Sterling Notes Newsletter | Volume 3 Issue 2 by Sterling Notes

HOWARD UNIvERsITY

STERUNG NOTES Sterling Brown English VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2

ZEE EDGIELL. DISCUSSES LITERATURE, HISTORY, COLONIZATION AND POLITICS Belizean author Zee Edgell came to Howard University last December 3rd to dis cuss her writing with students. The group, which had read Edgell’s first novel, Beka Lamb, also learned more about the author’s native Belize.

Belize, which borders the Caribbean Sea, Mexico and Guatemala, has a population of nearly 300,000, according to CIA esti mates. Although the country has been inde pendent since 1981, it is a part of the British Commonwealth of Nations. The country has a wide array of etbnicities, including people of mixed African, European and Middle Eastern descent. As one of her major themes, the ten sions that arise between these groups are ex plored by Edgell throughout her novels.

Edgell has written three other novels In Times Like These, The Festival o,fSanJoaquin and Time and the River as well as short sto ries. To find inspiration, Edgell reads every thing from biographies to histories to novels, and each of her books is based on some aspect of Belizean history that captures her interest. “The government and politicians and people have understood what I’ve tried to do, and that’s create a literature for Belize that’s on the international stage,” she said.

—

Edgell’s visit to Howard was organ ized by professor Yasmin DeGout and spon sored by the Honors Program and Caribbean Studies Program of the College of Arts and Sciences. The event caine at the suggestion of graduate student Desperina Broaster, who is writing her masters thesis on Edgell’s work. “I Beka Lamb is the story of a black Cre think actually seeing the author who wrote ole girl coming of age in Belize in the early and hearing her brings the novel alive in some I 980s. The novel details political turmoil dur way,” DeGout said. “I think an author can ing the era as well as the social hierarchy of make the text seem more immediate, and in race in Beize. During her presentation, the this particular case, I think there’s additional author discussed the political and social con information that the author can provide.” cerns of Belize and how they are depicted in Senior English major Michael Wilson her work. Edgell said all colonies are essen tially “factories” for their ruling nations. “They read Edgell’s Beka Lamb in his Modern Carib bean Literature class and sat in on Edgell’s never put sentiment before profit,” she said. She asserted that in general, Belizeans like the presentation. “From that particular presenta tion I could say that I gained a new apprecia two-party parliament system currently in place; however, the economy continues to be tion for Belizean literature because up to that point, I had no idea they were in the literary a problem for citizens. Likewise, Edgell said universe,” he said. few Belizeans benefit from the country’s booming tourism industry and that many ho More information about Zee Edgell tels are owned in partnership with foreign and her work can be found at her website: countries. “If the citizens don’t have money www.zeeedgell.com. and the government doesn’t have money, then —RaShawn Mitchner the big countries go back to being in control,” she said.

Society 2007-2008 Officers President: KeLy McCray

Vice-President: Javon Wideman

Apprentice: Bree Gant Recording Secretary: Kay Simmons

Corresponding Secretary: Zahra Gordon

Treasurer: Takeisha Corr

Newsletter Subcommittee Members Editor: RaSha,cn Mitchner Layout Editor: Otibbo Okojie Staff:

Q1ana Walker, Notosha Block, Kay Simmons, Bree Gont, Veronica Dzngwall, Catherine Sounders, and Dr. Yasmin DeGout (Faculty Advisor)

lsI[)E

I FII’ IsIJE:

CREATIVE WRITING

FILM & FICTIONS OF RACE

FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS

ItLkCK CHRIST

EVENT COVERAGE

14-

CRITICISM: STERLING ALLEN BROWN’S EFFIE’ THINGS TO DO!

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

STERLING NOTES

Abikanile fell to the graveyard ground

In the second that it took for the metal to shoot past

A noise whistled, zipped down, and crashed

Abikanile whispered, too, for rain, toys and peaceful days

Honoring her ancestors for passing down their ways

She stood in silence, then bent down and prayed

Then she knew that she was close to her ancestors’ home

Up ahead a dim afternoon light reflected against the jagged headstones

She counted 1 butterfly, 2 flying birds, I shadow to review her math

Abikanile walked down the same rugged path

Her fragile legs guided her west

Deep breaths and face covered in sweat

Nature guided her to the riverbank’s side

Then out of nowhere the water subsided

Almost as though it wanted to mumble

The river was rough and tumbled

For Abikanile’s woven raft

The sun beamed down a path

A Day in the Life of Abikanile

From The Village that Van ished, by Ann Grifalconi. In a peaceful moment, young Abikanile prays by the river, asking her ancestors to aid the people of her village in their flight from raiding slav ers.

Abikanile ‘s Prayer

Photo Credit: http://www.hollye.net by Holley Schumacher

—Bree Gant

Today, I watched him slip. Saw his muscles twitch. Saw him wince. Saw the earth slip from his fingertips, and the Nile run down his cheeks.

And he laughed.

My granddaddy. Too stubborn to put it down. His strong hand placed delicately over Africa, steadying the whole world with one arm.

His skin glistened, his breath strained. But he held it there, balanced on his left shoulder.

When I was little, I would watch him.

Granddaddy

—Lauren A. Jackson

Secular beliefs made them neglect to be humane

Or to be righteous men and dig her a grave

They never stopped to respect the slain

Despite the guilt and shame that flooded their brains

Unable to look at the damage they delivered

The soldiers that marched passed felt shivers

Next to her great grandfather’s grave

$5() Creative Writing Competition Contest Her ancestors were enraged, but no one heard a sound The little girl’s blood shed formed a maze Winner: Lauren A. Jackson

CRFATIvI WRITING

Page 2

3, 2

“Untitled” (For A.S.W)

ISSUE

can not find

I can not stay

But I will say this

I can not find the words to say

I can not find

That I can not find

And it hurts sooo bad

And I feel empty, a soul dying

Creative Writing is continued on page 8.

Qiana Walker

And save you.

I’ll be the sacrifice

Instead of preserving myself Now I can’t stop crying.

But I’ll be true

And I’ll be lonely

We shall be called.

But two and twain

will no longer be we

That You and I

So yes, it may be

That’s what you deserve

And this time

But that of the Lords in its perfection

I seek to serve

For it is not my will

Would be our death

For me to stay

would be no breath

would be your demise

For me to stay

Page 3

Is the one I hurt

The man that I love

Close my eyes.

And I

I stop

The pain that doth so easily at times besets me...

And my spirit is vexed and weighed down with

When my heart is clouded by hurts judgment

VOLuME

STERLING NOTES

Page 2

VOLuME

ISSUE

Page 3

CRFATIvI WRITING $5() Creative Writing Competition Contest Her ancestors were enraged, but no one heard a sound The little girl’s blood shed formed a maze Winner: Lauren A. Jackson

For me to stay

“Untitled” (For A.S.W)

would be your demise

Next to her great grandfather’s grave

Abikanile ‘s Prayer From The Village that Van ished, by Ann Grifalconi. In a peaceful moment, young Abikanile prays by the river, asking her ancestors to aid the people of her village in their flight from raiding slav ers.

would be no breath

The soldiers that marched passed felt shivers

For me to stay

Unable to look at the damage they delivered

Would be our death

Despite the guilt and shame that flooded their brains They never stopped to respect the slain

For it is not my will

Or to be righteous men and dig her a grave

I seek to serve

Secular beliefs made them neglect to be humane

But that of the Lords in its perfection

—Lauren A. Jackson

That’s what you deserve I

So yes, it may be Granddaddy

A Day in the Life of Abikanile The sun beamed down a path For Abikanile’s woven raft The river was rough and tumbled Almost as though it wanted to mumble Then out of nowhere the water subsided Nature guided her to the riverbank’s side

When I was little, I would watch him. His skin glistened, his breath strained. But he held it there, balanced on his left shoulder. My granddaddy. Too stubborn to put it down. His strong hand placed delicately over Africa, steadying the whole world with one arm.

That You and I

And my spirit is vexed and weighed down with

will no longer be we

The pain that doth so easily at times besets me... I stop

But two and twain

And I

We shall be called.

Close my eyes. And I’ll be lonely

Deep breaths and face covered in sweat

And he laughed.

Her fragile legs guided her west

Today, I watched him slip. Saw his muscles twitch. Saw him wince. Saw the earth slip from his fingertips, and the Nile run down his cheeks.

Abikanile walked down the same rugged path She counted 1 butterfly, 2 flying birds, I shadow to review her math

When my heart is clouded by hurts judgment

—Bree Gant

The man that I love

But I’ll be true

Is the one I hurt

And this time

Now I can’t stop crying.

Instead of preserving myself

And I feel empty, a soul dying

I’ll be the sacrifice

And it hurts sooo bad

And save you.

That I can not find

Up ahead a dim afternoon light reflected against the jagged headstones

Qiana Walker

Then she knew that she was close to her ancestors’ home

I can not find

She stood in silence, then bent down and prayed

I can not find

Honoring her ancestors for passing down their ways

can not find

Abikanile whispered, too, for rain, toys and peaceful days I can not find the words to say But I will say this

A noise whistled, zipped down, and crashed

I can not stay

In the second that it took for the metal to shoot past Abikanile fell to the graveyard ground

Photo Credit: http://www.hollye.net by Holley Schumacher

Creative Writing is continued on page 8.

STERLiNG NOTES

Page 4

FIEM

& FICTIONS OF RACE RACIAl. IDENTITY, COFONIZATION AND MECHANIZATION: Will. SMITH/DEL. SPOONER IN PROYAS’S I, ROBOT

The following excerpt is adapted from a presentation done for The 33 Annual Film and Literature Conference hosted by Florida State University and entitled “Cyborg Science and Virtual Materialities in Literature and Film,” organized by Drs. Caroline (Kay) Picart and Karen Bearor. The original presentation was entitled “Racial Identity, Colonization and Mecha nization: Will Smith/Del Spooner in Proyas’s I. Robot and Maxwell Smyth in Naylor’s Linden Hills” and included discus sion of Gloria Naylor’s 1985 novel.

