Today I finished Morgan Parker’s collection Magical Negro. Throughout this collection Parker was able to focus on the fetishization of black people intersecting it with media representation of black people. As stated in my previous post, the term “magical” in this context is referring to one who is unhuman or immortal. There is a long standing stereotype that black people do not feel pain or have a different pain tolerance than their white counterparts. She touches on the ways that black people are seen, treated and represented and how those effects show up at a societal level. I believe that this type of writing is what I struggle with within my own poems. I am able to write about my own experiences, it is easy and comes natural to me without a second thought, but I struggle writing pieces centered around what could be considered a generalized experience or someone else’s experience. I want to work on creating characters/personas in my poems just as Parker does.
She likes it rough. When you open her up through the mouth hole, the dumb
cunt hole. You could stomp around in there. It’s fine. She
won’t feel nothing.
That played-out scene she loves so much so she can feel
like
she got a dick:
– “Magical Negro #3: The Strong Black Woman”
I enjoy the way in which Parker is able to take deeper dives into history, mainly black history. There are things that we do not know and questions that we have that it seems that no one can answer. I envy the way that she is able to articulate these questions. It is an art, but it is also seen as so real. Again, this is something that I struggle with. I believe that before I can even begin to think of questions that I may have about my own history and the history of others doubt kicks in. I doubt if my own questions or concerns are good enough to be asked or acknowledged. There is such deep meaning to that when I ask myself why I feel that way.
Where did Harriet Tubman sleep?
Who did Harriet Tubman kiss?
What about the Africans that stayed?
Why are they hungry?
Did Fredrick Douglass’s mother
brush his hair in the morning?
Was he tender-headed and afraid?
– “Who Were Fredrick Douglass’s Cousins, and Other Quotidian Black History Facts That I Wish I Learned In School”
With this being my last blog post, I think that I can say that the whole 3 week process was very beneficial to myself and my writing. This process gave me the space to begin crafting my own voice and to find inspiration. It also opened up space for me to get to know myself more. What are the things that I can about? What are my themes? I was forced to ask myself hard questions and I was forced to examine memories or topics that were hard. I believe that I can say that I have gained confidence over these 3 weeks that I did not have before and that I can leave Sweet Briar College having a voice.