Reading Morrison

Our African American Literature class began reading Toni Morrison's 1973 novel Sula.  Now, Morrison's work is important on several levels, and certainly one of them is that she consistently creates works that center on the lives, experiences, and histories of African American individuals and communities.  As noted by Professor Howard Rambsy II at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Morrison's texts are regularly cited in the productions by literary scholars and appear on the syllabi of various literature courses. But how does Morrison's popularity translate in the classroom?

"Morrison is hard."  I have heard this many times from students in response to reading novels and essays by the prize-winning author.  This is understandable given the backgrounds of most college-level students - their literary careers in high school and beyond don't often include experience with Morrison's work for different reasons; her texts have been banned in some schools due to ostensibly controversial subject matter, the state curriculum and testing standards have resulted in less reading overall in high school classrooms, and there is the old and problematic notion (overtly or covertly stated by teachers, professors, school boards, administrators, etc.) that only works by the outdated 'canon' are important - this canon has historically been dominated by privileged white men.

When I ask students if they have read works by Shakespeare, Fitzgerald, or Hawthorne, by and large they respond in the affirmative.  But, ask about Morrison, Octavia Butler, Gloria Anzaldúa, James Baldwin, or Leslie Marmon Silko?  No.  Students shake their heads and sometimes assume that because they've never heard about or read these authors, they must not be all that important.  This underlying notion that some texts are important while others are not impacts how students approach a novel, story, or memoir and what these young minds understand as valuable.

Yes, Morrison is hard for students who have not been able to experience literature outside of this very white, very male canon.  Her texts are non-linear and establish the importance and relevance of African American men and women within Black communities.  For Black students reading literature who have been inundated with writing by white authors, this is key.  Ultimately students begin to appreciate how incredibly descriptive, insightful, and even how shocking Morrison's texts can be - "did you read the part where Eva kills Plum!?" and "Morrison is playing with language.  Down is up, up is down, and the Bottom in Medallion is the top!"

Morrison's work moves from indecipherable in some ways to a puzzle students want to work through.  They begin to dig into her stories, looking for ways the author creates impossible situations, word play, vivid imagery, beautiful language, and how she creates the lives and histories of empowered and complicated Black characters who love and live deeply.

Black Poetry Favorites

Over the past few weeks, our African American Literature class has worked on the poetic productions by Black artists in the US.  Now, as a person who spent much of her life feeling afraid of poetry, I certainly felt for my students in those first few days.  They were sure that each poem had a "right" and "wrong" analysis, and they were convinced their readings were "wrong."  Together, we have overcome some of those assumptions about ourselves as readers and new poetry scholars.

Students presented their ideas in short presentations about various Black authors, including Nikki Giovanni, Carolyn Rodgers, Amiri Baraka, Haki Madhubuti, Kevin Young, and Elizabeth Alexander. Though initially nervous, many students began to dig their poets, or gained a new appreciation of a piece based on the presentation of a classmate.  We'll share some of those student ideas on the blog in the future, but I asked students to take a moment to reflect on their favorite poem last week.  Below are a few responses:

Mario - "We Real Cool" (by Brooks).  It was simple, but also deep!!! Like the message was powerful.

Iriana - "Don't Cry, Scream" (by Madhubuti). I like how (Madhubuti) prepared his thoughts together throughout the poem.  I like his story... After listening to the audio I truly heard what he meant."

Dana - "The Last M.F." (by Rodgers) is my favorite.  A strong woman will not be controlled by anyone.  If a woman bows down to anyone, it makes her weak.  The poem uses the word muthaf*cka TEN times to protest to being told how to act."

Chelsea - It was difficult to choose but "Dope" had to be my favorite.  Baraka's ability to be intentional about who he's addressing.  Without a desire to caress the abandonment of guilt, he plunges forward to address the ugliest of uglies to whomever is open to read his work."

Cameka - "Ego Tripping" (by Giovanni).  This poem depicts a person who is confident with where they are from, what they look like, their history, etc.  It makes me feel happy when I read it.  (Every time).

Black Poetry and Genius

Main page for the Genius site

In our most recent African American Literature class session, we talked Black poetry.  Well, we talked music and then Black poetry.  In the past, I have noticed that often students will more readily approach a larger discussion of poetry if we first start with music and lyrics.  This is not always a perfect approach, as poets and artists definitely take on different topics and from varying perspectives.  Nonetheless, music can be a gateway to help students overcome that general anxiety related to "reading poetry."

I was definitely one of those undergraduates who felt nervous about reading this genre, and that there was a definite "right" and "wrong" way to approach and analyze the different pieces.  Music feels low stakes to students, and part of our everyday lives, while poetry has been presented as work in a school setting. Listening to and analyzing lyrics is fun in a classroom environment, so we started with Jay Z's "Oceans" and then Erykah Badu's "Window Seat." A critical step, though, was pulling up the Genius website so that students could read along with the lyrics and see annotations, images, and explanations by contributors.

Professor Howard Rambsy at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville (and an editor at Genius) first introduced me to the Genius site and it is a resource that has certainly helped students with projects, poetry and literature analysis, and different assignments.  Visitors to the site can easily seek out lyrics, poems, and different literary pieces and see those annotations, providing a kind of foundation for the students' understanding.