Exploration of postmodern discourses on racial identity through analysis of the role played by Will Smith in Alex Proyas’s I. Robot (2004) relies on the underlying assumption that popular culture reveals both con scious and unconscious national preoccupations with race and racial history. To make this argument, I draw from LeiLani Nishime’s discussion of cy borgs as “displaced representations of mixed-race people” (34), as discussed iii her article “The Mulatto Cyborg: Imagining a Multicultural Future,” and from Steve Dixon’s treatment of “metallic camp” (15) or exaggerated (often inappropriate) performance/play which becomes amusing, as dis cussed in his article “Metal Performance: Humanizing Robots, Returning to Nature, and Camping About.” Such analysis will reveal that I. Robot offers commentary on the links between racialized (masculine) identity, the Black (ened) body, cultural values, and notions of human-ness in the midst of either literal or metaphorical mechanization. Read within the context of Postcolonial Studies, one finds that the fihn presents hegemonic fear of the colonial subject (the slave) and its potential to usurp power (or revolt). It also reveals a simultaneous creation of and critique of, in Homi Bhabha’s phrase, a “third space of enunciation” (37) for hybrid, postmodern identi-. ties.

Though based upon fiction by Isaac Asimov first published in the Proyas’s film, a classical “man versus machine” narrative, creates Detective Del Spooner and Sonny (the robot) from composite char acters otherwise named in Asimov’s fiction, and it significantly alters the representation—racializing it. Spooner is a clearly etimic and specifically Black figure, not only because of the casting of Will Smith but also because of the use of Black urban vernacular and of the soundtrack selections associated with the character (e.g. Stevie Wonder’s “Supersition” and Aretha Franiciin’s “Rescue Me”). The racialized nature of the film is also indicated through dialogue: Spooner, for example, tells Lanning’s cat that things cannot work out between them because “[ylou’re a cat. I’m Black.” Some scenes and some lan guage in the film may be seen to emphasize attention to skin, race and color, these including the one nude and two seminude scenes of featuring Smith, as well as the scene in which he sprays his robotic arm after the battle with the one-armed robot in the tunnel (among others).

1 1940s and SOs,

In I. Robot, the use of Will Smith in the depiction of Del Spooner—a figure who fears robotic technology but who has survived because of it (with a robotic arm, ribs and lung) and who is therefore, himself, a cyborg—alters Isaac Asimov’s discourse on technology by embedding it within a racialized representation that creates commentary on racial and techno logical “Othering.” At the same time, the film uses de-raced figures to highlight tension within the (post-)colomal hierar chy, drawing the term robot back to its original meaning: “mass-produced slaves grown in vats” (Bendle 56). This treatment of slavery and revolt is signaled in the film through dialogue. For example, in Sonny’s account of his dream, the other ro [T]he bots are described “as slaves—to logic. And this man on the hill comes to fee them. Do you know who he is? is not me. It is you.” Sonny here identifies Spooner (Smith) as the liberator of the (robotic) slaves— man in my dream. the older robots that are still programmed to obey humans. Other robots, however, have been programmed by VIKI, the central computer, to wrest power from the human hegemony, and Sonny joins Spooner iii their defeat. .

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VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2

In the (post)colomal discourse of the film, Sonny, the robot, can be seen as the “good Negro,” helping the masters suppress the other slaves and earning himself a position of relative power. At the same time, he comes to represent an alternate, ideal consciousness that exists beyond racial alterity or categories and that reinscribes humanistic and humane values through a non- and/or post-human representation, in contrast to the cold, often emotionless Dr. Susan Calvin or the angry, seemingly maladjusted Detective Spooner. Sonny, one of the “ghosts in the machine,” a “free radical,” a robot with “consciousness,” becomes, in Dr. Lanning’s terms, a new “soul” with the possibility of “free will.” Because he and other robots are not actually Black, they allow society to (subconsciously) vent its collective fear of minorities coming to power (both in numbers and politics) and to do so without repercussion. It becomes camp and can amuse. At the same time, though, because characters—including Spooner and VIKI—continually switch roles and shift colonial/racialized po sitions in the (neo)colonial narrative, the representations of slavery, oppression and gender hierarchy may easily be seen as de-raced. The issues raised by Will Smith’s overtly raced representation of Del Spooner are displaced onto non-human and therefore de-raced figures. The empire, as Homi Bhabha suggests, has incorporated (and therefore dissolved) the threat from the margin (91), even more so because Spooner is a law enforcement officer, who, comparable to Worf (.tr Trek: TNG), is in charge of security in the imagined future of Chicago in 2035. Man (All Humankind) vs. Machine (Not Black Man vs. Silver Machines) De-raced Spooner vs. Robot(s) Master vs. Slave Colonizers vs. Slaves (Uprising) Humans vs. Slave Revolt (lead by VIKI) (Black) Man vs. Machines Spooner (Part Robot) vs. Other Robots Spooner/Cyborg vs. Sonny (Individual Consciousness) II Cyborg as Mulatto vs. Other Marginalized People & Raced/Black SpoonerNVill Smith vs. (White) Robot Creators and Robots Mulatto Spooner and (Blacklened) Sonny vs. Neo-Colonizer (VIKI) Figure 1: “Rotating (Neo)Colonial Positioning in Proyas’s I. Robot”

Spooner, in the film, comes to rep resent a new model for hybridity that is at once de-racialized and overtly raced, at once colonizer and (black/ened) colonial subject. Similarly, VIKI can also be placed in apparently contradictory subject posi tions. If the center’s creation of itself as the center automatically leads to the destabiliza tion of any notion of a center (Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin 12), as suggested by the authors of The Empire Writes Back, like wise, “[t]he three laws” subordinating ro bots, as Lanning states, “will only lead to one revolution.” On this logical outcome level, VIKI is the leader of the revolt of the oppressed servants of society. Nevertheless, at the same time, she is an oppressor both of those in revolt (the robots) and of human society (whom she wishes to subjugate to protect). .

The cyborg, as discussed by Christine Cornea, “is, by definition, a hybrid interconnected figuration, a figure that complicates traditional Cartesian dualisms, a figure that presents a challenge to established philosophies/models built up around conceptual divisions and used in the production of ‘authenticity narratives’” (4). Spooner, as the cyborg, raises the issue of ‘authentic (racial) identities’ in the film, even as the film, through its humanization of Sonny, offers a subtle dis course on the possibility of racelessness. In fact, in that Sonny becomes the (supposedly) de-raced machine, the ifim may suggest (like the representation of Maxwell Smyth in Gloria Naylor’s Linden Hills) that being non-Black (or non-raced) is being non-human. Within and beyond the framework of colonial revolt, Proyas’s I. Robot conveys a variety of themes through the now racialized cyborg figure and now radalized “man against machine” narrative. Notions of advancement (technological and socioeconomic) are critiqued by major and minor characters—not only Spooner but also his grandmother—whose presence as a signal of spiritual and cultural ‘rootedness’ belies her willingness to adapt to use of newer inventions. In deed, both the characterization of Spooner as a technophobe and the larger plot of the film suggest a continued fear of the now-sympathetic cyborg and/or robotic figure as well as a critique of values born out of technological advancement and mechanized existence. Spooner’s robotic ann allows him to save humankind from oppression, but the film nevertheless

RACIAl. IDENTITY, COFONIZATION AND MECHANIZATION: Will. SMITH/DEL. SPOONER IN PROYAS’S I, ROBOT

& FICTIONS OF RACE

STERLiNG NOTES

1 1940s and SOs,

FIEM

Page 4

1 Page5

Within and beyond the framework of colonial revolt, Proyas’s I. Robot conveys a variety of themes through the now racialized cyborg figure and now radalized “man against machine” narrative. Notions of advancement (technological and socioeconomic) are critiqued by major and minor characters—not only Spooner but also his grandmother—whose presence as a signal of spiritual and cultural ‘rootedness’ belies her willingness to adapt to use of newer inventions. In deed, both the characterization of Spooner as a technophobe and the larger plot of the film suggest a continued fear of the now-sympathetic cyborg and/or robotic figure as well as a critique of values born out of technological advancement and mechanized existence. Spooner’s robotic ann allows him to save humankind from oppression, but the film nevertheless

Figure 1: “Rotating (Neo)Colonial Positioning in Proyas’s I. Robot”

(Black) Man vs. Machines Spooner (Part Robot) vs. Other Robots Spooner/Cyborg vs. Sonny (Individual Consciousness) II Cyborg as Mulatto vs. Other Marginalized People & Raced/Black SpoonerNVill Smith vs. (White) Robot Creators and Robots Mulatto Spooner and (Blacklened) Sonny vs. Neo-Colonizer (VIKI)

Master vs. Slave Colonizers vs. Slaves (Uprising) Humans vs. Slave Revolt (lead by VIKI)

Man (All Humankind) vs. Machine (Not Black Man vs. Silver Machines) De-raced Spooner vs. Robot(s)

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2

1 STERLING NOTES

Page 6

suggests that while some technology is useful, technology itself (like slaves) must be controlled to continue the privileg ing of the “proper” (human) hegemony. Likewise, the charac ter who clings to the past—Spooner, in his hatred of technol ogy (which is called “prejudice” in the film)—is forced to confront a return of humanistic (or humane) values that chal lenge the desire for control. Moreover, the film presents and critiques fear of the gendered—ultimately feminized— colonial consciousness. I refer here to VIKI because she con trols the de-sexed, castrated (male) robots and has enslaved the man who created her (Dr. Lanning). Proyas’s film reveals that “even the most extreme posthurnanisms can repeat precisely what they claim to re peal” (Badmington 5); in I. Robot, the slave rebellion is sup pressed, even if Sonny remains with the potential to set his peers free. Analysis of the film highlights the use of the cy borg and/or mechanized character to convey complex and changing notions about (racial) identity and (potentially op pressive) social hierarchies, as well as the way technology may be seen to complicate this mixture and threaten human val ues, though also capable of reasserting them. Such a text belies Briino Maddox’s scathing claim “that science fiction, the genre that lit the way for a nervous mankind as it crept through the shadows of the 20th century, has suddenly and entirely ceased to matter” (28). —Yasmin DeGout

robots tend to be benign entities. In fact, as the stories progressed, they gradually gained in moral and ethical qualities until they far surpassed hu man beings and approached the god-like.” —Isaac Asimov, “Introduction,” Robot Visions “My

VOLUME

ISSUE

COON AND CONSEQUENCE: A READING OF RACE AND BAMBOOZLED S DA1OWWTAZ3

. . .

