Comments on: Richard Wright — Great American Writer http://www.gaypatriot.net/2008/01/21/richard-wright-great-american-writer/ The Internet home for American gay conservatives. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:49:12 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: GayPatriotWest http://www.gaypatriot.net/2008/01/21/richard-wright-great-american-writer/comment-page-1/#comment-38170 GayPatriotWest Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:41:06 +0000 http://www.gaypatriot.net/?p=1214#comment-38170 Jeremy, I'd love to say more about Wright, but it's been a while since I read his stuff so don't feel qualified to offer more than a general appreciation of his achievement. I recall how much it moved me - and inspired me. Indeed, I found myself writing my first screen play, <a href="http://" rel="nofollow"><em>The Lady of Mississippi</em></a>, while reading his books. If I had more time, I would love to dip back into those books and offer more detailed commentary. Jeremy, I’d love to say more about Wright, but it’s been a while since I read his stuff so don’t feel qualified to offer more than a general appreciation of his achievement. I recall how much it moved me – and inspired me. Indeed, I found myself writing my first screen play, The Lady of Mississippi, while reading his books.

If I had more time, I would love to dip back into those books and offer more detailed commentary.

]]> By: Jeremayakovka http://www.gaypatriot.net/2008/01/21/richard-wright-great-american-writer/comment-page-1/#comment-38166 Jeremayakovka Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:38:59 +0000 http://www.gaypatriot.net/?p=1214#comment-38166 Correction: "... breaking quite publicly and notably with The American Communist Party" Correction: “… breaking quite publicly and notably with The American Communist Party”

]]> By: Jeremayakovka http://www.gaypatriot.net/2008/01/21/richard-wright-great-american-writer/comment-page-1/#comment-38168 Jeremayakovka Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:37:57 +0000 http://www.gaypatriot.net/?p=1214#comment-38168 Say more about Wright, Dan, <i>Bitte</i>. Wright's struggle, as a man and as a writer, was also to place himself, geographically as well as politically. (For a great "African-American" writer, he certainly never fully rooted himself anywhere, and certainly not in Africa.) What needs to be remembered about Wright is that he was, in a very real sense, a European writer - he lived in Europe for the last 15 years or so of his life, where he wrote on European subjects (<i>Pagan Spain</i>) and approprirated existentialist themes (<i>The Outsider</i>). He was never at home politically, having first adhered to, then breaking quite publicly and notably. (Most liberals ignore Wright's contribution to <i>The God That Failed</i>; conservatives have a duty to study it.) If you grant James Baldwin's take on him, then Wright was never at home in his black manhood (in the essay, "Alas, Poor Richard!" he describes Wright's prose as that of a man being castrated). Lastly, like many other leading black intellectuals - like Frantz Fanon, C.L.R. James, Amiri Baraka (initially, when he was LeRoi Jones), and James Baldwin (generally) - his spouse was white. Say more about Wright, Dan, Bitte. Wright’s struggle, as a man and as a writer, was also to place himself, geographically as well as politically. (For a great “African-American” writer, he certainly never fully rooted himself anywhere, and certainly not in Africa.) What needs to be remembered about Wright is that he was, in a very real sense, a European writer – he lived in Europe for the last 15 years or so of his life, where he wrote on European subjects (Pagan Spain) and approprirated existentialist themes (The Outsider). He was never at home politically, having first adhered to, then breaking quite publicly and notably. (Most liberals ignore Wright’s contribution to The God That Failed; conservatives have a duty to study it.) If you grant James Baldwin’s take on him, then Wright was never at home in his black manhood (in the essay, “Alas, Poor Richard!” he describes Wright’s prose as that of a man being castrated). Lastly, like many other leading black intellectuals – like Frantz Fanon, C.L.R. James, Amiri Baraka (initially, when he was LeRoi Jones), and James Baldwin (generally) – his spouse was white.

]]> By: PostLiberal http://www.gaypatriot.net/2008/01/21/richard-wright-great-american-writer/comment-page-1/#comment-38164 PostLiberal Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:24:23 +0000 http://www.gaypatriot.net/?p=1214#comment-38164 While I am Caucasian, I had the experience of being a racial minority when I worked in Trinidad. Yes, there IS something about being in a racial minority. Yes, there are black bigots just as there are white bigots. Yes, there are good people of any color. I would classify and classify, until I got sick and tired of doing so. I am tired of classifying. As regards Obama, I took several online quizzes to compare my political views with the other candidates. Obama was the candidate farthest apart from my views. Must be my rural Illinois grandfather’s antipathy towards Chicago machine politicians showing through. While I am Caucasian, I had the experience of being a racial minority when I worked in Trinidad. Yes, there IS something about being in a racial minority. Yes, there are black bigots just as there are white bigots. Yes, there are good people of any color. I would classify and classify, until I got sick and tired of doing so. I am tired of classifying.

