Category: Black Experience

Carolina Comments: Race & Grief

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This week’s post includes a play about race that is compelling and uncomfortable and a beautiful memoir on delayed grief. The drama is the Pulitzer Prize winner, Fairview, and the book is Memorial Days.

CHALLENGING THEATER 

Fairview (Justice Theater Project)

The Justice Theater Project, a small drama company, presents plays about social issues at Umstead United Methodist Church in Raleigh.  Sets and lighting are simple, and the theater space is small with a limited number of seats.  Last year, the Chief Penguin and I went to see their production of Cabaret.

Set in the present day in an unspecified location, Fairview is about a middle-class Black family.  Beverly and her husband Dayton and their teenage daughter Keisha are preparing a special dinner to celebrate Beverly’s mother’s birthday.  Jasmine, Beverly’s sister, is an early-arriving guest.  These four banter and bicker back and forth over the preparations.  Later, Beverly’s brother Tyrone and Keisha’s friend Erica erupt on the scene joining them and Mama, the grandmother.  

The first act is short but could have been shorter.  The second act is long, and half of it is dominated by a radio discussion about race and which race one might choose to be.  From a reasonably ordinary domestic scene, the play then transforms into a confrontation between all the characters now onstage and then the audience.  It is challenging and uncomfortable to watch and thought-provoking.  

Playwright Drury (theintervalny.com)

Written by Jackie Sibblies Drury, Fairview won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  Those of us who attended together were a bit discombobulated by the end.  We thought it could have been a tighter production and that the radio voice went on too long.  Still, it was a worthwhile experience.

DOCUMENTING GRIEF

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks

Brooks (vineyardgazette.com)

My first acquaintance with Geraldine Brooks was reading her nonfiction book, Nine Parts of Desire, which focused on Muslim women in the Middle East, and was published in 1994.  Before she was a novelist, Brooks was a foreign correspondent living and working abroad for the Wall Street Journal. That book was a fascinating account which I really enjoyed.

Only later when I read her early novel about the bubonic plague. Year of Wonders, did I connect back and realize that Geraldine Brooks was the author of both titles.  Since then, I’ve read and relished almost every one of her historical novels including March (2005), Caleb’s Crossing (2011), and the most recent one, Horse (2022).

Brooks was married to fellow writer and journalist, Tony Horowitz, author of Spying on the South.  His sudden death on Memorial Day 2019, while far away on a book tour, was a searing event.  Being in the middle of writing Horse, Brooks did not take time to grieve.  Memorial Days is her interleaved account of the day of Tony’s death and those following and her prolonged stay three years later on an island off her native Australia.  

Being alone, isolated in nature, she granted herself a pause from work and her usual routine.  She walked the beach, swam, grieved, and reflected: on their happy marriage, on the joys of their parallel careers, on her sadness, and on how her life would have been different had she not met Tony, but lived her entire life in Australia.  It’s a beautiful and poignant memoir, straightforward and almost understated in its approach.  Highly recommended for Brooks’ fans! (~JWFarrington)

Note: Header image is Pledge Allegiance: Memorial to John R. Lewis by Jo-Ann Morgan.

Tidy Tidbits: Marseille, Memphis & More

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This week, I’m featuring a recent TV series, a debut novel set in the South, and a new local restaurant.

RISKING LIFE IN MARSEILLE

Transatlantic (Netflix)

Mary Jayne Gold, Fry, & Thomas Lovegrove (Den of Geek)

When I’ve mentioned to friends that I’m watching Transatlantic, several told me they had just finished it and are interested in discussing the ending.  Then, this morning, I received an e-mail from another friend highly recommending it.  Transatlantic is an 8-part dramatic series set in Marseille, France in 1940, before the United States entered the Second World War.  It focuses on the efforts of Varian Fry, a real person affiliated with the Emergency Rescue Committee (an American organization), and his colleagues to get refugees safely to Spain and beyond.  The players include the local police, the Gestapo, other officials, and bureaucrats.  