After listening to and analyzing lyrics, our class then delved into some poetry by Gwendolyn Brooks. Her poetry looked and felt more interactive, rather than stagnant (and intimidating).  Of course, there are benefits to seeing that poetry printed in our course text, but we were able to approach her poems ("kitchenette building," "a song in the front yard," "We Real Cool," and "the mother") with excitement and a level of comfort with Genius.  With embedded images, videos, and extensive annotations, we were able to see Brooks and her work in an approachable manner that took us away from the pages of a book, and talking excitedly through her words and ideas.

As a professor and recovering poetry scaredy cat, I was and am thankful that Genius collects this information and makes it available.

The Genius page on "the mother" by Gwendolyn Brooks

Conversations about Sister Citizen

In our African American Literature class today, we discussed the Introduction and first chapter of Melissa Harris-Perry's text Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America.  Harris-Perry connects literature to experiences, sociological theories to identities, and damaging myths to their problematic origins.  It's quite a text.  Students provided their responses to a few prompts related to Harris-Perry's work:

When asked to discuss Harris-Perry's notion of the "crooked room" -

• "Black women expected to be a certain type of way to fit into society's standards, instead of achieving their own personal way of life." - Jaylon A.
• "She is speaking on how things around black women make them have to bend, turn, or flip to overcome them (metaphorically speaking)." - Cameka B.

When asked about what Harris-Perry does in connecting the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God -

• "Harris-Perry connected issues related to Hurricane Katrina like slavery.  The whites were able to evacuate before Katrina made landfall, while the blacks were stuck in low-poverty..." - Tenea L.
• "She said that the stories from New Orleans in the first days of the flood echoed this plot element as well.  Despite the silence of the government & the unanswered cries for help, initial media coverage focused on criminal activity rather than the people suffering..." - Iriana C.
• "Victims of Katrina were forced to leave their safe homes and thrust into the unknown.  Janie's new love, Tea Cake, was bitten by a rabid dog and she was forced to kill him for her own safety.  Just as the Katrina victims were forced to 'steal' food and medical supplies for their own good." - Dana R.
• "Hurston has political lessons in her story.  How politics of race and gender come into play.  All of these issues come together to create a storm both figuratively and literally in her story Their Eyes Were Watching God." - Mario P

Campus Words - Fall 2015

CAMPUS WORDS

Plan to attend our Campus Words events this semester.  We will alternate between student performances and student-run writing workshops.

LIBRARY 305

WEDNESDAYS @ 1 pm                                                THURSDAYS @ 2pm

9/16 – Performance                                                10/1 – Performance

9/23 – Writing Workshop                       10/8 – Writing Workshop

10/14 – Performance                                          10/29 – Performance

10/21 – Writing Workshop                      11/5 – Writing Workshop

11/11 – Performance                                               12/3 – Performance

11/18 – Writing Workshop                                                               JOIN US

Hip Hop · Spoken Word· Literary  · Slam · Poetry · Videography · en Español · Montage · Music· Art· ASL·Photography · Performance ·

               

OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS

Cell Phone Blues

Students today find it difficult to put their phones away during class.  I mean, it nearly devastates them when I look over and say, "would you put your phone away?"  In working to think through this phenomenon, there are certainly various reasons leading to the anxiety students feel about placing those technological lifelines out of sight for the duration of the class.

We exist in a time when technology makes information instant, or nearly instant.  You don't know something?  Google it.  Did you hear what this celebrity said about that?  Check out Wikipedia.  Did you see the cutest picture of a cat sitting on a monkey, sitting on an alligator, sitting on an elephant?  Check Snapchat.  For my students, most of this digital discussion and exchange occurs on their cell phones.

Now, I have had to question my approach in the classroom when it comes to these devices - can there be a benefit to having them in class?  More than once I have asked students to look up something on their phones: the definition to a word in our reading, the birth date of an author, any number of things.  But, I also know that having those phones out and on the desk is a temptation for students.  Many times I have seen the flash of a phone as a student is notified that s/he has received a text message, voicemail, or update of any sort.  It's so hard to resist looking, I know.

I will be thinking about this more as the semester progresses - how can we develop a middle ground for the use of cell phones in the classroom, one that understands the immediacy and dependence we have when it comes to technology, but also considers the distracting qualities that go along with that instant information and endless updates.

Language: A Student's Perspective

by Wilfred Harold

I adjust my language in public compared to language at home, for people in society freely judge each other. Throughout the day at home, I’m very comfortable with my language because for the most part, there is no one correcting it as I speak. Language can change in public, talking with friends, and especially in your own private space.

In public, I have to revise the way I speak because I feel I’m being judged all the time. It is important to speak well when you are out in public since it’s the language that matters the most. Also, when I leave home, I tend to fluctuate my language according to the places I attend.

Talking to my friends at home it can be like, “what’s up” or “I hear you” and “y’all should have seen this,” examples of nonstandard English. Conversations among my peers can be quite different; it’s a familiar and customary way of getting our point across. Vulgar language is acceptable then, but around law enforcement you have to choose your words wisely.

First, in my private space I do not have to adjust to the more standard way of speaking. Second, I can rely on my own authority when I speak, so it won’t be a problem for me. Finally, when I’m alone I can still be somewhere else because information is all around me in the form of books, dictionaries, and encyclopedias.

In public, I revamp my language to speak Standard English. Communicating with friends, I’m more casual. When alone in my own private space, I don’t have to watch what I say or how I say it. 
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Wilfred Harold is a student at North Harris College in Houston.