on the subject of race

Jody and Josh ask if this book is really about race, and suggest that it is about other things. I would say yes to both. But I don't think you can dismiss race in order to get to those other things. After all, the blues songs we read speak to us all about relationships between men and women, but they come out of a specifically African American art form (I would argue that "universality" in literature is only possible when the actual work is terribly specific--to place, race, gender, individual stories). Jody: yes, we should pay more mind to gender issues, but these issues are different for white women, black women, Korean women . . . for reasons of culture and, yes, race (as it's defined by the culture, not biologically speaking).

That race is central to Morrison's historical and literary imagination is evident in her book of essays _Playing in the Dark_. An "abstract" of the book follows; please read it. Morrison argues that race is central of all American literature, not just that of black writers.

http://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=2769

That Morrison herself sometimes tires of being considered only in the light of her thinking about race is evident in this link to a speech she gave at Harvard:

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2001/04.05/06-morrison.html

I would encourage all of you to keep open minds about what concerns these writers, and us in the classroom. Good writers confuse us, because they show the ways in which many issues are linked. That's a good thing. I hope that discussing these issues will help us to get less confused.

aloha, Susan