TexPat Book Group discussion

We had a lovely zoom on Wednesday, with 8 members joining in to discuss The Nickel Boys by Coleson Whitehead. This wasn't a long book but had so much packed into its 210 pages. Sarah pointed out the author had a remarkable ability to convey so much through a few beautifully written words. We all ached for Elwood, a good boy who lost his parents young and strived through the strict upbringing by his grandmother to achieve more. We admired how he was moved by his teacher and his listening to Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches to help advance the cause of civil rights, how this informed his desire to stick up for the underdog, much to his detriment later on. We discussed how the power structure of the world then hasn't really changed that much today, though it's less overt. How one bad chance, hitchhiking to his university classes, led to his being sent to the reform school and noted the echoes in the graveyard discovered in Sugarland recently of convict labourers. 

There was really so much in this book to analyze regarding the ways of human behaviour, not only in the civil rights era, but today as well as in our colonial history. None of  us are untouched by the sins of the past, with colonialism and capitalism having much to answer for. We talked about who has power, at what cost it is maintained, and what that allows them to get away with in society: specifically in this case in relation to the use of the kids to ferry supplies meant for them to the larger community to profit some while making life worse for the kids who were supposed to be getting an education, being fed, and learning a trade. We also noted how the state had no interest in changing the way it was able to profit off the school. And how the fear and cruelty begat more cruelty. We were reminded that we cannot look away at the harrowing scenes of violence inflicted on Elwood and his friends. And were thankful that the molestion and rape was only referred obliquely to in one or two sentances thereby illustrating both how prevalent it was and how ignored it was by those with the power to stop it.

We also heard about Winston Churchill being the inventor of the concentration camp, which is contrary to his usual image. Sarah talked about her college's history with a stolen artifact and how transparent the college president has been about making changes to the legacy of the benefactor and making sure the artifact is returned to the people from whom it was stolen. In this time of wanting change instantaneously, it was great to hear or a measured, transparent, healing approach to rectifying the sins of the past.

Chantal highly recommended visiting the Museum in Montgomery AL. https://museumandmemorial.eji.org/, and Lynda recommended the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated https://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/ -- when we are back to being free to travel without concern.

Other media discussed included 13th on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741 The Allusionist podcast Maori language: https://www.theallusionist.org/allusi... was used to illustrate the way language shapes our world view.

Thanks for the summary! Thought I’d get my suggestions in while they’re fresh in my mind:

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson (4.62)
A Promised Land by Barack Obama (4.11)
Notes on a Silencing by Lacy Crawford (4.29)
Wintering by Katherine May (4.16)
Memorial by Bryan Washington (3.77 - Houston author)
The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel (3.72 - features Vancouver Island)
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart (4.39 - Booker Prize 2020)

I hope you find something you like on the list.

Kindest regards,
Carole

The vanishing half