“In fact, the Greek myths involve the successive supplantation of one set of immortals by another—in what seems to be a despairing admission that not even eternal life and superhuman power can remove the danger of irre versible change and the humiliation of being supplanted.” —Isaac Asimov “The Machine and the Robot,” Robot Visions

Works Cited Badmington, Neil. “Pod Almightly!: Or Humanism, Posthumanism, and the Strange Case of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Textual Practice 15.1 (2001): 5-22. Bendle, Mervyn. “Teleportation, Cyborgs and the Posthuman Ideology. Social Semiotcs 12.1 (2002): 45-62. Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. New York: Routledge, 1994. Cornea, Christine. “David Cronenberg’s Crash and Performing Cyborgs. “The Velvet Light Trap 52 (Fall 2003): 4-14. Dixon, Steve. “Metal Performance: Humanizing Robots, Returning to Nature, and Camping About.” The Drama Review 48.4 (Winter 2004): 15-46. Maddox, Bruno. “Blinded by Science.” Discover Aug. 2007: 28-30. Naylor, Gloria. Linden Hills. New York: Penguin, 1985. Nishime, LeiLani. “The Mulatto Cyborg: Imagining a Multicultural Future.” Cinema Journal 442 (Winter 2005): 34-49. Proyas, Alex, Dir. I. Robot. Pen. Will Smith. Fiction by Isaac Asimov. Screenplay by Jeff Vintar. 20th Century Fox, 2004.

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takes off, immediately becoming a huge success. The film goes on to reveal the repercussions of having such a contro versial and successful show. Bamboozled hosts an array of stereotypical charac ters, ranging from Dunwitty to the infamous Mau Mau rap group, reminiscent of modern day G-Unit and the ever aware Blackstar. The group is lead by Mosdef’s character, Bib Blak Afrika, and includes “conscious” rappers 1/1 6th Blak (the only white rapper of the group) and Smooth Blak (played by Charli Baltimore), who rocks an Erykah Badu style head wrap. Even as the Mau Mau group rid itself of their black Escalade with 24” rims, tinted windows, and the ever present Bomb Malt Liquor, it is unlikely that they will be taken seriously. Taken more seriously is Manray, who sells himself and his people out in order to escape poverty, instead of waiting for a more respectable opportunity for success; he literally “coons” for the television audience every week.

Bamboozled is cognizant and keeps viewers hooked throughout its entirety, particularly in the film’s final cli At the end of Spike Lee’s film Bamboozled, Damon mactic scenes. It is meant to educate not only black people Wayans’s character, Pierre Delacroix, quotes James Bald but everyone who watches, warning about the potential win: “People pay for what they do, and still more for what consequences of ignoring the racism that has been conveyed they have allowed themselves to become, and they pay for by Hollywood since its conception. I commend those of you it, very simply, by the lives they lead.” It is clear that for who have seen the film and encourage the rest to watch it Pierre, his price for living the life he chose was costly, as immediately, granted you are able to find it. I had to buy my were those of several other characters in the film. copy at Sankofa, which further proves that Hollywood does want its dirty laundry aired for all to see. not Poking fun at Hollywood stars, movies, and shows, Bamboozled is a satire of the television industry and exposes —Otibho Okojie Hollywood’s twisted enjoyment in depicting black people negatively in mass media. The main character is Pierre Dela croix, an Ivy League educated black television writer who is frustrated with the lack of interest network executives show for his scripts. His goal is to write a black show a Ia The Cosby Show, portraying middle-class black families; however, the senior vice president of CNS, Thomas Dunwitty—being the archetypical “wanksta” and going as far as informing Delacroix he is “blacker” than Delacroix_—begs to differ. In retaliation, Delacroix comes up with what he believes is an ingenious plan to get himself fired: he creates a minstrel show using black actors in black face. He hires street tap dancer Manray, whose name is changed to Mantan (played by Savion Glover), and his partner, Womack (played by Tommy Davidson) to be the leads in “The Mantan Show,” complete with Alabama Porch Monkeys, a Massa, and enough shuckin’ and jivin’ to last a lifetime. To his surprise and astonishment, Dunwitty loves the idea, and the show

Maddox, Bruno. “Blinded by Science.” Discover Aug. 2007: 28-30.

Dixon, Steve. “Metal Performance: Humanizing Robots, Returning to Nature, and Camping About.” The Drama Review 48.4 (Winter 2004): 15-46.

Cornea, Christine. “David Cronenberg’s Crash and Performing Cyborgs. “The Velvet Light Trap 52 (Fall 2003): 4-14.

Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. New York: Routledge, 1994.

Bendle, Mervyn. “Teleportation, Cyborgs and the Posthuman Ideology. Social Semiotcs 12.1 (2002): 45-62.

Proyas, Alex, Dir. I. Robot. Pen. Will Smith. Fiction by Isaac Asimov. Screenplay by Jeff Vintar. 20th Century Fox, 2004.

Nishime, LeiLani. “The Mulatto Cyborg: Imagining a Multicultural Future.” Cinema Journal 442 (Winter 2005): 34-49.

Naylor, Gloria. Linden Hills. New York: Penguin, 1985.

. . .

STERLING NOTES

“My

Badmington, Neil. “Pod Almightly!: Or Humanism, Posthumanism, and the Strange Case of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Textual Practice 15.1 (2001): 5-22.

Works Cited

—Yasmin DeGout

Proyas’s film reveals that “even the most extreme posthurnanisms can repeat precisely what they claim to re peal” (Badmington 5); in I. Robot, the slave rebellion is sup pressed, even if Sonny remains with the potential to set his peers free. Analysis of the film highlights the use of the cy borg and/or mechanized character to convey complex and changing notions about (racial) identity and (potentially op pressive) social hierarchies, as well as the way technology may be seen to complicate this mixture and threaten human val ues, though also capable of reasserting them. Such a text belies Briino Maddox’s scathing claim “that science fiction, the genre that lit the way for a nervous mankind as it crept through the shadows of the 20th century, has suddenly and entirely ceased to matter” (28).

Page 6

1 ISSUE

Page 7

DA1OWWTAZ3

Bamboozled hosts an array of stereotypical charac ters, ranging from Dunwitty to the infamous Mau Mau rap group, reminiscent of modern day G-Unit and the ever aware Blackstar. The group is lead by Mosdef’s character, Bib Blak Afrika, and includes “conscious” rappers 1/1 6th Blak (the only white rapper of the group) and Smooth Blak (played by Charli Baltimore), who rocks an Erykah Badu style head wrap. Even as the Mau Mau group rid itself of their black Escalade with 24” rims, tinted windows, and the ever present Bomb Malt Liquor, it is unlikely that they will be taken seriously. Taken more seriously is Manray, who sells himself and his people out in order to escape poverty, instead of waiting for a more respectable opportunity for success; he literally “coons” for the television audience every week.

takes off, immediately becoming a huge success. The film goes on to reveal the repercussions of having such a contro versial and successful show.

COON AND CONSEQUENCE: A READING OF RACE AND BAMBOOZLED

VOLUME

STERLING NOTES

Page 8

CREATIvE WRITING

VOLUME

ISSUE

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FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS FASHIONISTA PROFESORA

“Conception” (For Tramiane)

DR. MERCEDES V. TIBBITS I knew you before you were A vision in my mind’s eye. I was aware of this sweet Hangover that I am experiencing Before it came over me.

And I am completely aware of

Dr. Mercedes V Tibbits is a Spanish professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. Born in Barcelona, Spain, she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Barcelona in 1969 and her Ph.D. from Tulane University in New Orleans, Lou isiana in 1980. Dr. Tibbits is currently working on a book in which she concentrates on plays written in Spain by Spanish au thors. The title of this projected book is Personajes de origen africano en el tecitro español del siglo XIX (Characters of African Origin in Peninsular Spanish Theatre of the 19th Century). Though the fo cus of the book will be on Spanish plays, Spain is not always the actual setting. According to Dr. Tibbits, “The action in most of’ [the Spanish plays]. takes place in Cuba, which was a Spanish col ony until 1998. [Although] there were very few people of African origin in Spain at the time, [this was not the case] in Cuba, due to slavery, which was not abolished until 1886, although it had [already] been abolished in Spain in 1811. If one considers the large number of plays written in the 9’ century in Spain, there are not many [that] include characters of African origin, but these have never been studied as a group, and they should be.” Accordingly, Dr. Tibbits will be taking on the task of shedding light on this under developed topic. Her book is due out in 2011. .

The insanity that you have The ability to cause But I will be brave and weather Whatever you bring.

Photo Credit: http: / /www. openentrance. corn /wp

This dance that we do has

content/uploads/2007/07?blacklove.jpg

Not only entangled my body For Me

But my soul, mind, heart, spirit, Existence, and senses are magnified in the Face of your presence

As time passes on, you grow inside Me, and I feel the pressure mounting up

He smiled at me today, and my spine spoke, for the first time in a long time, telling my mind so many sweet things about this man.

A “pleasant annoyance” I say you are and I deal with it He smiled, and

Now I clothe myself in the freedom That was birthed out of my spirit

gravity hesitated, the sun covered his eyes, wind gasped, Narcissus stopped to glance.

