I don't know how widely read this book was at the time, but some eminent persons weighed in on DuBois' study of Blacks in America, including William James, who was one of DuBois' teachers at Harvard. Interesting to read that William James sent his brother, Henry, a copy of the book.
It is hard not to think of Nebraska without thinking of its greatest writer. Here is a marvelous piece by Capote, Remembering Willa Cather . I remember seeing a stage production of O Pioneers! and being deeply moved by its raw emotions. I had read My Antonia before, and soon found myself hooked, like Capote was by the simple elegance of her prose and the way she was able to evoke so many feelings through her characters. Much of it came from the fact that she had lived those experiences herself. Her father dragged the family from Virginia to Nebraska in 1883, when it was still a young state, settling in the town of Red Cloud. named after one of the great Oglala chiefs. Red Cloud was still alive at the time, living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, in the aftermath of the "Great Sioux Wars" of 1876-77. I don't know whether Cather took any interest in the famous chief, although it is hard to imagine not. Upon his death in 1909, he was eulogi
I've never read "The American Scene" and can't remember one person of color in the writings of Henry James. Of course, I haven't read everything he wrote.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to read that William James, along with Mark Twain, was one of the nation's leading and out-spoken opponents of imperialism.
ReplyDeleteThe Spanish-American War stirred up a lot of anti-imperialist feelings. Twain wrote extensively on the subject. Many saw it as a trumped-up war with the US was mostly interested in securing the Caribbean, but they got the Philippines and Guam in the process, thereby greatly expanding the reach of the US.
ReplyDeleteBack in the late 60s/early 70s ''Souls'' was widely read and discussed with much enthusiasm on college campuses. Today, it has been forgotten.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, racism has not been totally eliminated in society and the Gates situation in Cambridge, MA proves it. But it will be interesting to see how the book will be viewed in future generations when (hopefully) much of the present racial hostilities will be ended.
I've only read the chapter on Booker T. Washington. It was enough to compell me to read more.
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