In “Sonny’s Blues, art wars with the world’s darkness and promises momentary relief.
Tag Archives: James Baldwin
Baldwin Explains White Supremacists
To understand white supremacy, check out James Baldwin’s short story “Going To Meet the Man.” It helps explain the hatred and violence we saw in Charlottesville this past weekend.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Donald Trump, Going to Meet the Man, Heather Heyer, neo-Nazis, white supremacists Comments closed
The Inner City: Stay or Leave?
How do we get young people to stay in the inner city and make it a better place? Baldwin’s “Sonny Blues” gives us a sense of what is possible.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Education, educational system, inner city, poverty, Sonny's Blues Comments closed
Bigger Thomas, Clarence’s Shadow
“Native Son,” 75 years old, is Justice Clarence Thomas’ favorite novel. I theorize that Bigger Thomas is the justice’s destructive shadow.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged affirmative action, Clarence Thomas, Everybody's Protest Novel, Native Son, Richard Wright, Supreme Court, voting rights Comments closed
What Frightens the Ferguson Police
A James Baldwin short story helps explain some of the fears that led to police overreaction in Ferguson, Missouri.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Ferguson Missouri, Going to Meet the Man, Michael Brown, militarization of police, protest marches Comments closed
Lit’s Ten Most Sensitive Guys
To match my 10 strongest literary women characters, here are my 10 most sensitive male characters.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Charles Dickens, Cormac McCarthy, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Henry Fielding, Herman Melville, Jane Austen, John Milton, John Steinbeck Comments closed
Harper Lee’s White Liberal Fantasy
Important though it was, “To Kill a Mockingbird” was also a white liberal fantasy.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Blues for Mister Charlie, Civil Rights Movement, Harper Lee, liberalism, racism, To Kill a Mockingbird Comments closed
