It is time to write/speak of race...

posted on MoontownCafe 3-29-2008

It is time to write/speak of race since the ‘slipshod’ manner that SENATOR BARAK OBAMA attempted to mollify his ‘BLACK’ supporters and assuage his WHITE fans while throwing his “…typical WHITE” grandmother under the speeding bus filled with empty platitudes of hope, union, and faith.

This essais will deal with how BLACKS, WHITES, HISPANICS, and yes even GIRLS/WOMEN navigate the churning waters of writing/poetry.[As far as other minorities or ‘special groups’ viz – GAYS, LESBIANS, TRANSGENDERS, CHINESE, EUROS, INDIANS, PAKHISTANNIS, IRAQUIS, IRANIS, JEWS, MOSLEMS, SUFIS, CATHOLICS, PROTESTANTS, BOYS/MEN, ATHEISTS or any others who assume/think they have been discriminated against – please feel free to read and apply the necessary paradigms to you.]

This ‘essais’(from the French=attempt) is partly resulting from my own ongoing ‘animus’ as to the appointment of PATRICIA SMITH as a so-called ‘judge’ at the IBPC.[Needless to recount the entire ‘tale’ SMITH was a BLACK writer for the BOSTON GLOBE who was fired for plagiarism/fraud and had used her ‘influence’ to win several national SLAM CONTESTS in Chicago while ‘appropriating’ others words/ideas to play along with her obvious BLACKNESS and female PERSONNA to secure these ‘so-called’ SLAMSTER/or-hamster titles. I, among others, reported her wholesale theft of work to the GLOBE and her use of writing reviews of her desultory talents to print them in other correspondent’s/writer’s columns in the GLOBE. SMITH was ‘unable’ to win slam/hamster contests in PROVIDENCE, BOSTON –until she and her troupe was able to perfect methods of ‘rigging’ these contests-which was not difficult or particularly ingenious. The facts are these – in the ‘contests’ in PROVIDENCE – SMITH did not win and was beaten several times – once by myself and various others.] ANYWAY – SMITH has become an ‘issue’ once again as the IBPC have named her a so-called judge of whatever ‘contests’ or criteria they use to evaluate talent.

The IBPC can do whatever they wish. As far as ‘labeling’ SMITH perhaps “…the best SLAM/hamster winner ever” – that is indeed up to them. But to ‘trumpet/extol’ SMITH as a fine poet – is complete bullshit. What you are witnessing/reading is POLITICAL-CORRECTNESS run amuck as poor SMITH was obviously ‘picked-upon’ because she was BLACK or maybe because she was a WOMAN. Or maybe because everyone steals/uses others words so what’s the big deal???

Let us look at the case for MAYA ANGELOU. ANGELOU came to prominence with the publication of ‘I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS’ and other works. Ms. ANGELOU ‘invented’ her own history – creating tales of a ‘cable-car-conductor’ in SAN FRANCISCO and a madam/call-girl at a brothel. Needless to say Ms. ANGELOU’s words/talents went over very well in the CLINTON Administration – enough so that ANGELOU did a poem at one of CLINTON’s inaugurations.

First – I am not a ‘fan’ of Ms. ANGELOU’s. Her writing, as well as SMITH’S – is both maudlin/mediocre. You as the reader are ‘free’/unencumbered to like/luv/rave about both these BLACK FEMALE writers.

Fine, you are probably saying/thinking to yourselves – this ZYSKANDAR just doesn’t like is prejudiced against BLACK writers!

Far from the case. In point of fact I enjoy writers/poets who have something to say and – get this who - DO IT WELL![Having met, honoured and interviewed SAMUEL ALLEN – a fine talented BLACK writer and ‘gentleman’ who wrote under the pseudoname of DENMARK VESCEY among others – I am ‘amazed’ that so many of his fine poetic works are not as well-known appreciated as his contemporaries such as LANGSTON HUGHES ‘the bard of HARLEM’ and others.]

Too many times are writers extolled/lauded because of their race or gender. Yes this includes WHITES too.( It is not such a long-time since the name of ADRIENNE RICH was on everyone’s lips/reading-lists as a heroine of LESBIAN/FEMALEGENDER poetry. Now she is barely thought of or mentioned. The same can be said of SYLVIA PLATH – and the ‘hatred’ directed at her husband TED HUGHES – a fine poet and POET LAUREATE of ENGLAND.)

How many WHITES ‘feel’ that they have to prove their righteousness/equanimity by lauding BLACKS no matter how pitiful their abilities or writing skills??? [How many WHITES must ‘prove’ their tolerance/acceptance by beating-their-chests or announcing how ‘guilty they feel for acts committed by people long dead and gone??? WHITE ‘guilt’ has no bounds on its generational components and crosses all political classes and divides. And if WHITES are to feel guilt – have any BLACKS ever come forward and said/told/written/thanked those WHITES that fought a war not for profit but the freedom of BLACK slaves against other WHITES known as ‘THE WAR OF THE SOUTHERN STATES SECESSION’ or more commonly the AMERICAN CIVIL WAR??? But this is beside the point.

