As an historian of race and racism in this country, I was appalled and infuriated by THE GOOD LORD BIRD. Not only is the humor disturbing (and I am capable of laughing at some situations in life), but McBride suggests that John Brown is a pedophile, for which there is NO historical evidence. No way is this TV-flick going to be productive. At a time when BLM and other BIPOC-led movements are wrestling with issues of white "allyship," "accompliceship," and solidarity, this project is poison. Peter Rachleff East Side Freedom Library St. Paul, Minnesota
On Sat, Oct 3, 2020 at 9:20 AM Louis Proyect <[email protected]> wrote: > On 10/3/20 9:44 AM, Michael Meeropol wrote: > > Louis, that blurb you quoted sounds like a reference to DEACON KING KONG, > McBride's most recent novel -- WHICH IS FABULOUS .... > > > Yes, my mistake. But I still have big problems with: > > "Henry Shackleford is a young slave living in the Kansas Territory in > 1857, when the region is a battleground between anti- and pro-slavery > forces. When John Brown, the legendary abolitionist, arrives in the area, > an argument between Brown and Henry’s master quickly turns violent. Henry > is forced to leave town—with Brown, who believes he’s a girl." > > John Brown believes that he is a girl? Really? This review persuades me > that McBride should have left John Brown alone: > > > https://theconversation.com/in-the-good-lord-bird-a-new-version-of-john-brown-rides-in-at-a-crucial-moment-in-us-history-146653 > John Brown the … clown? > > Which brings us to McBride’s novel, the inspiration for Showtime’s > miniseries. > > Among the most distinctive features of McBride’s novel is its bizarre > humor. Americans have seen a devout John Brown, a vengeful John Brown and > an inspirational John Brown. But before “The Good Lord Bird,” Americans had > never seen a clownish John Brown. > > McBride’s Brown is a tattered, scatterbrained and deeply religious > monomaniac. In his ragged clothes, with his toes bursting out of his boots, > Brown intones lengthy, discursive prayers and offers obtuse interpretations > of Scripture that leave his men befuddled. > > We learn all of this from Onion, the narrator, a former slave whom Brown > “rescues” from one of the families living on Pottawatomie Creek. At first, > all Onion wants is to get back home to his owner – a detail that speaks > volumes about the novel’s twisted humor. Eventually, Onion embraces his new > role as Brown’s mascot, although he continues to mock Brown’s ridiculously > erratic behavior all the way to Harpers Ferry. > > Like many reviewers > <https://www.latimes.com/books/la-xpm-2013-aug-30-la-ca-jc-james-mcbride-20130901-story.html> > – and apparently Ethan Hawke > <https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/09/21/the-many-faces-of-ethan-hawke>, > who plays Brown in the Showtime series – I laughed loud and hard when I > read “The Good Lord Bird.” > > That said, the laughter was a bit unsettling. How and why would someone > make this story funny? > > At the Atlantic Festival <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urOO9cedz54>, > McBride noted that humor could open the way for “hard conversations” about > America’s racial history. And Hawke’s hilarious portrayal of Brown, along > with his commentary about the joys of playing this character, suggests he > shares McBride’s belief that humor is a useful mechanism for fostering > discussions about both slavery and contemporary race relations. > > While one might reasonably say that the history of American race relations > is so horrific that laughter is an inappropriate response, I think Hawke > and McBride may be on to something. > > > > > > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#2193): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/2193 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/77280031/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
