Haiku for Gabby: On the Closing of Muhlenberg

What hope is there if/

Apathy is the new black/

Who will speak for her?

Gabby protested while politicians stayed home. (Photo credit: Dan Damon)

When I was a kid, I remember learning to write haiku at school as a way of learning to be concise in my thoughts. More recently, the work of my friend Stafford (who writes brilliant haiku) has inspired me to express myself in this poetic form. 

All best,


Rebecca




 



 

Phrenology: The Law of the Land in Plainfield

While checking out the Plainfield Municipal Code—Chapter 10, Morals and Conduct—I was surprised to discover that Plainfield had a law on the books concerning  phrenology.*

Sec. 10:7-12.  Fortunetellers, soothsayers, palmists and phrenology.¹³

 ¹³State law reference: As to fortunetellers, See N.J.S.A. 2A:170-7.

     (a)     No person shall advertise himself or herself as a clairvoyant, soothsayer, seer, physiognomist, palmist, fortuneteller, spiritualist, spirit medium, or phrenologist or charge or receive any fee, reward, gratuity or anything of value from any person as such clairvoyant, soothsayer, seer, physiognomist, palmist, fortuneteller, spiritualist, spirit medium or phrenologist.

    (b)     Such a person shall be considered a disorderly person under the statutes of the State of New Jersey.

(R.O. 1957, 10:4-4(b))

Phrenology dealt with skull measurements and involved feeling the skull to help determine one’s character traits and tendencies. Phrenology, now regarded as a pseudo-science, was very popular in the 19th century, and especially so during the antebellum era in America. It also captured the literary imagination of many Victorian-era British authors as well as 19th Century American writers such as Melville, Whitman, Twain. Some explored it with a degree of seriousness, while others (especially Mark Twain) found it ripe for ridicule and parody. 

Phrenology also bears some relation to the other pseudo-scientific racial theories that gained force in the 19th century and which still resonate in the form of eugenics and other 20th and 21st Century racialized speculations. *The statute prohibiting phrenologists (as well as soothsayers, clairoyants, seers, spirit mediums, et al) was repealed by the state back in 1979. Here is a link to the Wikipedia entry on Phrenology, which offers a comprehensive view, along with good links to primary source material. Enjoy!

All best,

Rebecca

 

James Baldwin, American Intellectual Giant

James Baldwin, Aug 2,1924 - Dec 1,1987

“Most of us are about as eager to be changed as we were to be born, and go through our changes in a similar state of shock.”

August 2nd marks the birthday of the late James Baldwin, one of the most important American intellectuals of the 20th Century. Baldwin articulated his humanity as a black gay man through a number of novels, essays, plays,  and through his activism and sheer compassion.

Many scholars and activists note the prophetic quality of much of Baldwin’s writing, which seems even more prophetic today. James Baldwin is not easy to teach, because he is searing, unrelenting, and unapologetic—those are qualities that don’t comport well with polite society. That is why I love him so much—he doesn’t sugarcoat American truths and realities.

My parents read Baldwin—The Fire Next Time, Another Country, Giovanni’s Room, etc., and I remember him as a fascinating presence (those huge eyes) from my earliest television memories on talk shows that focused on the Civil Rights movement during the Johnson and Nixon eras, respectively. He was what I would now call “a little guy,” in terms of his physical stature, but his charismatic presence more than made up for it. It was (and remains) difficult to take one’s eyes off him.  

So much of James Baldwin's work seems to reflect my own thoughts and feelings on a number of issues that continue to plague our society—not just issues of racial justice, but also the trend toward self-interest, greed, and meanness. What would Jimmy say about the world today, about our American society today?

In New Orleans, 1963

I think it is important to acknowledge the continued social urgency contained in Baldwin’s oeuvre, as there are those who still manage to manipulate our young people into thinking that certain types of posturing are effective stand-ins for manhood. For those who continue to mislead our young people, who continue to perpetuate tired heterosexist paradigms of black masculinity and virility—I suggest you take a look at James Baldwin, a true black man.

The Price of the Ticket: Collected Nonfiction 1948-1985 is available at the Plainfield Public Library, along with most of Baldwin’s other writings.  The excellent American Masters documentary, James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket is available through California Newsreel.

Baldwin is ubiquitous on YouTube, so I urge everyone to learn more about his life and the legacy he has left behind by checking out some of the clips. Below is an audio clip (with stills) of Baldwin singing “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”—I chose this clip because I love this song, and hearing Baldwin sing it gives me chills.

All best,

Rebecca