How many BLACKS ‘feel’ they must champion the writing/thoughts of other BLACKS merely to ‘show’ solidarity with their fellows??? No matter about quality or ability – “We must support our own ‘race’ in this way.” [I enjoy the work of DEREK ‘Deke’ WALCOTT at times – and yet with his ‘classical style’ I prefer the works of KEATS, SHELLY rather than the BLACK Carribean WALCOTT. IS THIS AN EXAMPLE OF MY ‘BIGOTRY’ or merely the matter that I can discern/choose of what to like and when??? By the way I thought WALCOTT’s book of poems believe it was called ‘HOMEROS’(an attempt to equate the life of CARIBBEAN ‘fishermen’ to the ‘heroes’ in the ILIAD) was an abject failure/and a bore.]

Do BLACKS know how to relate too other BLACKS in some special way like the secret ‘hand-shakes’ at the ‘SKULL&BONES CLUB’ at YALE??? Or is this communal thing a ‘racial trait/prerequisite’ only available to others of the same race???

And don’t get me started on the GAYS, LESBIANS, JEWS, HISPANIC writers, artists etc.

Are we only able to communicate with those like us – or those that supposedly share our histories???

Or do we ‘feel’ more comfortable in our own prejudices/bigotries???

And anyone who does not ‘agree’ with us for any reason can be labeled a ‘bigot’ or just plain stupid???

Most poetry or writing for that matter is ‘rated’/judged on whether its POLITICAL CONTENT agrees with the reader’s/or reviewer’s preconceived notions. Meaning if we all despise NATIONAL SOCIALISM=NAZIS what it did to the world and GERMANY in particular – could/would anyone give a ‘fair’ review to someone who extolled/championed those NAZIS in poems/writings???

Or ‘lawdy-forbid’ some Neanderthal male steps outside of the box and exhibits his insensitivity and complete maleness. Ostracism and disgrace have replaced testicular sacrifice. Or maybe all three!!!(On present day college campuses ‘re-education’ courts are standard fare to keep these testosterone laden ‘savages’ in line!!!) And they say ‘communism’ ended with the Fall-of-the-Berlin Wall. Ha!

What of the ‘segregation’ of BLACKS, GAYS and others on college campuses??? Self-selected separation/isolation I might add. Was PLESSY v. FERGUSON; the overturning of the ruling of ‘separate-but-equal’ and BROWN v. BOARD-of-EDUCATION just blips on our legal justice system??? Are members of only the same ‘races’, classes, sexual choices allowed the supposed ‘freedom’ to isolate/associate with whom they like/gravitate toward???

And what of girls/women who cavalierly upbraid males for any supposed slight as to their writing/linguistic abilities???

Can we trust any reviewer/reader who is not similar to that of the writer/creator of the work??? If we are not BLACK, or LESBIAN/GAY, or FEMALE, or HISPANIC, or other minority constituent – do we not have a right or is our opinion subjected to additional scrutiny if we are not a ‘member’ of the writer’s individual subset???

In the most ‘subjective’ of all art forms POETRY – I have often stated that POETRY IS A BLOOD-SPORT. More bruising, more violent, more capable of hurting us – than any LaCROSSE, HOCKEY, or FOOTBALL game.

The ‘easiest/simplest’ way to diminish any group – is to classify them while pretending to honour them!!! Example – GARY SOTO is a fine example of an HISPANIC writer. Or YOSEF KUMINYAKA is a fine example of a BLACK writer. Or MAXINE KUMIN is a fine example of a FEMINIST/WOMAN writer. SEE HOW EASY IT WAS. By pretending to single them out – we have ‘diminished’ them in the same breath.

Yes this has gone on too long in the mostly WHITE MALE dominated pursuits of poetry/writing.

And no I do not have answers as to how to make everyone equal and all hold hand and sing ‘kum-ba-ya’ together.

And I do know that extolling/lauding others because they look like us, or some other ridiculous genotype/phenotype affiliation produces only mediocrity in a medium that should be dynamic and enervating. I do know that extolling/lauding others because ‘the group’ will hopefully agree with our selections is both asinine, idiotic, and counter-productivity to allowing ‘true-art’ to flourish.

With the internet and on sites such as this one – we have been given a great opportunity to not only post/record poetry/writing/thoughts that are available to everyone.

Writing should be beyond just ‘liking’ a poet’s writings because he/she shares racial or religious or ‘political’ feelings the same as you do.

POETRY should be something more. POETRY should at times take us to that indefinable ‘other’. That ‘other’ which brings us back again and again to tease our minds and our senses.

zaj3-29-2008