Fry is initially a rule follower, and his concern is for artists and intellectuals, people like Hannah Arendt and the Chagalls.  Money and help sometimes come from unexpected quarters like Mary Jayne Gold, a rich young socialite from Chicago, art collector Peggy Guggenheim, and two Black hotel staff.  

The challenges are many and the work is dangerous.  There are always more people to be helped than exit visas and available places.  Using both a hotel and a private villa as safe houses, Fry and friends plot, scheme, and risk everything for the occasional success.  This is a well-cast series and captures an important piece of WWII history.  For the record, I’ve now seen six of the eight episodes. Highly recommended!

STRONG BLACK WOMEN

Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

Author Stringfellow (Book Pipeline)

I will have more about Memphis after my book group’s discussion this week.  Suffice it to say, this first novel by an attorney turned novelist is worth your time and attention.

It’s a story of trauma and suffering, but also of hope and joy in the lives of three generations of Black women from 1937 to 2003.  The chapters alternate between Hazel, the matriarch, her daughters Miriam and August, and Miriam’s daughter Joan.  The tragedies and challenges of their lives are sometimes front and center, but at other times are quietly revealed decades later.  Joan, the youngest voice, has a passion for art and harbors ambitions for her future.  Her chapters are the only ones presented in the first person.  This window on Black culture is beautifully wrought; it may offer a different perspective for other white women like me.  

LOCAL MEXICAN FARE

Avocado’s Cocina Mexicana (Bradenton)

Enchilada & accompaniments (JWF)

Owned by the same people as the successful Habanero’s Mexican Grill on Manatee Avenue, Avocado’s on Cortez Road West is a tasty addition to the local dining scene.  The interior space is attractive and the menu of Mexican fare very good.  The Chief Penguin and I sampled their chunky guacamole (very nice, but could have had some heat), the generous sized quesadilla, and a lunch special of one enchilada, rice, and refried beans. 

 I liked that the plate was not piled high nor gloppy.  The chicken in the enchilada was good, the rice nicely spiced, and the beans silky.  I was tempted to add a pork tamale to my selection but wisely didn’t and was just as happy with a little less.  A casual place we will visit again!

Note: Header photo of nightlife in Memphis from Travel Noire.

Tidy Tidbits: Historical Figures in Fiction

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NEW NATIONAL HOLIDAY

Today, June 19, is Juneteenth.  It is now a federal holiday and yesterday, government workers had the day off.  It commemorates the date in 1865 when Texas got the word that American slaves were emancipated.  Many states already have Juneteenth celebrations, but this bill, passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law on Thursday by President Biden, reinforces this date as one to celebrate both freedom and African American culture.  Thus far, nine states have also made it an official state holiday.  Sadly, legislation to enact this in my state of Florida died. 

HISTORICAL NOVELS

A successful historical novel engages the reader in a good story.  Simultaneously, it provides a context for events of a time and place distant or just different from our own.  The focus can be on notable events depicted through fiction or the creation of a three-dimensional real individual about whom we know not much.  And because it’s fiction, timelines can be altered and love interests, probable or simply imagined, added.  A good author makes history come alive through her novels.  Here are two that I recently enjoyed, one that’s particularly fitting for this holiday.

BLACK LIFE IN RICHMOND & PHILADELPHIA

The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen

Most of the novels about slavery that I’ve read have been set on a plantation, detailing the hard lives of house slaves and the brutality and mistreatment of those who worked in the fields. Mary Bowser was a real individual, born into slavery in Richmond who, at about age 12, was bought by Bet Van Lew, the daughter of her owner.  Bet freed Mary and sent her to Philadelphia to live free and be educated.  Mary’s mother had also been freed, but her father was still enslaved and working as a blacksmith, so they stayed in Richmond.

The first half of this absorbing novel depicts the differences in urban life in Richmond, where most Blacks were slaves, and in Philadelphia with a population of free Blacks.  The rules for living in Richmond were very clear and strict; in Philadelphia, freedom came with its own nuanced restrictions.   