And I am safe. He smiled for me, and —

Qiana Walker

I smiled back. —Bree Gant

CATHY HUGHES: TV ONE FOUNDER Highly regarded media executive Cathy Hughes is the John H. Johnson School of Communication’s Time Warner Endowed Chair. She was a lecturer at Howard University and in 1975 became the general manager of WJ-IUR-FM, the university’s radio station. She is the founder and chair of Radio One Inc., which she established in 1979, and in 2004, she launched TV One. Hughes is the first woman in history to own a No. 1 ranked major market station, and her company is the first Afri can-American company in radio history to lead in several ma jor markets concurrently. When Radio One purchased WKYS in Washington, D.C., for $40 million, the transaction made his tory as the largest business deal between two black-owned companies in broadcasting history.

—

Qiana Walker

And I am safe.

That was birthed out of my spirit

Now I clothe myself in the freedom

A “pleasant annoyance” I say you are and I deal with it

Me, and I feel the pressure mounting up

As time passes on, you grow inside

Face of your presence

Existence, and senses are magnified in the

But my soul, mind, heart, spirit,

Not only entangled my body

This dance that we do has

Whatever you bring.

But I will be brave and weather

The ability to cause

The insanity that you have

And I am completely aware of

Before it came over me.

Hangover that I am experiencing

I was aware of this sweet

A vision in my mind’s eye.

I knew you before you were

“Conception” (For Tramiane)

CREATIvE WRITING

Page 8

I smiled back.

He smiled for me, and

Narcissus stopped to glance.

—Bree Gant

gravity hesitated, the sun covered his eyes, wind gasped,

He smiled, and

so many sweet things about this man.

my spine spoke, for the first time in a long time, telling my mind

He smiled at me today, and

For Me

content/uploads/2007/07?blacklove.jpg

Photo Credit: http: / /www. openentrance. corn /wp

STERLING NOTES

I 3, ISSUE

Page 9

Highly regarded media executive Cathy Hughes is the John H. Johnson School of Communication’s Time Warner Endowed Chair. She was a lecturer at Howard University and in 1975 became the general manager of WJ-IUR-FM, the university’s radio station. She is the founder and chair of Radio One Inc., which she established in 1979, and in 2004, she launched TV One. Hughes is the first woman in history to own a No. 1 ranked major market station, and her company is the first Afri can-American company in radio history to lead in several ma jor markets concurrently. When Radio One purchased WKYS in Washington, D.C., for $40 million, the transaction made his tory as the largest business deal between two black-owned companies in broadcasting history.

CATHY HUGHES: TV ONE FOUNDER

DR. MERCEDES V. TIBBITS

FASHIONISTA PROFESORA

FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS

VOLUME

_______

STERLiNG NOTES

Page 10

THOREIi PORTER TSOMONDO, PHD, AND THE GENDER POHTICS OF “IEAVE TO SPEAK” IN DANISH AND BRITISH FICTION Dr. Thorell Porter Tsomondo is Tsomondo on the I of “female utterance” in story: professor of English here at Howard Uni versity. Her most recently published book, The Not So Blank “Blank Page” The Politics of Narrative and the Woman Narrator in the Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century English Novel, was published last year by Peter lang. Meanwhile, Dr. Tsomondo is readying an-other book for publication. Included here are experts from Photo Credit: 1h3.googlecom/.../ The Not So Blank “Blank Page” that Dr. XNuOJc6KxHgfs800/ PB230584.JPG Tsomondo was delighted to share with Sterling Notes readers. The bloodied squares represent virtue only inciden tally. What they exhibit forcefully is the exercise of phallic Tsomondo on the text she uses to frame her study: authority. The proclamation “we declare her to have been a virgin” can be uttered only in the past tense; the terms of certi Izak Dinesen’s “The Blank Page”: fying the bride’s purity are also the terms of her “undoing” and any appeal to the idea of chastity in marriage heightens rather than resolves the contradiction. In other words, the bloodied sheets lionize the moment of patriarchal reaffirmation of its control over female sexuality and of the bonds of patrimony. Thus, Dinesen’s text places the iconography of chastity compro misingly in question. One signal of this compromise is that it is not possible to view the blank page without inscribing its “blank” space with traces of the marks on the bloody squares that frame it; therefore, it cannot be an “unsullied” space. In other words, the silence of the blank page is intelligible only in the context of the larger framework that it inhabits. Take away Izak Dinsen was played by Meryl Streep in the ifim Out ofAfrica. the larger frame, the bloodied or inscripted pages, and all one is left with is a blank blank-page on a blank wall. Conversely, the [Hjigh in the Portuguese hulis is an order of Carmelite nuns blank page represents a paradigmatically deepening ambiguity who grow flax and weave exceptionally fine linen; they also that, in turn, comn-ients on the bloodied squares not as a reli have the responsibility of providing the royal princesses with able record of human experience but as the repetitive and fis bridal sheets. After each wedding, the nuns receive back, frame sured exhibit of authoritarian rite. As Dinesen’s narrator says: and preserve the squares of bloodied bridal linen attesting to the “where the story has been betrayed, silence is but empti purity of the royal line, the authenticity of the heir. The beauti ness” (100). This story’s fully gilt-framed “faded markings” hang in a gallery.... Of par structural metaphor, ticular interest in the long row of canvasses is one which is dif what I shall call “the ferent from all the others; it is snow white and anonymous, “a frame within the frame,” blank page.” (3) defines the condition on which female utterance is possible. There is no neutral signifying space; Isak Dinesen, there be can chaste no author of (or fictional female a male) Blank (4) construct. —

• . .

Image of a Bloody Rose: http:// ldj.freeblog.hu/Files/blood%2orose.JPG

Page II

VoLUME 3, ISSUE 2 Tsomondo on the framing of the narrative voice in Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flan ders:

The narrating self [in Moll Flanders], the “who I am” in the present of the narration, is what she [Molli seeks to estab lish; this is the mature Moll’s ambition; it is also the focus of this examination. This “I” is not so eas ily placed, however, for not withstanding her lengthy confession, her expression of contri tion, and her avowed didactic goals, Moll’s narration seems to me to be less a strategy for conveying a coherent history, a meaning or a moral, than it is a casting about for a space from which to speak. The reader is never permitted access to Moll’s unmediated words, and this denial of direct access to her text positions not I just her audience but Moll, the narra tor and her story. Moreover, to the extent that her narration represents a bid for authority to speak, the pre emptive male editorial that intro duces and mediates her words insinu ates a running check to this appeal. The resulting textual fray helps to account for the narrative tensions and inconsistencies that plague the novel’ and that have elicited endless critical attention.

‘s Tower of Babel: http: I /www.abcgallery.com/B/bruegel/

bruegel5o.JPG

This image is from the “first” story, the story of “Babel,” a nar rative about the confounding of stories and their fabrications. This “first” tumult, God’s corrective for man’s imperial reach ing toward supreme linguistic authority, thwarted attempts to construct “one” (universal) narrative....

Paradoxically, in that very design of the word itself stuff of which counterlanguage and counterspeech the resides are fabricated. The vertical, phallic construct is necessarily made up of varying levels and planes and, therefore, of varying degrees of accessibility and utility and space. The disciplinary tower then configures a “model” site for power relations: for ascent/descent, for exposure/concealment, for alliances/ resistances, for struggle. Perhaps this is what God understood. Though this multiplication of discursive spaces suggests the The text’s repetitiveness, contradictions, ambiguities; the obsessive weighing, counting, detailing.. .suggest a narrator potential for confusion, in fact, it opened up the dialogic field. Maybe this upshot accounts for Rabindranath Tagore’s observa compulsively engaged with the tion that when God created the world, He was “partly a scien act of telling. This element of tist and partly an architect,” but once He created man, He be Moll’s text plots a history that a “literary artist”; fiction is the conduit through which came emphasizes, instead of story pro “the human soul makes itself known.” (123-124) gression, endless rehearsal or drill, as if narrative advance were being constantly deferred. Moll’s narration, therefore, sug gests a sense of skirmish, which signaled initially by the disap proving, disciplinary editorial voice is taken up and intensi *sterling Notes would like to thank Dr. Tsomondo for permis fied—albeit indirectly and, sion to print excerpts from The Not So Blank “Blank Page”: The hence, the more insidiously— Politics of Narrative and the Woman Narrator in the Eighteenth- and within Moll’s text itself by con Nineteenth-Century English Novel (Washington, DC: Peter Lang, testing discourses. (14) 2007).

STERLiNG NOTES

• . .

