Brilliant essay. Reminds me of the poet Reginald Shepherd's essay collection "Orpheus in the Bronx" where he complains about critics who reduce literature to "a symptom of social position". I think the publishing-marketing machine likes to focus on the author as a brand, a source of gossipy anecdotes -- an extra burden on top of the racial pigeonholing you describe so well.
Another great post. The apple bit recalls this VQR interview with Percival Everett (https://www.vqronline.org/interviews-articles/2015/07/construction-place-interview-percival-everett) where he says: "The presence of a black character in a novel written by a black writer becomes racial, but the presence of a white character in a novel written by a white writer does not. There’s something strange in that logic, and that’s obviously because it’s false. If I write about a black character, that’s nothing to do with race. That’s the color of that character. To assume that it has something to do with race by virtue of that character being black is good old-fashioned American racism…I have a [black] friend who is a painter, and, when he was in graduate school, if he didn’t put a black person in the painting, that’s all anybody would talk about. 'There are no black people in this painting!' And it was a painting of trees!"
“True landlords of the mind.” Yes! I stopped writing fiction for so long because of the tiny white people; what would it mean to write a Black character without “all the race stuff”? Thank you for saying so perfectly what I’ve been grappling with. Eviction notices are coming! 🙏🏾
Brandon, I just finished your book. Incredible, stunning! I understand what you're saying about being a Black person and telling people about things that happened in your life, the things that are so traumatic they don't want to hear them. Or you can't tell them. Or they don't really understand. I dealt with a traumatic situation all through high school. For years, I didn't tell anyone. I often wonder if people can look at me and see what I went through. I still don't know.
Wow will definitely be revisiting this --"objectifying my subjectivity".....such a distilled and perfect description of the bind of the white gaze/Eurocentric culture. Can our stories just be told without constantly being in relation to/opposition to whiteness outside and inside of ourselves? I think so but DAMN gotta keep changing the locks on the tiny white man trying to squat in my mind
Brilliant essay. Reminds me of the poet Reginald Shepherd's essay collection "Orpheus in the Bronx" where he complains about critics who reduce literature to "a symptom of social position". I think the publishing-marketing machine likes to focus on the author as a brand, a source of gossipy anecdotes -- an extra burden on top of the racial pigeonholing you describe so well.
The trauma, man, no one wants to hear about it! They ask how you are, and want to hear "fine."
Another great post. The apple bit recalls this VQR interview with Percival Everett (https://www.vqronline.org/interviews-articles/2015/07/construction-place-interview-percival-everett) where he says: "The presence of a black character in a novel written by a black writer becomes racial, but the presence of a white character in a novel written by a white writer does not. There’s something strange in that logic, and that’s obviously because it’s false. If I write about a black character, that’s nothing to do with race. That’s the color of that character. To assume that it has something to do with race by virtue of that character being black is good old-fashioned American racism…I have a [black] friend who is a painter, and, when he was in graduate school, if he didn’t put a black person in the painting, that’s all anybody would talk about. 'There are no black people in this painting!' And it was a painting of trees!"
“True landlords of the mind.” Yes! I stopped writing fiction for so long because of the tiny white people; what would it mean to write a Black character without “all the race stuff”? Thank you for saying so perfectly what I’ve been grappling with. Eviction notices are coming! 🙏🏾
:O :O :O you are still in the BRILLIANCE MINES, i see
I love Wallace, I am glad you invented him.
Brandon, I just finished your book. Incredible, stunning! I understand what you're saying about being a Black person and telling people about things that happened in your life, the things that are so traumatic they don't want to hear them. Or you can't tell them. Or they don't really understand. I dealt with a traumatic situation all through high school. For years, I didn't tell anyone. I often wonder if people can look at me and see what I went through. I still don't know.
!!!
This is excellent. I’ve been wrestling with the same questions in my own writing, and life. Thank you.
Brandon wow thank you
This essay is beautiful! At a loss for words, just want to thank you for putting it out there.
Wow will definitely be revisiting this --"objectifying my subjectivity".....such a distilled and perfect description of the bind of the white gaze/Eurocentric culture. Can our stories just be told without constantly being in relation to/opposition to whiteness outside and inside of ourselves? I think so but DAMN gotta keep changing the locks on the tiny white man trying to squat in my mind
... Not to be argumentative, but it goes all ways. Diverse little people inhabit all minds. ... Great post. Thank you. 🙏
I can't begin to articulate to you how...fucked up and goofy this post is, lol.