Bet Van Lew (smithsonianmag.com)

With Civil War looming, Mary made the amazing and courageous decision to leave Philadelphia and return to Richmond.  Once there, she collaborated with her benefactor, Bet Van Lew.  Pretending to be a slave, she got taken on as a maid in Jefferson Davis’ home.  During the war years, she collected and passed on information on the Confederate plans to the Union side.   

Much about Mary Bowser is not known, and there are no known photos of her. But Mary, Elizabeth Van Lew, and Thomas McNiven, another character, were all real people who spied on the Confederacy for the Union.  Leveen’s novel creates the environment in which Bowser lived and worked and gives us a fictional, yet wonderfully rich, portrait of Mary’s thoughts and actions.  Highly recommended!

For a differing perspective on this Mary, this article questions some of the claims made about her. 

BRIDGE BUILDING

The Engineer’s Wife by Tracey Enerson Wood

This novel is about Emily Warren Roebling’s role in the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.  I found it fascinating and compelling.  So much so, that I raced to finish it.  There is a lot of description of the various steps and processes involved in the bridge construction which might put off a few readers.   I gained a greater appreciation for what went into the beauty of this monumental structure.  Like many folks, I have walked across it! 

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge (JWF)
Emily Roebling (asce.org)

Emily was married to Washington Roebling, whose father John was a successful bridge builder and the one who drew up the original plans for Brooklyn.  Washington was a former military man who took over the chief engineer role after his father’s death.  Unfortunately, he suffered severe illness from working in the caissons (underwater tubes) and was an invalid for much of the construction work.  Over the next eleven years, It fell to Emily to be the messenger transmitting plans, ideas, and decisions between Wash and the working team at the bridge site. Later she took over supervising, calculating, and deciding on materials. 

Emily Roebling pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable for women in the late 19th century.  She was limited in her participation in the women’s suffrage effort by the all-consuming bridge project.  Wash’s illness had a negative impact on their life together, although they remained married. Appropriately, Emily was one of the first individuals to cross the completed bridge in 1883!

My mother was always interested in architecture.   She was especially fascinated by bridges.  In my teens, we made a family trip to see and drive across the famed Mackinac Bridge linking Michigan’s Lower and Upper Peninsulas.  The Big Mac, as it was called, is one of the longest suspension bridges in the Western Hemisphere.  It opened in 1957.  

(mightmac.org)

Another reason for my interest in this novel is the hint of a family connection to the Roeblings: if not a relative working on the Brooklyn Bridge, then on one of Roebling’s other structures.  My mother had two teeny tiny saws, the size of a bracelet charm, which belonged to a family member.  I don’t know that she ever figured out to whom they belonged, so the saws remain a puzzle.

LOCAL CUISINE

You know that life is nearly back to normal and the direst days of the pandemic behind us when the Chief Penguin and I return to Cortez Kitchen.  Before we moved here, it was our go-to place on our twice-yearly visits to Florida.  Once established here, we ate there once a week on average.  The other night we decided it was safe to return after an absence of more than a year. 

Located in the historic fishing village of Cortez, the restaurant is a semi-covered outdoor space on the water.  The menu includes local fish (mainly grouper), shrimp, seared tuna, steamed clams, and a burger for those who prefer meat.  It’s a funky kind of place whose clientele includes faithful regulars, the biker crowd, snowbirds, and folks like us.  We go not for the food, but for the vibe, the live music that’s occasionally very good, and the slightly rustic, relaxed ambience.  We went early this night, ordered our usual fare, and even connected with our favorite longtime waitress!   

Manhattan Potpourri

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NAVIGATING MANHATTAN

Manhattan is beginning to come back to life and there is something approaching normalcy.  But, it’s hard to be spontaneous.  Museums require some form of advanced ticketing or reservation, there are usually lines to enter, masks and social distancing are the norm, and you will most likely have your temperature taken.  