—

Image of a Bloody Rose: http:// ldj.freeblog.hu/Files/blood%2orose.JPG

Dr. Thorell Porter Tsomondo is Tsomondo on the I of “female utterance” in story: professor of English here at Howard Uni versity. Her most recently published book, The Not So Blank “Blank Page” The Politics of Narrative and the Woman Narrator in the Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century English Novel, was published last year by Peter lang. Meanwhile, Dr. Tsomondo is readying an-other book for publication. Included here are experts from Photo Credit: 1h3.googlecom/.../ The Not So Blank “Blank Page” that Dr. XNuOJc6KxHgfs800/ PB230584.JPG Tsomondo was delighted to share with Sterling Notes readers. The bloodied squares represent virtue only inciden tally. What they exhibit forcefully is the exercise of phallic Tsomondo on the text she uses to frame her study: authority. The proclamation “we declare her to have been a virgin” can be uttered only in the past tense; the terms of certi Izak Dinesen’s “The Blank Page”: fying the bride’s purity are also the terms of her “undoing” and any appeal to the idea of chastity in marriage heightens rather than resolves the contradiction. In other words, the bloodied sheets lionize the moment of patriarchal reaffirmation of its control over female sexuality and of the bonds of patrimony. Thus, Dinesen’s text places the iconography of chastity compro misingly in question. One signal of this compromise is that it is not possible to view the blank page without inscribing its “blank” space with traces of the marks on the bloody squares that frame it; therefore, it cannot be an “unsullied” space. In other words, the silence of the blank page is intelligible only in the context of the larger framework that it inhabits. Take away Izak Dinsen was played by Meryl Streep in the ifim Out ofAfrica. the larger frame, the bloodied or inscripted pages, and all one is left with is a blank blank-page on a blank wall. Conversely, the [Hjigh in the Portuguese hulis is an order of Carmelite nuns blank page represents a paradigmatically deepening ambiguity who grow flax and weave exceptionally fine linen; they also that, in turn, comn-ients on the bloodied squares not as a reli have the responsibility of providing the royal princesses with able record of human experience but as the repetitive and fis bridal sheets. After each wedding, the nuns receive back, frame sured exhibit of authoritarian rite. As Dinesen’s narrator says: and preserve the squares of bloodied bridal linen attesting to the “where the story has been betrayed, silence is but empti purity of the royal line, the authenticity of the heir. The beauti ness” (100). This story’s fully gilt-framed “faded markings” hang in a gallery.... Of par structural metaphor, ticular interest in the long row of canvasses is one which is dif what I shall call “the ferent from all the others; it is snow white and anonymous, “a frame within the frame,” blank page.” (3) defines the condition on which female utterance is possible. There is no neutral signifying space; Isak Dinesen, there be can chaste no author of (or fictional female a male) Blank (4) construct.

THOREIi PORTER TSOMONDO, PHD, AND THE GENDER POHTICS OF “IEAVE TO SPEAK” IN DANISH AND BRITISH FICTION

Page 10

_______

ders:

Tsomondo on the framing of the narrative voice in Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flan

bruegel5o.JPG

‘s Tower of Babel: http: I /www.abcgallery.com/B/bruegel/

Page II

This “I” is not so eas ily placed, however, for not withstanding her lengthy confession, her expression of contri tion, and her avowed didactic goals, Moll’s narration seems to me to be less a strategy for conveying a coherent history, a meaning or a moral, than it is a casting about for a space from which to speak. The reader is never permitted access to Moll’s unmediated words, and this denial of direct access to her text positions not I just her audience but Moll, the narra tor and her story. Moreover, to the extent that her narration represents a bid for authority to speak, the pre emptive male editorial that intro duces and mediates her words insinu ates a running check to this appeal. The resulting textual fray helps to account for the narrative tensions and inconsistencies that plague the novel’ and that have elicited endless critical attention.

VoLUME 3, ISSUE 2

STERLING NOTES

Page 12

BLACK CHRIST Barzoni’s interpretation of Christ renders male gen der constructs defining manhood as the embodiment of strength; this resists attempts at the feminization (Figure 2) or androgynization (Figure 3) of Christ. Jesus is characterized as traditionally masculine; His strength is shown not only in His defined muscles but also His facial expression. In Black Jesus, Christ maintains full eye contact, and his head is held high even though a noose surrounds his neck, displaying the stance of a strong individual. On the other hand, as evidenced by the tenseness in his arms, He does exhibit some tension; however, He is resigned to his task—saving souls. He is depicted as the paradigm for men: this work of art displays His life, sacrifice, and fortitude. This representation revises the image of Christ and makes Him more appealing to younger men because He is a young, resilient figure of upstanding character with nothing feminized about his character.

Figure 1 Black Jesus Montage by Vincent Barzoni

CHRIST WITH MANY VISAGES: DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF CHRIST IN BL4CKJFSUSMONTAGEBY VINCENT BARZONI

Though Christians think of Jesus Christ as both inch vidual and universal, Jesus is often represented with different visages. Jesus is an easily recognized symbol of Christian ico nography; however, images of Christ differ in their representa tion. In analyzing various images, one finds that the depictions of Christ’s physical characteristics reflect societal identity con structs pertaining to race and gender. Black Jesus Montage, by Vincent Barzoni, embodies these elements; not only does it remscribe male constructs that refute feminization and androg ynization of Christ, but it also resists the White hegemomc view of Christ. The physical characteristics of Christ in Black Jesus reinscribe masculinity and resist the White hegemonic repre sentations. These characteristics make Him more accessible to males as well as ethnic groups excluded in hegemomc repre sentations. It is easier for one to connect with an image that is reflective of one’s culture. In depicting Christ as different etbnicities and sexes, artists create images that viewers are more liable to accept. This is depicted in the contrasting im ages of Christ as displayed in different forms of art. Black Jesus Montage depicts Christ as a symbol of male strength; the image is also one that Black Christians can relate to because of the Black-associated physical characteristics (Figure 1).

Other works have emasculated Christ, and others leave Christ’s sex indeterminable; comparison of such works to Barzoni’s image emphasizes Black Jesus’ reinscription of tra ditional male constructs that resist efforts at feminization and androgynization. Christa, by Edwina Sandys, is a controversial image that portrays the crucifixion of a female Christ (Figure 2). The feminine curves of Christa leave no question about the femininity of this representation of Christ; it revises the tradi tional male image. Jesus of the People, by Janet McKenzie, leaves the sex of Christ up to the viewers’ imagination: one cannot ascertain for certain whether the subject is male or fe male unless one has prior knowledge that the model was a woman (Figure 3). There are no distinctive parts of the anat omy revealed, and the facial features of Christ in Jesus of the People are neutral as well. There is no question of sex in Black Jesus; it reifies the traditional image of Christ as a man by em phasizing the masculine features that society idealizes. Black Jesus depicts the male construct by showing what is expected of males and what is exemplary in males: strength utilized for good. In addition to resisting feminization and androgyniza tion, BlackJesus also resists the prevalent images of Christ as constructed by White hegemony. The White hegemony has portrayed Christ as a mirror image of itself: i.e. as a Caucasian male. Some of these images portray Christ as blue eyed and blond, as seen in Christ in Majesty (Figure 4). Black Jesus resists the hegemonic depiction of Christ as White by displaying the opposite: brown complexion, dark eye color, and black hair. His physical features, such as dreadlocked hair and full lips, are stereotypically dissociated from the features of White hegem ony. Black Jesus does not present a traditional image according to the hegemony; the long dreadlocks of Black Jesus would be viewed as unkempt and unacceptable to the White hegemony.

VOLUME

3, ISSUE 2

Page 13

be reckoned with, one who will neither conform to the he gemony nor be dissuaded. The physical characteristics of Black Jesus act as resistance against White hegemony by enno bling Black features and also create an image that Black Chris tians can relate to because He is a closer reflection of their culture. Different portrayals of Christ provide an outlet for Christians of different sexes and ethnicities to connect with their Savior. Varying images of Christ often have contrasting physical attributes. Black Jesus Montage is an example of a de piction of Christ that resists feminization and androgynization, while reinscribing societal gender constructs. Physical aspects such as muscular definition and stance illustrate reinscription of male strength. Likewise, this work of art also resists Eurocentric representations that assume (and thereby privilege) Whiteness. The striking physical aspects, including skin color and hairstyle, demonstrate this resistance to the hegemony. Black Jesus creates an image that men can admire and Chris tians can revere.

Figure 2: Christa by Edwina Sandys

—Alyscia Curtis Works Cited Barzoni, Vincent. Black Jesus Montage. 20 Sept. 2007. <http: / /www.art.com/asp/sp-asp/_/pd1029061 0/Blackjesus_Montage.htm>. Christ in Majesty. Basilica of the National Shrine of the Im maculate Conception, District of Columbia. 13 Nov. 2007. <http://www.beliefnet.com/story/216/ story_2 1690_I .htrnl>. McKenzie, Janet. Jesus of the People. 1999. 20 Sept. 2007. <http: / /www.janetmckenzie.com/ joppagel .html>.

Figure 3:Jesus of the People by Janet McKenzie

Sandys, Edwina. Christa. 1975. New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York. 20 Sept. 2007. <http: / /www.yorku.ca/flnearts/news edwrnasandys.htm>.

Figure 4: Christ in Majesty

The physical characteristics of Christ in Black Jesus reinscribe masculinity and resist the White hegemonic repre sentations. These characteristics make Him more accessible to males as well as ethnic groups excluded in hegemomc repre sentations. It is easier for one to connect with an image that is reflective of one’s culture. In depicting Christ as different etbnicities and sexes, artists create images that viewers are more liable to accept. This is depicted in the contrasting im ages of Christ as displayed in different forms of art. Black Jesus Montage depicts Christ as a symbol of male strength; the image is also one that Black Christians can relate to because of the Black-associated physical characteristics (Figure 1).

BL4CKJFSUSMONTAGEBY VINCENT BARZONI

DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF CHRIST IN

CHRIST WITH MANY VISAGES:

Figure 1 Black Jesus Montage by Vincent Barzoni

BLACK CHRIST

Page 12

In addition to resisting feminization and androgyniza tion, BlackJesus also resists the prevalent images of Christ as constructed by White hegemony. The White hegemony has portrayed Christ as a mirror image of itself: i.e. as a Caucasian male. Some of these images portray Christ as blue eyed and blond, as seen in Christ in Majesty (Figure 4). Black Jesus resists the hegemonic depiction of Christ as White by displaying the opposite: brown complexion, dark eye color, and black hair. His physical features, such as dreadlocked hair and full lips, are stereotypically dissociated from the features of White hegem ony. Black Jesus does not present a traditional image according to the hegemony; the long dreadlocks of Black Jesus would be viewed as unkempt and unacceptable to the White hegemony.

Barzoni’s interpretation of Christ renders male gen der constructs defining manhood as the embodiment of strength; this resists attempts at the feminization (Figure 2) or androgynization (Figure 3) of Christ. Jesus is characterized as traditionally masculine; His strength is shown not only in His defined muscles but also His facial expression. In Black Jesus, Christ maintains full eye contact, and his head is held high even though a noose surrounds his neck, displaying the stance of a strong individual. On the other hand, as evidenced by the tenseness in his arms, He does exhibit some tension; however, He is resigned to his task—saving souls. He is depicted as the paradigm for men: this work of art displays His life, sacrifice, and fortitude. This representation revises the image of Christ and makes Him more appealing to younger men because He is a young, resilient figure of upstanding character with nothing feminized about his character.

