June 2012
13 posts
He exclaimed on Fowler Avenue: “Hey, cookie face, shut up!”
The Outsider, Richard Wright [1953]
Why did some hearts feel insulted at being alive, humiliated at the terms of existence? It was as though one felt that one had been promised something and when that promise had not been kept, one felt a sense of loss that made life intolerable; it was as though one was angry but did not know toward what or whom the anger should be directed; it was as though one felt betrayed, but could never determine the manner of the betrayal.
“Emerald green was used not only as an artist’s paint but as a household paint: it was widely used on patterned wallpaper. This made damp rooms death traps, and in the 1860s the British Times newspaper expressed alarm about the possibility that young children were being killed by the deadly fumes emanating from their bedroom walls. It is believed that Napoleon’s death in exile on St Helena was hastened this way.”
“Where is your ‘White literature’ section?”
—Author, professor, and provocateur Amitava Kumar goes to several bookstores in New York City and asks this very specific (and much needed) question. What happened after asking is worth reading. (via mehreenkasana)
