacher referred to as a "diminished chord." I'm not going to go into the music theory behind the chord, but it is very similar to the volta in that they both represent a shift in music or literature.

According to what I've found online, the volta is basically the heart and soul of a piece of literature. It represents drive and release on an emotional and rhythmical level. Many authors and poets describe the volta as "indispensable", and is the source of everything worth while that comes from a poem. The shifting and constantly evolving nature of poetry is what makes this art so interesting, deep, and emotional. A good volta will help a poem transform into something beautiful and contrasting, allowing it to evolve into a complex and beautiful work of art.

A diminished chord or triad is a grouping of three notes, and is most commonly used in orchestral music. Traditionally, the diminished chord had a very unique and important role: A diminished chord signified the beginning of the end. It should properly be used only once in any piece of music. It's dissonant and atonal sound drove the piece and gives the listener the perception that something is amiss or something is changing. Music tells a story much like a piece of literature, and much like the volta, the diminished chord signifies change. One slight clarification: a volta may also represent a stylistic change, while a diminished chord typically does not. However, in terms of tone and the message behind the music, it can be an immediate shift, or a subtle hint that things will soon go in a completely different direction.

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Audre Lorde as a Lover

After this week's discussion on Lorde and the importance of identity, I found an identifier that we neglected, but based on Zami as well as Lorde's poetry, it's clear that being a lover is essential to her self-perception.

Through the sexualization of several key figures in her life, Lorde expresses her fondness for that individual as well as a sometimes fictionalized version of those relationships. From a psychoanalytic perspective, those fictionalized and sexualized scenes could mean a number things, but primarily, it leads one to interpret a desire for intimacy with that individual.

No matter the motivation, it's clear that Lorde uses sex as a means of communication. On page 78 of Zami, Lorde describes an incestuous fantasy, stating:

Years afterward when I was grown, whenever I thought about the way I smelled that day, I would have a fantasy of my mother, her hands wiped dry from the washing, and her apron untied and laid neatly away, looking down upon me lying on the touch, and then slowly, thoroughly, our touching and caressing each other’s most secret places.

In what she coins a "biomythography," sex is used several times to develop the myth that is her story. It's certainly a theme that would be interesting to explore further. Several authors that were close friends such as Adrienne Rich have a similar interest in initially, the empowerment of women as a sexual being and subsequently, the use of that power as a means of communication.

Newcomb

One of the discussions from class last week was answering the question, why might Phillis Wheatley be writing to certain people? Many great arguments were brought up that she is writing to George Washington and other white superiors so they can spread the word that this little black girl is a great poet, so other African Americans may also be able to write literature like Wheatley. She wants to build a good word for her race. It is also worth noting that she is writing to white superior MEN. If these poems were written to women, they would have no effect on the black race because women are less superior to men so even if women enjoy the writings, word wont get out. Therefor, Wheatley has to write to the white men to make sure that her voice is heard.

It is also interesting to look at many of her other poems. They are dedicated to random people that have died. If she came over and worked in the U.S. as a slave, spending nearly all of her time learning and writing the English language, how could she had known and interacted with all of these people to dedicate poems to them? I believe that it is safe to say Wheatley was writing under the scope of her white owners. What I mean by that is she has very little real world experience and that it may be hard to write with little influence. I believe that her owners forced her to dedicate these poems to the deceased white people because it gives them a superiority over other whites saying, "we took this dumb, black child and made her into a spectacular writer."

Some Quick Thoughts on Zami So Far

This post isn't meant to be anything extraordinary, but I just want to provide some quick reactions to specific elements in Zami. Some of this can be open for discussion in class, but I want to field some thoughts from you guys.

One of the more interesting aspects in Audre Lorde's writing is that there are certain "proper" words that she doesn't capitalize, the most prominent being "america" or "american". I don't know if this just stands out to me as being picky. What I could say is that it is deliberate, especially in contrast to her habit of capitalizing "Black" and not "white". To take this further, I think that it could be fair to say that her American home, as it is not "home" for her and her family in Grenada, Lorde could be drawing a distinction, and commenting that the U.S. is a place far removed. And, of course, all of this can point towards the racism and hatred prevalent in this society that Lorde is describing.

Another aspect I found interesting was the characterization of Lorde's mother, who is described as a powerful woman and a strict disciplinarian. Lorde appears to look up to her mother in this light, but, as we can see, there is underlying tension in her mother being overly protective and "zealous" about keeping her children away from these additudes. And at other times, she is downright cruel to Lorde, who is only a child, and really can't know any better that what she wants or needs. In the end, I'm just interested in why there is this dynamic present in an African American family that, while in a place where they are not particularly well-treated, such behavior exists. Is there an underlying sense of self-preservation extant? I would think so, but it would be interesting to explore this topic further.

These are just a few thoughts on the first part of Zani. As I said, I am intrigued by these elements in the story, and, again, I'd like to think that there is some deeper meaning within.

Shane Koyczan- "The Crickets Have Arthritis"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VrZE8MCnIA

Hey guys, this is a piece of spoken word poetry I first watched a long time ago. /i really enjoy this for a couple of reasons. First off, it is immensely powerful. The story Shane Koyczan tells slowly unfolds into something that tears at the heart strings and inspires awe. Second, his diction and use of imagery are masterful and flowing. For me, as someone who was never exposed to very much spoken, this certainly piqued my interest and gets me very excited to explore more n the world of poetry. For now, this can serve as entertainment or inspiration, because it is absolutely sublime.
-Brent 1/30/2016