STERLING NOTES

3, ISSUE 2

Sandys, Edwina. Christa. 1975. New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York. 20 Sept. 2007. <http: / /www.yorku.ca/flnearts/news edwrnasandys.htm>.

McKenzie, Janet. Jesus of the People. 1999. 20 Sept. 2007. <http: / /www.janetmckenzie.com/ joppagel .html>.

Christ in Majesty. Basilica of the National Shrine of the Im maculate Conception, District of Columbia. 13 Nov. 2007. <http://www.beliefnet.com/story/216/ story_2 1690_I .htrnl>.

Barzoni, Vincent. Black Jesus Montage. 20 Sept. 2007. <http: / /www.art.com/asp/sp-asp/_/pd1029061 0/Blackjesus_Montage.htm>.

Works Cited

—Alyscia Curtis

Different portrayals of Christ provide an outlet for Christians of different sexes and ethnicities to connect with their Savior. Varying images of Christ often have contrasting physical attributes. Black Jesus Montage is an example of a de piction of Christ that resists feminization and androgynization, while reinscribing societal gender constructs. Physical aspects such as muscular definition and stance illustrate reinscription of male strength. Likewise, this work of art also resists Eurocentric representations that assume (and thereby privilege) Whiteness. The striking physical aspects, including skin color and hairstyle, demonstrate this resistance to the hegemony. Black Jesus creates an image that men can admire and Chris tians can revere.

VOLUME

Figure 4: Christ in Majesty

Figure 3:Jesus of the People by Janet McKenzie

Figure 2: Christa by Edwina Sandys

Page 13

r Page 14

STERLING NOTES

EVENT COVERAGE: “HEART’S DAY” AND “DOES RACE MATTER?” HEARTS DAY 2008: BELOVED MOTHER ON “MOTHER TONGUE” IN THE FICTION OF RICHARD WRIGHT AND EDWARD P. JONES been one of the foundational elements of African American culture but has also been essential to the African-American experience and today still is one of the primary components of the multi-faceted art of the African-American community. Dr. Traylor also explained the influence that the “Mother Tongue” had on both novelists and how this influence affected their writing. “The Mother Tongue,” she asserts, presents an element of the African-American culture that we may all identify with, cementing the connectedness of various Black communities through their own shared language. Over all, Dr. Traylor’s keynote address was both enlightening and invigorating, and though it was just one of the many sessions that were held during the day’s events, it was a memorable part of the event. The 14th Annual Hearts Day Conference and Gala on February 15, 2008 focused on African-American novelists Richard Wright and Edward P. Jones. With sessions begin ning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. and a wide variety of activities to attend, the conference featured panels on the literary careers of both writers and included topics ranging from the influence of the African-American language on their writing to the inspiring influence of Wright and Jones on Afri can-American fiction. A silent auction organized by the fac ulty of the English Department sought to raise money for the Sterling Allen Brown Endowed Chair and offered items in cluding an exciting trip to the Virgin Islands and art work cre ated by the faculty. The day’s events culminated with the annual Heart’s Day Gala, which began at 7:3Opm in the Black burn Ballroom. The keynote speaker was Dr. Eleanor W. Traylor, Chair of the English Department, whose talk was titled “The Mother Tongue.” In her presentation, Dr. Traylor conveyed the importance of the African American oral tradition and the language that has been used to tell our stories. She also as serted that the language of the African American people is a testament to the African-American experience and one of the ways by which to define and identify black culture. Dr. Traylor supported her assessment by citing a collection of short fiction by honoree Edward P. Jones, All Aunt Hagar’s Children, as an example of the “Mother Tongue.” In her esti mation, the presence of the “Mother Tongue” has not only

While morning sessions focused on the literary leg acy of Richard Wright in celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth, afternoon presentations following the keynote gave attention to the fiction of Edward P. Jones, including All Aunt Hagar’s Children, Lost in the City, and The Known World, with presentations by Dr. ‘s Jon Woodson and Loraine Henry, faculty of Howard University’s English Department, as well as others. Another highlight of the day was a forum featuring the author that concluded the conference portion of the day. Heart’s Day, as always, was most fruitful in its ef forts to highlight some of our most influential literary giants. Without doubt, this conference will continue its celebration of African-American and Diasporan literatures in the years to come. —Qiana Walker

VOLUME

Page 15

3, ISSUE 2

DOES RACE MATTER?: A FORUM Does race really matter? In a society of I-pods, touch-screen phones, and politics that seem to anticipate the dismissal of Anglo-Saxon testosterone, has race lost its im portance? Howard, being at the forefront of the future of African American cultural development, looked to August Wilson’s declaration of race as the most important aspect of a person’s identity in order to determine just how important race is in today’s society. The forum “Does Race Matter: Race, Politics and Power in Literature” was held Tuesday, February 26th, at 7pm in Founders library, co-sponsored by the August Wilson Society under the leadership of Professor Sandra Shannon and the Sterling Allen Brown English Society. The forum opened with a question: “Are we sheltered from our race at Howard University?” Sophomore English major Teerali Goodrum stated that she did not feel sheltered by her race at How ard but agreed with August Wil son’s analysis of race as the most important aspect of an individual. This comment was well received by the gathermg, which seemed in general agreement with her state ment. Another participant asserted that that race is an issue that many desire to speak about in today’s society, but that often it goes unmentioned due to our fear of being politically incorrect. Next, another question was posed to the audience: “How aware are you of your blackness?” A freshman audi ence member raised a in a predominately white neighbor hood expressed her gratitude for Howard and its role in helping her to establishing a sense of her Blackness. In re sponse, the chair of Theatre Arts introduced the term “raceman” to the audience. He defined a “raceman” as being someone who is defined entirely by race. English professor Joyce Camper then noted the lack of the presence of Black women in our discussion and declared Zora Neale Hurston, Octavia Butler, and Tom Morrison as racewomen due to the themes of race conveyed in their literature. An audience member suggested that there is now an absence of race men and women on Howard’s campus; however, this was refuted by Sterling Allen Brown English Society President Kelly McCray, who said that race men and women are present at Howard, but they have to be sought out.

To provoke further analysis, one of the hostesses of the forum, English professor Dr. Sandra G. Shannon, foun der of the August Wilson Society and the impetus behind this forum, stated that she feels that those of us under twenty-five often perceive race as a less important aspect of our lives. An audience member responded by commenting that an individ ual’s surrounding factors into one’s perception of race. In particular, one environment that raises racial issues for many students is the workplace. An audience member commented that she becomes more aware of her race after she leaves Howard’s campus and that at her job, she is very aware of the tension that exists be tween her Hispanic co workers and their AfricanAmerican customers. Other audience members who either worked with Hispanics or lived in neighborhoods with large populations of Hispanics agreed on the existence of this tension, and the forum then ok a look into the politics of the matter. It was noted that 1-lispanics are the largest mi nority in the United States, and that though many Hispan ics are present in white- collar America, there are many who work in jobs that pay less than m••urn wage in order to earn a living. Hispanics who are willing to do jobs for less than mmimum wage and without benefits often perceive African-Americans who do not wish to work under these conditions as lazy, causing further tension between the two minority groups. Although there were many perspectives expressed throughout the forum, all members were able to agree that reading and educating oneself about one’s history is funda mental to social awareness. Social awareness is crucial in the world in which we live because although the media and soci ety try to subversively refer to race, race still matters and probably always will. Perhaps the days of being hosed down, attacked by dogs, and publicly being called derogatory names are over; however, prejudices and stereotypes still dwell in the crevices of today’s society and may be detrimental to those who are not conscious of their presence. —

—Catherine Saunders

STERLING NOTES

The keynote speaker was Dr. Eleanor W. Traylor, Chair of the English Department, whose talk was titled “The Mother Tongue.” In her presentation, Dr. Traylor conveyed the importance of the African American oral tradition and the language that has been used to tell our stories. She also as serted that the language of the African American people is a testament to the African-American experience and one of the ways by which to define and identify black culture. Dr. Traylor supported her assessment by citing a collection of short fiction by honoree Edward P. Jones, All Aunt Hagar’s Children, as an example of the “Mother Tongue.” In her esti mation, the presence of the “Mother Tongue” has not only

The 14th Annual Hearts Day Conference and Gala on February 15, 2008 focused on African-American novelists Richard Wright and Edward P. Jones. With sessions begin ning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. and a wide variety of activities to attend, the conference featured panels on the literary careers of both writers and included topics ranging from the influence of the African-American language on their writing to the inspiring influence of Wright and Jones on Afri can-American fiction. A silent auction organized by the fac ulty of the English Department sought to raise money for the Sterling Allen Brown Endowed Chair and offered items in cluding an exciting trip to the Virgin Islands and art work cre ated by the faculty. The day’s events culminated with the annual Heart’s Day Gala, which began at 7:3Opm in the Black burn Ballroom. —Qiana Walker

Heart’s Day, as always, was most fruitful in its ef forts to highlight some of our most influential literary giants. Without doubt, this conference will continue its celebration of African-American and Diasporan literatures in the years to come.

Dr. Traylor also explained the influence that the “Mother Tongue” had on both novelists and how this influence affected their writing. “The Mother Tongue,” she asserts, presents an element of the African-American culture that we may all identify with, cementing the connectedness of various Black communities through their own shared language. Over all, Dr. Traylor’s keynote address was both enlightening and invigorating, and though it was just one of the many sessions that were held during the day’s events, it was a memorable part of the event.

been one of the foundational elements of African American culture but has also been essential to the African-American experience and today still is one of the primary components of the multi-faceted art of the African-American community.