As regards Obama, I took several online quizzes to compare my political views with the other candidates. Obama was the candidate farthest apart from my views.

Must be my rural Illinois grandfather’s antipathy towards Chicago machine politicians showing through.

]]> By: Christopher http://www.gaypatriot.net/2008/01/21/richard-wright-great-american-writer/comment-page-1/#comment-38167 Christopher Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:25:11 +0000 http://www.gaypatriot.net/?p=1214#comment-38167 Perhaps liberals are "fixated" on race, because race still matters in this country. Barack Obama has finished first or second in recent Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses. For this reason, a lot of attention is being paid to him. Barack Obama also happens to be black. He belongs to an ethnic minority group. For this additional reason, he is the focus of even more attention. I don't think that categorizing people runs counter to the goal of unity. In my opinion, there is strength in recognizing and respecting people's differences. Perhaps liberals are “fixated” on race, because race still matters in this country. Barack Obama has finished first or second in recent Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses. For this reason, a lot of attention is being paid to him. Barack Obama also happens to be black. He belongs to an ethnic minority group. For this additional reason, he is the focus of even more attention.

I don’t think that categorizing people runs counter to the goal of unity. In my opinion, there is strength in recognizing and respecting people’s differences.

]]> By: ThatGayConservative http://www.gaypatriot.net/2008/01/21/richard-wright-great-american-writer/comment-page-1/#comment-38169 ThatGayConservative Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:27:42 +0000 http://www.gaypatriot.net/?p=1214#comment-38169 #3 Maybe so, but when you're fixated on skin color, as the liberals usually are, there's something wrong. How many times are we going to be reminded that Obama is a black candidate? How many times were we informed, last year, that coaches Smith and Dungy were black? If you're my friend/associate and black, would it be worthwhile always introducing you as my black friend/associate? Catch my drift? Why the need to lable and categorize? How do you "unite" people if you get off on separating them? #3
Maybe so, but when you’re fixated on skin color, as the liberals usually are, there’s something wrong.

How many times are we going to be reminded that Obama is a black candidate? How many times were we informed, last year, that coaches Smith and Dungy were black? If you’re my friend/associate and black, would it be worthwhile always introducing you as my black friend/associate?

Catch my drift? Why the need to lable and categorize? How do you “unite” people if you get off on separating them?

]]> By: Christopher http://www.gaypatriot.net/2008/01/21/richard-wright-great-american-writer/comment-page-1/#comment-38171 Christopher Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:25:14 +0000 http://www.gaypatriot.net/?p=1214#comment-38171 Taking note of somebody's skin color does not necessarily indicate bigotry, just as noticing somebody's gender does not automatically mean sexism. Taking note of somebody’s skin color does not necessarily indicate bigotry, just as noticing somebody’s gender does not automatically mean sexism.

]]> By: ThatGayConservative http://www.gaypatriot.net/2008/01/21/richard-wright-great-american-writer/comment-page-1/#comment-38165 ThatGayConservative Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:58:37 +0000 http://www.gaypatriot.net/?p=1214#comment-38165 <blockquote>Were the publishers (to paraphrase Dr. King) seeking to judge him by the color of his skin and not the universality of his themes?</blockquote> That' what liberals do. Everybody has to be classified and categorized rather than just be referred to as human. I read in the WSJ, about a year ago, about a black horror author who was ticked off at this. His books weren't being found in the horror section but rather in the African-American section. We're supposed to be the racist bigots, but it's the liberals who always see skin color first and classify folks accordingly. Need proof? Barack Obama.

Were the publishers (to paraphrase Dr. King) seeking to judge him by the color of his skin and not the universality of his themes?

That’ what liberals do. Everybody has to be classified and categorized rather than just be referred to as human.

I read in the WSJ, about a year ago, about a black horror author who was ticked off at this. His books weren’t being found in the horror section but rather in the African-American section.

We’re supposed to be the racist bigots, but it’s the liberals who always see skin color first and classify folks accordingly. Need proof? Barack Obama.

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