tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9367921.post3991582314482772095..comments2024-03-29T07:41:53.958-06:00Comments on La Bloga: Review: Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet. Black History Month Review: Nigger for Life.Contributing Bloguistas:http://www.blogger.com/profile/13054190814722049711noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9367921.post-3314819580794442272010-02-28T23:39:20.392-07:002010-02-28T23:39:20.392-07:00The review of Nigger For Life by M. Sedano which n...The review of Nigger For Life by M. Sedano which negatively cites purported shortcomings, mis-interprets the book's message of its author, and is contrary to the recognition appearing below re: Positiveblackimage.com. The review below is consistent with many of the comments re: Nigger For Life to date; including my own. <br /><br />The poetry is effective in delivering the intended feeling, perspective of the author, and a true reflection of the times Black people live in. The superior writing of Dr. Hall is on par with that of great poets.<br /><br /><br />"Dr. Hall,<br /><br />We recently received your shipment [Nigger For Life book]. Upon review we have decided to post your new book - Nigger For Life on PositiveBlackImage.com. Thank you for your positive contributions to our community.<br /><br />Regards,<br />Eddie Williams, Co Founder"Columbiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10019461161817096088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9367921.post-44106202500993585372010-02-25T20:29:49.255-07:002010-02-25T20:29:49.255-07:00A another reader's perspective on Dr. Hall'...A another reader's perspective on Dr. Hall's "anger and outrage" in his Nigger For Life book.<br /><br />“Honestly, I am not sure if I would have picked up a book of poetry at the store, especially a book with such a controversial title, but a friend spoke highly of it, so I picked it up. I think I read the whole book from cover to cover over an entire day - I could not put it down! It's not often that you actually "believe" an author; believe his pain, believe his story, his strength, his determination. I can hear the pain in the voice of Dr. Hall and I think it echoes the pain of Dr. King and Malcolm X. This is the type of book that needs to be studied, reread, and taught at Contemporary African American literature classes. What a find!”<br /><br />Matthew Conant Crystalline Studios "cinevorefilm" (Philadelphia, PA, USA) -AnnArborhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11367676727483295579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9367921.post-32456479401603965402010-02-24T19:39:27.042-07:002010-02-24T19:39:27.042-07:00Part II
The reviewer characterizes the author wit...Part II<br /><br />The reviewer characterizes the author with disillusion, grief, disdain, negativity, being trapped by emotions and hate.<br /><br />Having the benefit and insights of a surgeon and physician, I am keenly aware of the stages of grief individuals experience when deeply pained by injurious events in their lives:<br /><br />1.Shock, Denial<br />2.Pain, Guilt<br />3.Anger, Bargaining<br />4.Depression, Reflection, Loneliness<br />5.The Upward Turn<br />6.Reconstruction and working through.<br />7.Acceptance, Hope<br /><br /><br />If the reviewer indeed read disillusion, grief, disdain, negativity, trapped by emotions in a Nigger For Life, then the author has more than skillfully and artfully met his objective, i.e. to get the reader to feel his pain, anger and outrage.<br /><br />While others may need to quickly skip ahead to: The Upward Turn, Reconstruction, Acceptance and Hope, for that -artful happy Hollywood ending - it is the writer’s prerogative to chronicle/write about his stage/station of the grieving process with regards to his believed tyranny.<br /><br />Regarding the assertion of hate:<br /><br />I hate no man lest I become the oppressor.<br />I hate what white people do. <br />I hate what “any” man does to oppress and exploit another, <br />irrespective of the ill-reasoned reasoning and reasons.<br /><br />But rather than narrow me to hate,<br />let me expand you, by telling you what I love:<br /><br />That all men are created equal, <br />endowed by creation to rise or fall on one’s own merit<br />in search of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness …<br /><br />Having said such, if “hate” is perceived and felt by the reader, the poems within a Nigger For Life have been written well. Well enough to have the hatred of “man’s inhumanity against man” strongly apparent.