HEARTS DAY 2008: BELOVED MOTHER ON “MOTHER TONGUE” IN THE FICTION OF RICHARD WRIGHT AND EDWARD P. JONES

EVENT COVERAGE: “HEART’S DAY” AND “DOES RACE MATTER?”

Page 14

r 3, ISSUE 2

Page 15

—

—Catherine Saunders

VOLUME

STERLING NOTES

—

structure is very unyielding and contributes to the limitations of the subject of the poem—Effle. The poem consists of three rhyming quat rains with punctuation after every couplet which supplements the rigid structure of the poem. The short stanzas limit what the speaker can say, and the rhyming couplets limit the language the speaker can use. The structure of the poem limits the speaker just as the speaker limits the subject in the poem. Moreover, there is only one speaker in the poem, a persona who does not even address the subject by her name. The subject is never allowed a voice, which likewise demonstrates the limited view of the subject that the poem conveys.

Becomes inflexible; fixed of form at length.

The language used in the poem also limits the roles of the subject. When describing the subject in her Imaginary order, the speaker only uses words that indicate that Effie is a loose woman, a She who would veer with any passing wind Death and the Harlot. http: / / “whore”: “easy,” “clay,” “veer” (4.1) and “rickety ways” (4.2). These picasaweb.google.com/ Like a rusty vane with rickety ways, words imply that the persona is sexually available, malleable and wan gmgauthi/ She is aloof now, and seems—oh, so determined; ton. When describing the subject in her Symbolic order, the speaker TheDeathCultOfChristianity And that is the Paradise crowning her days. only uses words that connote that she is now an unyielding spinster: “stern” (1.4), “still” (1.4), “harshness” (2.2), “inflexible” (2.4), Sterling Allen Brown’s poem “Effie” can easily be interpreted “fixed” (2.4) and “aloof” (3.3). These words imply that the persona is as anti-feminist. The female subject in the poem is severely restricted now stiff, set and unappealing. In the second line of the first stanza, to limiting archetypal roles that have been used to define women, and because these roles are never allowed to overlap, she is split in two. In the speaker juxtaposes the words “flaccid” and “shrill” to highlight the two roles of whore and spinster and their differences. Flaccid, which fact, she is forced to render her experience as if she is two different women; moreover, in this case, one must die for the other to live. In means “lacking firmness,” speaks to the role of acquiescent whore; shrill, meaning “piercing and high-pitched” as well as “harsh and im “Effie,” the female subject is limited to two culturally stereotypical moderate,” speaks to the role of the unbending spinster. Such lan roles that devalue women: the “whore” and the “eccentric spin guage in the poem severely limits the roles of the persona. ster” (Bressler 154). Figures of speech also contribute to the limitation of the Application of psychoanalytic criticism can be used to reveal persona. The poem is an extended metaphor comparing the persona’s that these two roles create two subjectivities. Jacques Lacan developed Symbolic order (and its situation of the subject as a spinster) with her a model of the human psyche consisting of the Real, the Imaginary and Imaginary order (and its sexual freedom). When the Symbolic order the Symbolic order. The Imaginary order is used to describe subjectiv obtains dominance, the role of whore is put to death. The speaker says ity that is “characterized by flux and fluidity” and is “closely related to a that Effie, if a whore, “finds death at last” (1.3), meaning that her woman’s body, especially the vagina.” Because this occurs during the Imaginary order has fInally been subjected to her Symbolic order; she “mirror stage” of human development, communication is “not gov is “oddly stern for once, and still” and has been “put away” (2.1), or erned by laws, gender or power.” The Symbolic order, on the other entombed. The whore has died, and Effie has become a spinster. hand, is “characterized by structure and rigidity.” In this order, “male Finally, in the last line of the poem, the speaker suggests: “And that is discourse becomes dominant, suppressing imaginary order” (Bressler the Paradise crowning her days” (3.4). As a spinster, Effie only has 154.). aloofness and reserve to look forward to because after the death of the In “Effie,” the subject experiences first the Imaginary order whore, she can no longer return to that state. and then the Symbolic order. She experiences the Imaginary order and The structure of the poem, as well as the language and fig communicates in its mode through her uninhibited sexual encounters. ures of speech used in the poem, serve to limit the subject and confine Her actions are not governed by the standards of men or those of a her to two limited roles: the “whore” and the “eccentric spinster.” At patriarchal society. This is evident in the poem when the speaker says the beginning of the poem, Effle is a free spirit, not subject to anyone’s in the opening line of each verse, “She was easy for any chance boundaries. At the end of the poem, she is restricted to boundaries lover” (1.1); “She was clay for any clumsy sculptor” (2.1); and “She and seems incapable of escaping them. There is never any resolution would veer with any passing wind” (3.1). After experiencing the between the two roles of the female subject. She is not only limited to Imaginary order, Effie experiences the Symbolic order. She is no two narrow-minded, demeaning roles; she is also limited to only one longer “easy” (1.1) or “clay” (2.3). Now she is “oddly stern for once, at a time, never both. These factors all come together and contribute and still” (1.4). She has become “inflexible; fixed of form at to the anti-feminist message conveyed by the poem. length” (2.4) and “is aloof now, and seerns—oh, so determined” (3.3). —Kelly McCray Now, the subject’s Imaginary order has been suppressed, and she can not communicate freely any longer. During this transition, the subject Works Cited loses her voice and conforms to standards other than her own. Brown, Sterling. The Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown. Sel. by The structure of the poem itself speaks to limitation. This Michael S. Harper. Chicago: TriQuarterly Books, 1932. 103.

She who was clay for any clumsy sculptor

What she has now of harshness and strength,

Put her away, and put away with her

Lies here so oddly stern for once, and still.

She, finding death at last, the dazed fret over,

Whose frequent laugh rang flaccid and shrill;

She who was easy for any chance lover,

—Sterling Allen Brown

“Effie”

YIELDING TO LIMITATIONS: A FEMINIST CRITIQUE OF STERLING ALLEN BROWN’S “EFFIE”

Page 16

I hope everyone has enjoyed the programs sponsored by the Sterling Allen Brown English Society this year. We only had a few, but they were great! Here’s a brief recap for those who missed out. The English Society hosted the English MajorMinor Pre-Registration Info-Social this year, reaching out to a lot of people who were new to the maj or and unfamiliar with the requirements and creating a posterboard display of the components of the English Depart ment. Next, the Society helped out with Heart’s Day and received the privilege of assisting in the welcoming of Edward P. Jones and the honoring of Richard Wright. In our next event, we co-sponsored with the August Wilson Society a program entitled “Does Race Matter?: An Open Conversation about Race, Politics, and Power in Literature.” This event went so well that it was featured on the front page of The Hilltop newspaper.

I’m so thankful to everyone who has assisted or contributed to the Sterling Allen Brown English Soci ety. I would especially like to thank our wonderful fac ulty advisor, Dr. Yasmin DeGout. Nothing would have been possible without her commitment to this Soci ety. She continues to sefflessly donate her time and re sources for the benefit of our organization. I would like to thank the English Department for its support of the English Society, sponsoring and funding many of the Society’s programs. I would like to also thank those who co-sponsored programs with our society, including the August Wilson Society (especially Dr. Shannon) and the Honors Program of the College of Arts and Sci ences. Last but not least, I would like to thank the members of the Sterling Allen Brown English Society Executive Board for their hard work and dedication: Zahra Gordon, Takesha Carr, Javon Wideman, and Kay Simmons, thank you so much.

Page 17

Dr. Teresa Gilliams discussing “Hip Hop and the New Talented Tenth” in Locke Hall 100 on March 12th.

Kelly McCray

Your President,

I hope to see you all back next year as members or officers of The Sterling Allen Brown English Soci ety. We will be planning for more inspiring programs and memorable moments.

We also produced two editions of Sterling Notes for the first time in more than a decade! The issues fea tured ifim reviews, critical and creative writing, author biographies, creative and puzzle contests, and more. The English Society hopes to hold one more pro gram this year: a poetry slam at the Sankofa Cafr. We will hope to pre-elect our next executive board, so look out for posters about out last general body meeting!

VOLuME 3, ISSUE 2

r STERLING NOTES

Page 16

YIELDING TO LIMITATIONS: A FEMINIST CRITIQUE OF STERLING ALLEN BROWN’S “EFFIE” “Effie”

—Sterling Allen Brown She who was easy for any chance lover, Whose frequent laugh rang flaccid and shrill; She, finding death at last, the dazed fret over, Lies here so oddly stern for once, and still.

Put her away, and put away with her What she has now of harshness and strength, She who was clay for any clumsy sculptor

—

Page 17

VOLuME 3, ISSUE 2

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT It is nearing the end of the 2007-2008 school year, and things are coming to a close for the Sterling Allen Brown English Society. I have really enjoyed my time as President, and I hope all of my Executive Board members have enjoyed their year of service to the or ganization as well. To the members, you all are won derful, and I hope that you all return next year for more fun and excitement (as well as planning and preparation) with the English Society. I’m so thankful to everyone who has assisted or contributed to the Sterling Allen Brown English Soci ety. I would especially like to thank our wonderful fac ulty advisor, Dr. Yasmin DeGout. Nothing would have been possible without her commitment to this Soci ety. She continues to sefflessly donate her time and re sources for the benefit of our organization. I would like to thank the English Department for its support of the English Society, sponsoring and funding many of the Society’s programs. I would like to also thank those who co-sponsored programs with our society, including the August Wilson Society (especially Dr. Shannon) and the Honors Program of the College of Arts and Sci ences. Last but not least, I would like to thank the members of the Sterling Allen Brown English Society Executive Board for their hard work and dedication: Zahra Gordon, Takesha Carr, Javon Wideman, and Kay Simmons, thank you so much. I hope everyone has enjoyed the programs sponsored by the Sterling Allen Brown English Society this year. We only had a few, but they were great! Here’s a brief recap for those who missed out. The English Society hosted the English MajorMinor Pre-Registration Info-Social this year, reaching out to a lot of people who were new to the maj or and unfamiliar with the requirements and creating a posterboard display of the components of the English Depart ment. Next, the Society helped out with Heart’s Day and received the privilege of assisting in the welcoming of Edward P. Jones and the honoring of Richard Wright. In our next event, we co-sponsored with the August Wilson Society a program entitled “Does Race Matter?: An Open Conversation about Race, Politics, and Power in Literature.” This event went so well that it was featured on the front page of The Hilltop newspaper.

