Discovering Harlem Renaissance

I have recently discovered poetry by Harlem Renaissance artists. I love the passion of McKay: “Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack, / Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!” These lines are haunting but inspiring. They arise out of the race riots of 1919. I think that Churchill read this sonnet to the disheartened English during WW II. The controversy over form among HR writers is interesting to note. I tend to like the dialectical free form poetry the best, such as “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes. I can’t resist quoting the poem: “Well, son, I’ll tell you: / Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. / It’s had tacks in it, / And splinters, / And boards torn up. / And places with no carpet on the floor-- / Bare. / But all the time / I’se been a-climbin’ on, / And reachin’ landin’s / And turnin’ corners, / And sometimes goin’ in the dark / Where there ain’t been no light. / So boy, don’t you turn back. / Don’t you set down on the steps / ‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. / Don’t you fall now-- / For I’se still goin’, honey, / I’se still climbin’, / And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” This poem makes me want to laugh and cry. I just connect with it. For me the poem is a paradox. It’s all stoicism, but as the reader, all I feel is raw emotion.

"Recently, I read..."

Recently, I have been getting a head start on my textbooks for this year, but I don't want to scare you all away by discussing the many and varied nuggets of wisdom I have gleaned in interaction with these. Please keep reading.

Recently, I have been reading a lot of non-fiction titles on quilting (my newest hobby). This summer I read a powerful novel by Tommy Hays, called The Pleasure Was Mine. It is a story about an old man caring for his wife, who is in the final stages of Alzheimers. The story is told from his perspective with frequent flashbacks to the past (as he remembers it himself). For some reason, I love cranky old narrators. Their stories are full of such depth and irony. If you want to read other reviews of The Pleasure Was Mine, here's the link: http://www.tommyhays.com/

In my devotions, I am just finishing the book of Isaiah. I have found this incredibly dense book simply amazing. I have to admit this is my first time reading it through because I could never understand it. (I tended to keep rereading the books I could understand.) But I am reading out of a Wesleyan Study Bible and the notes have been helping me to grasp things I never saw before. The way that this book is tied to every other book in the Bible really confirms my belief in the inspired, inerent Word of God. The allusions and prophecies of Isaiah to his contemporaries, predessors, and New Testament events baffles my mind. Needless to say, I think the Bible is awesome.

I hope that you will feel free to response with your own opinions, thoughts, and reading notes.

Hello everyone.

I am a compulsive reader. Every time that I see words, I just have to find out what they have to say. Needless to say, I spend a lot of time reading product labels, junk mail, signs, and other pointless material. I love book discussions, but my busy life does not permit me to join formal events of that sort. Fortunately, the internet allows us to talk to people in our PJs. I hope that you will share in the discussion. See my next post: "Recently, I read..."

I also like to write. You may want to visit my new website Reflections at http://www.freewebs.com/jmfritz/ I have long cherished the dream of being traditionally published, but I finally faced up to the fact that with current market trends I don't have the chance, or at least not for a long time. I hope that you will interact with me on my blog and site because it sure is going to get lonely on here if you don't.