<br /><br />Lastly, the reviewer writes “Unlike Lonnie Washington, who got the satisfaction of kicking Ramsey's racist ass, all Neal Hall can do is rage in print.”<br /><br />I respond stating that unlike Lonnie Washington, but just as satisfying, my satisfaction … my struggle for freedom and dignity starts with my anger and outrage, deeply assessed and felt, put in print for all to “feel” in their hearts and souls; far more artful than kicking someone’s ass or declaring war or the quick to discourse of the angry black man !<br /><br /><br />Neal Hall, M.D., Poet<br />www.surgeonpoet.comcolbycolbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13367408543300646483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9367921.post-53912230917917256452010-02-24T19:37:37.353-07:002010-02-24T19:37:37.353-07:00Part I
When Lonnie Washington beat the crap out o...Part I<br /><br />When Lonnie Washington beat the crap out of Ramsy because Ramsy menaced a “nigger shooter”, Mr. L. Washington did so out of anger and outrage. Lonnie felt an affront to his pride, his soulfulness, his connection to humanity.<br /><br />When George Washington and the founding fathers declared their independence from England, Mr. G. Washington et al did so out of anger and outrage of their socio –economic oppression and tyranny they felt they were suffering at the hands of King George III. Out of such “anger and outrage”, Mr. G Washington et al declared war !<br /><br />Out of such anger and outrage Mr. G Washington et al created a new world order -“America” - with a tyranny and oppression of its own.<br /><br />For L Washington and G Washington, it is clear that it was “anger and outrage” that “fueled” their defiant actions ( i.e. an ass kicking and declared war respectively) against the indignities they believed they suffered.<br /><br />While the reviewer celebrates L Washington’s anger and outrage, and fails to indict G. Washington et al’s anger and outrage, the quick to “angry black man discourse”; holding our [black men’s] anger and outrage to a higher standard - less artful, less soulful, pride-less is ironic in response to hundreds of years of hypocrisy and tyranny generated by anger and outrage felt and acted upon by the non-black founding fathers.<br /><br />People of all colors and ethnicities must never allow anyone to shame nor decrease their anger or outrage over our subjugation. <br /><br />We should never let anyone quiet or dampen our outrage/anger with “their need” to have it served up soulful, prideful, metered and artfully presented before the oppressor.<br /><br />To take a metaphor from Malcolm X and the “actions” of George Washington et al, it is critical that we who struggle to be free keep our coffee strong, black and steaming hot.<br /><br />Embrace your anger and outrage. It is the fuel men of history have used to not only free themselves but, it is what new world orders are created out of.<br /><br />Nigger For Life is effective and accomplishes one of its objectives - to leave the reader feeling the “anger and outrage” of continuously being seen and treated as a “nigger” first and foremost. Anger and outrage are our fuel to build a new world order where “all” men are created equal and rise and fall on their merits in pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.<br /><br /><br />Neal Hall, M.D., Poet<br />www.surgeonpoet.comcolbycolbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13367408543300646483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9367921.post-69253699347228774522010-02-23T19:59:25.928-07:002010-02-23T19:59:25.928-07:00I was involved in the exchange and I hardly say it...I was involved in the exchange and I hardly say it was "all hell broke loose." If using the word bullshit suggested outrage, trust me that was pretty tame. I thought the speaker had no more right to speak for blacks as I have taking on the spokesperson role. I said what I thought as one black woman.<br /><br />It would have been more interesting and potentially fruitful if bystanders had actually chimed in.<br /><br />Maybe you were flooded by emails but what happened publicly wasn't much. I don't think the tie-in was necessary. Some Harvard scholar also wrote a book called "Nigger." The word is polemic but no one is screaming bloody murder over. Well, I'm not.<br /><br />Thanks.<br /><br />p.s. I publish two blogs so Color Online/Susan are the same.susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14924982664582970754noreply@blogger.com