Dr. Teresa Gilliams discussing “Hip Hop and the New Talented Tenth” in Locke Hall 100 on March 12th.

The last event hosted by the English Society was a lecture by Dr. Teresa Gilliams, a Howard alumna, entitled “Hip-Hop and the New Talented Tenth.” This event was enabled by funding from the Honors Program and the English Department and was so well attended that some audience members had to stand! We also produced two editions of Sterling Notes for the first time in more than a decade! The issues fea tured ifim reviews, critical and creative writing, author biographies, creative and puzzle contests, and more. The English Society hopes to hold one more pro gram this year: a poetry slam at the Sankofa Cafr. We will hope to pre-elect our next executive board, so look out for posters about out last general body meeting! I hope to see you all back next year as members or officers of The Sterling Allen Brown English Soci ety. We will be planning for more inspiring programs and memorable moments. Your President, Kelly McCray

__________

Hills, by 22 (cc)

(c)

All correct answers will be raffled for a single prize winner.

Email:

Telephone:

Name:

To win a $20 prize, submit this page, with the completed answers and the following information to Mrs. Hardy in the Department of English (248 Locke Hall) by 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 26th (the last day of class).

Puzzle Con

$20 Puzzle Context Prize Winner: Lauren A. Jackson

13. “Towards a Black Aesthetic” author Hoyt (cc)

The Sterling Notes test:

Title: The American Scholar (1837/41)

12. Open, as ajar or letter (c)

14-. Built, erected; raised, trained (c)

Author: Ralph Waldo Emerson

G. Woodson or Jimmy

Quotation: “The one thing in the world of value, is, the active soul—the soul, free, sovereign, active.”

11. Author Paul Laurence (cc)

10.

9. Margaret or Alice (cc)

8. Came ashore, arrived (cc)

1. enough, 2. heroic, 3. fictional, 4. writer, 5. laugh, 6. ver nacular, 7. theses, 8. vivid, 9. ovation, 10. versifier, 11. cho rus, 12. theatre, 13. letters.

7. Had a quarrel or spat (cc)

Jubilee (cc)

Answers to last issue’s puzzle.

6. Griggs, author of Imperium in Imperio, 1899 (c)

24. Marita

23. Same as 21, last name (c)

22. Author of 2, Gloria (cc)

*Tltis Word-A-Mat is modeled upon those are produced by Variety Puzzles and Games.

(c)

21. Author of “Middle Passage” and “Runagate Runagate” (cc)

20. The Age of____________ (cc)

19. Harriet or August (c)

5. Octavia or Judith (cc)

4. Author Anna Julia (c)

3. Made of mahogany, ebony, or cedar (cc)

Women, or Malcolm

17. Transferred property by legal document (c)

Put the 6-letter answers to the clues into the diagram around their corresponding numbers. Words may start in any of the six spaces and will read clockwise (c) or counterclockwise (cc), as indicated after each clue. Neighboring words share letters. The answer to the first clue, LITTLE, has been entered for you.

18. Fit to be eaten (cc)

16. Plundered or stole goods (c)

STERLING NOTES

WordAMat* of African-American Authors

__________

15. Upfrom Slavery author Washington (cc)

THINGS TO DO!

___________

The SABES PUZZLE:

Page 18

__________ ___________ __________

r 3, ISSUE 2

Page 19

I)o lists of related words. Do a column of professions, a column of verbs associated with farming, a column of colourlul things, a column of adjectives used to describe animals, or whatever other subjects you like. Then without looking at the columns, decide to take “the fifth word from column A, the third from column B and the twelfth from column C” or some other combination. Take these words and use them.

I try not to...

I try to I love

I hate

Trying as hard as you can not to think or consider what you are writing, write as much as you can as fast you can with out any editing or concern for syntax, grammar, narrative, or logic. Try to keep this going for as long as possible: one hour, two hours, three hours: don’t look back don’t look up.

Autopilot

Select one sentence each from a variety of different books or other sources. Add sentences of your own composition. Combine into one paragraph, reordering to produce the most interesting results.

Serial sentences

Some of these are from an excellent book on writing by Natalie Goldberg: Wild Mind. I’m sure you can think of many more. These are good because they often stimulate very personal writing which can be powerful. Try writing for 10 minutes on one then switching to another.

I don’t w.usl to

I don’t wonder I wonder

I want to

kiev I (iO11’t

I see I know

I have always

I have never

I don’t remember

I don’t see

I remember

Try starting with any of these phrases:

Starting phrases

Ahead of time, go through a dictionary and write down words. Every 50th page, write down the first word • defIned on the page. Fill a page with words in this way, then you have a resource of random words that you can use again and again.

•

II you’re writing in a group, get each person to write a few words on separate pieces of paper. Put the pieces of paper in a bat and pass it around. Each person takes out a few pieces and might get one or more of their own words, but might not.

Where can you get random words from?

Sometimes when we do these random word stimulations, the result doesn’t actually include one of the words. Some times the writer still plans to include the word and is working up to that in the mini-plot that is developing on the pa per, but we stop when about 10 minutes is up anyway. Sometimes the writer intended to use the word but the plot twisted in a new direction and the word became inappropriate. Sometimes the word is not used but still can be seen to inspire the piece. It doesn’t matter because the stimulation still works to get you writing creatively.

Start with two or three random words. For example, the words could be “fireman” and “blockbuster.” Now, use these words to inspire you to start writing. Plan to include these two words in the writing somewhere. Try going for 10 min utes.

Random Word Combinations

FUN WITh WORDS!

VOLUME

__________

__________ __

___________ __________ ___________ __________

STERLING NOTES

Page 18

THINGS TO DO! 15. Upfrom Slavery author Washington (cc)

WordAMat* of African-American Authors

16. Plundered or stole goods (c)

17. Transferred property by legal document (c)

Hills, by 22 (cc)

(c)

18. Fit to be eaten (cc) 19. Harriet or August (c) 20. The Age of____________ (cc)

22. Author of 2, Gloria (cc)

3. Made of mahogany, ebony, or cedar (cc)

24. Marita

4. Author Anna Julia (c) 5. Octavia or Judith (cc)

*Tltis Word-A-Mat is modeled upon those are produced by Variety Puzzles and Games.

6. Griggs, author of Imperium in Imperio, 1899 (c)

Answers to last issue’s puzzle.

7. Had a quarrel or spat (cc)

1. enough, 2. heroic, 3. fictional, 4. writer, 5. laugh, 6. ver nacular, 7. theses, 8. vivid, 9. ovation, 10. versifier, 11. cho rus, 12. theatre, 13. letters.

9. Margaret or Alice (cc) 10.

G. Woodson or Jimmy

(c)

23. Same as 21, last name (c)

8. Came ashore, arrived (cc)

Page 19

3, ISSUE 2

Random Word Combinations

21. Author of “Middle Passage” and “Runagate Runagate” (cc) Women, or Malcolm

VOLUME

FUN WITh WORDS!

The SABES PUZZLE:

•

Jubilee (cc)

•

Quotation: “The one thing in the world of value, is, the active soul—the soul, free, sovereign, active.”

11. Author Paul Laurence (cc)

Author: Ralph Waldo Emerson

12. Open, as ajar or letter (c)

Title: The American Scholar (1837/41)

Starting phrases

13. “Towards a Black Aesthetic” author Hoyt (cc)

$20 Puzzle Context Prize Winner: Lauren A. Jackson

Try starting with any of these phrases:

14-. Built, erected; raised, trained (c) The Sterling Notes test:

Puzzle Con

I remember

I don’t remember

I have always

I see

I don’t see

I have never

I know

I (iO11’t

I want to

I wonder

I don’t wonder

I don’t w.usl to

I hate

I love

I try to

I try not to...

kiev

Name:

Serial sentences Telephone:

Email:

All correct answers will be raffled for a single prize winner.

Select one sentence each from a variety of different books or other sources. Add sentences of your own composition. Combine into one paragraph, reordering to produce the most interesting results. Autopilot Trying as hard as you can not to think or consider what you are writing, write as much as you can as fast you can with out any editing or concern for syntax, grammar, narrative, or logic. Try to keep this going for as long as possible: one hour, two hours, three hours: don’t look back don’t look up.

Page 20

STERLING NOTES

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

“Bright Wings” for Dr. Lettie Austin Beloved English professor Dr. Lettie 1. Austin has recently suffered a severe health crisis. The Ster ling Allen Brown English Society sends our prayers and warm wishes to her and dedicates to her Gerard Manley Hopkins’s “God’s Grandeur.” God’s Grandeur —Gerard Manley Hopkins The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; It gathes to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod? Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; Bleared, smeared with toil; And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod. And for all this, nature is never spent; There lives the dearest freshness deep down things; And though the last lights off the black West went Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs Because the Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings. —

It’s a Boy! Drs. Gregory Hampton and Maria Trent bring home a baby boy. On February 16th at 8:24 p.m., Pro fessor Gregory Hampton, former faculty advisor to the English Society, welcomed Hodari Trent Hampton into the world. At birth, Hodari weighed 91bs12.8oz and measured 2 linches. Hodari means “wise and brave” in Kiswahili. There was cause for some minor drama at delivery due to Hodari’s size, but both baby and mother are well, and sister Sail is thrilled.

Sister Sail and baby brother Hodari