Assumptions
A friend and I were talking about people we would want to have dinner with, both the living and the deceased. I said, James Baldwin. My friend looked at me and said who's that?
Whoa.
This is a brother. A college-educated brother. A down for the cause brother (I think?).
I didn't show my dismay/disbelief. Nor did I give him the "are you serious" look. I mean I said James Baldwin. I thought everyone knew (well not everyone, but a large majority of the population) who Jimmy was/is. What he meant/did. How intelligent/ground-breaking he was.
Sometimes I am accused of being "literary." Which really translates into a chick that knows a little about books. And to be quite honest, I don't feel like I know ENOUGH. There is so much that I still need to read, so many authors that I still need to explore. But one thing is for sure:
I know James.
So I explained to my friend who James Baldwin was, but feeling at the same time that my explanation wasn't enough. I suggested that he check out some of his books (knowing that he probably wouldn't).
His response: I guess I'll be learning more about authors from you.
My response: A smile. All the while thinking, there's work to be done.
posted by Felicia Pride @ 6:45 PM
5 Comments:
i, personally, am appalled that "if beale street could talk" isn't carried by all public libraries or taught in high school english or available in hardcover edition. it's ridiculous. i adore that book.
I second THAT emotion...and I'd add The Fire Next Time to that list...I don't think there is a finer modern/post-mid-century essayist on American culture.
i want to do what I can to promote a culture of reading. I don't think people realize how important books truly are.
And yes, my trips to the library always leave me thrilled and overwhelmed at the same time. And the books just keep coming, and coming,...
I just had a party at my house and we played an ice breaker where you wrote a little tidbit about yourself and someone had to figure out who it was, I put "my fave author is James Baldwin" now although I believe only two people in the room knew oh im, needless to say they guessed it was me-LOL. But my friend says she couldn't understand why because his writing was "pitiful", not bad as in pitiful but full of self-pity and self-loathing.
Lorraine and James,
I agree. I only learned about James on my own desire to seek out the great literary voices of our past. I had never read him in high-school. Although, we read "Their Eyes Were Watching God". And I certainly didn't discover him in college, as my major is busin. admin.
I think the problem in our society is that there is no balance, and this lack of balance is extremely to black life and culture.
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