The Poetics of Empire: A Study of James Grainger's The Sugar Cane

by John Gilmore

First published in 1764, The Sugar-Cane is a major work in the history of Anglophone Caribbean literature. It is the only poem written in the Caribbean before the Twentieth Century to achieve a place in the Western 'canon' Grainger sought to interpret hi

Genres: Poetry

354 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1764

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

John Gilmore was born in the Charity Ward of the Los Angeles County General Hospital and was raised in Hollywood. His mother had been a studio contract-player for MGM while his step-grandfather worked as head carpenter for RKO Pictures. Gilmore's parents separated when he was six months old and he was subsequently raised by his grandmother. Gilmore's father became a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer, and also wrote and acted on radio shows, a police public service (the shows featured promising movie starlets as well as established performers like Bonita Granville, Ann Rutherford, the "jungle girl" Aquanetta, Joan Davis, Hillary Brooke, Ann Jeffreys, Brenda Marshall and other players young John Gilmore became acquainted with. As a child actor, he appeared in a Gene Autry movie and bit parts at Republic Studios. He worked in LAPD safety films and did stints on radio. Eventually he appeared in commercial films. Actors Ida Lupino and John Hodiak were mentors to Gilmore, who worked in numerous television shows and feature films at Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Universal International studios. During the 1950s, through John Hodiak, Gilmore sustained an acquaintanceship with Marilyn Monroe in Hollywood, then in New York, where Gilmore was involved with the Actors Studio, transcribing the lectures of Lee Strasberg into book form. Gilmore performed on stage and in live TV, wrote poetry and screenplays, directed two experimental plays, one by Jean Genet. He wrote and directed a low-budget film entitled "Expressions", later changed to "Blues for Benny." The film did not get general release but was shown independently. Gilmore eventually settled into a writing career; journalist, true crime writer and novelist. He served as head of the writing program at Antioch University and has taught and lectured at length.

Reviews

[Luka Mullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild poem, an absolute historical gem. Its particular brand of the pro-slavery stance is fascinating and perplexing. There is so much to contextualize and little of Grainger’s life is known. I like the idea of a poem or any work that possesses close to this degree of artistry serving very practical purposes, because the need for that doesn’t exist anymore, and no individually constructed object will ever hold this much communicative power in our times. Despite Grainger opting to introduce the ethical considerations of enslaving people, I’ve concluded that this work exists independently of the ethics, and is entirely motivated to perfect the cultivation and sale of sugar—his body of knowledge most apt to promote the prosperity of the British empire, his ultimate objective. This single-minded resoluteness is unusual and captivating, and doubly when it coincides with such enormous moral failings. It is also fun to read about familiar fruits and plants as if I’ve never heard of them.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all time favorite books. Similar to Mark Kurlansky's Salt, or Cod in nature, this book traces the history of sugar cane and its cause/effect of colonialism. The relationship with the slave trade and growth of the Caribbean and South is particularly interesting. Also, with artwork from William Blake, how can you go wrong?