Of course you should read "James" by Everett - which is brilliant. I failed though, because the descriptions of the old south, the nightmare state, made me too furious to continue - the smug racism of those criminals is too much and the writing is too evocative. Another good book is "River of Dark Dreams: Slavery and Empire in the Cotton Kingdom" by Walter Johnson, where I learned that the whole economy of slavery in the US south depended on financing from UK/NY which involved mortgages on the enslaved people. Like many engaged in agriculture, Southern "farmers", were always broke until harvest and needed financing to stay in business. Brown Brothers were one of the firms ready to help. "Occupy Wall Street" was in a park across the street from Brown Brothers, still prospering, but never made the connection or perhaps didn't care.
Near the end of the Apartheid state, I was walking down a crowded sidewalk in Durban and witnessed a Black worker inadvertently get in the way of some absurd red faced creature in a safari suit who then flew into an immense out of control screaming rage at such disrespect. The Black guy rapidly threaded into the crowd, leaving this person sputtering. White south africans, those days, seemed on perpetually the edge of apoplexy as if to justify themselves with anger. Well I was only there briefly and it was long ago, but ...
What an incredible comment. Thank you. I also have the issue of getting overwhelmed by anger when I read about abuses of this kind so I know the feeling. I opened "James" but I didn't love the style. But I will keep it in consideration. The Water Johnson sounds appallingly informative.
"Often I think of how white western fears around immigration are the subconscious buried echo of our guilt, knowing that when it was we, when it was us on the horizon, we indeed came with hostile intent." Never thought of it in this way and it makes so much sense. Damn.
Thank you so much for seeing this / picking up on that, I’m so thrilled— it felt important to leave it like that for reasons I couldn’t totally explain to myself (at one point I put links in to some of the names, then I took them out, which felt more correct); now I feel like I see it also.
Your feeling was correct, I think. A link would have made it easy. Not that a simple internet search is hard, but it forced me to confront my ignorance in a way that really worked.
I will gush elsewhere, but here I will say I love this piece, and I am pleased to also say that I know what “seppo” means. It’s the slur that I really treasure; damn, did we earn it.
My best friend is Australian; we talk a lot about the odd culture clash relationship where australians know tons more about our country than we know about yours. When i first met him 25 years ago (he’s a musician named jeff lang, lives in melbourne), he heard my playing and said oh you sound like this guitarist and that guitarist, ans he knew more about the local players who influenced me than the people i grew up with did.
Okay very cool that you are best friends with Jeff Lang -- I know of him! He's of course big in the australian music scene (I am not plugged in enough at all, but keep meaning to get moreso...)
His music is great and he’s also very witty and philosophical. If you do get to see him play definitely tell him you know me and I told you to say hello.
Thank you for the comment Jack. I do wonder how I would feel about all this if I read Huckleberry Finn! A part of me wanted to wait to write the essay but I had this nagging feeling that my desire to never experience and certainly never show any ignorance of foundational texts was in some way a strain on me and I think that fed into the essay that resulted.
Of course you should read "James" by Everett - which is brilliant. I failed though, because the descriptions of the old south, the nightmare state, made me too furious to continue - the smug racism of those criminals is too much and the writing is too evocative. Another good book is "River of Dark Dreams: Slavery and Empire in the Cotton Kingdom" by Walter Johnson, where I learned that the whole economy of slavery in the US south depended on financing from UK/NY which involved mortgages on the enslaved people. Like many engaged in agriculture, Southern "farmers", were always broke until harvest and needed financing to stay in business. Brown Brothers were one of the firms ready to help. "Occupy Wall Street" was in a park across the street from Brown Brothers, still prospering, but never made the connection or perhaps didn't care.
Near the end of the Apartheid state, I was walking down a crowded sidewalk in Durban and witnessed a Black worker inadvertently get in the way of some absurd red faced creature in a safari suit who then flew into an immense out of control screaming rage at such disrespect. The Black guy rapidly threaded into the crowd, leaving this person sputtering. White south africans, those days, seemed on perpetually the edge of apoplexy as if to justify themselves with anger. Well I was only there briefly and it was long ago, but ...
What an incredible comment. Thank you. I also have the issue of getting overwhelmed by anger when I read about abuses of this kind so I know the feeling. I opened "James" but I didn't love the style. But I will keep it in consideration. The Water Johnson sounds appallingly informative.
"Often I think of how white western fears around immigration are the subconscious buried echo of our guilt, knowing that when it was we, when it was us on the horizon, we indeed came with hostile intent." Never thought of it in this way and it makes so much sense. Damn.
Thank you, Sarah, I really appreciate knowing that unlocked something for you, that's really the goal.
R, I just wanted to say this was discomfiting but expertly crafted--much like the sculpture.
Thank you so much, Paul, I’m honoured by the comparison to the statue
The repeated invocation of names not known to the reader is lovely and powerful, and serves your larger purpose so well. Thank you.
Thank you so much for seeing this / picking up on that, I’m so thrilled— it felt important to leave it like that for reasons I couldn’t totally explain to myself (at one point I put links in to some of the names, then I took them out, which felt more correct); now I feel like I see it also.
Your feeling was correct, I think. A link would have made it easy. Not that a simple internet search is hard, but it forced me to confront my ignorance in a way that really worked.
I will gush elsewhere, but here I will say I love this piece, and I am pleased to also say that I know what “seppo” means. It’s the slur that I really treasure; damn, did we earn it.
I am incredibly psyched that you know the slur seppo. Thank you for the comment and for all you did unknowingly to midwife this.
My best friend is Australian; we talk a lot about the odd culture clash relationship where australians know tons more about our country than we know about yours. When i first met him 25 years ago (he’s a musician named jeff lang, lives in melbourne), he heard my playing and said oh you sound like this guitarist and that guitarist, ans he knew more about the local players who influenced me than the people i grew up with did.
Okay very cool that you are best friends with Jeff Lang -- I know of him! He's of course big in the australian music scene (I am not plugged in enough at all, but keep meaning to get moreso...)
His music is great and he’s also very witty and philosophical. If you do get to see him play definitely tell him you know me and I told you to say hello.
Thank you for the comment Jack. I do wonder how I would feel about all this if I read Huckleberry Finn! A part of me wanted to wait to write the essay but I had this nagging feeling that my desire to never experience and certainly never show any ignorance of foundational texts was in some way a strain on me and I think that fed into the essay that resulted.