Unfortunately, some of our favorite restaurants are gone, there are too many empty storefronts, and reservations for dining are almost always a must.  There too, they take your temperature, often request contact info, and sometimes require that you sign a health form.  Strange times we’re living in, but at least it’s possible to see an exhibit and eat a meal at a restaurant, either outdoors or inside.  It’s been a long wait, but we are enjoying both:  viewing art and eating well!

CANVASES IN BIG SPACES

Frick Madison

During renovation and expansion of its home building, the Frick has re-located to what was the Met Breuer and is now called Frick Madison.  It was both a surprise and something of a shock to see these works, normally hung close together in very decorated furnished rooms, spread out on vast walls.  Some works stood out in a new way which I appreciated.  I especially enjoyed seeing the four Fragonard pieces on the progress of love in this venue.  Another standout was the portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger. And I loved the tiered displays of ceramics—jugs, vases, teapots—arranged by color, one of blue and white pieces, the other works in shades of magenta.

There is a printed guide to the collection, but it isn’t that easy to follow, so I recommend downloading the Bloomberg Connects app before you visit.  It includes guides to this museum and others in NY and the U.K. There is a QR code at the museum to do this, but that didn’t work for us.  

Although the museum shop is closed, the café is open.  With our friends, we enjoyed coffee and cookies before our entry time. Since the Frick doesn’t allow any photos, you must visit to see the art!

BLACK LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE

Whitney Museum of American Art

The Chief Penguin was particularly interested in the special photography exhibit at the Whitney.  We got tickets for opening time; the entry line was short and moved quickly.  

A Couple in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY, 1990

Dawoud Bey is a contemporary photographer.  This exhibit was entitled, “American Project.”  Using a variety of different techniques and camera sizes, Bey focused on Black life in several cities, Syracuse, NY among them.  He also made a series of portraits of teens from different schools paired with written statements from each.  Many of the photos are black and white.  

Cupboard VIII, 2018 by Simone Leigh

We also spent some time looking at paintings and sculpture from the permanent collection.  Some we’d seen before; others were new to us. I particularly liked the larger than life Black woman with a raffia skirt.

OUTSTANDING TV SERIES

Philly D. A. (PBS Independent Lens)

This eight-part series focuses on newly elected District Attorney Larry Krasner’s first term in office.  It is excellent!   Krasner campaigned on structural change and reducing the high figures for mass incarceration in the city of Philadelphia.  Statistics showed that Philadelphia had a very high prison population, many Black or Brown, and sent youthful offenders to reform institutions at a much higher rate than almost anywhere else.  Krasner’s goal is to undo 30 years of practices that don’t work and bring about cultural change.  It’s an incredibly difficult and complex challenge; watching him struggle to be successful on several fronts is fascinating.  

You get to know some key staff, meet several police district captains, follow a long-term prisoner petitioning for early release, and learn about the entrenched and powerful Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police.  It’s a study in how municipal government does and doesn’t work for the community and how so often perception prevails over reality.  

I worked in Philadelphia for almost twenty years so the attitudes and some players were familiar.  But even for those elsewhere, the issues will resonate and are at the forefront of Black Lives Matter.  As a footnote, Larry Krasner is being opposed in the Philadelphia Democratic Primary election next week; we will be following his fate. Highly recommended series!

PERFECT LUNCH!

Meme Mediterranean

In the past, we had frequent dinners at this small restaurant on Hudson Street in the West Village.  It’s only a short walk from the Whitney.  On this day, we had a delicious lunch at a corner table inside, with the door to the outdoors wide open.  We shared our favorite fried artichoke, sampled the meatballs with yogurt and mint, and loved the chopped salad with chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, and grilled chicken.  To top it off, abandoning noontime restraint, we each had a glass of a refreshing Albarino.  

Note: Header photo by Dawoud Bey is entitled A Man at Fulton Street and Cambridge Place, Brooklyn, NY, 1988. Photos taken by JWFarrington.