Literary Fiction by People of Color discussion

Is there anyone who had read or who is presently reading Salvage the Bones who would like to lead the discussion starting on January 1?

Not only can't I be the discussion leader...I can't even get my hands on a copy from any of the libraries in the 2 systems I access here in DC Metro....I may have to actually spend more than a dollar on a book for this highly anticipated one..

Tomorrow is January 1, so, lacking any other volunteer, I'll go ahead and start the discussion off. We are discussing the surprise winner of the 2011 National Book Award for fiction, Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. Here's a little biographical information about the author:

Jesmyn Ward grew up in DeLisle, Mississippi. She received her MFA from the University of Michigan, where she won five Hopwood awards for essays, drama, and fiction. A Stegner Fellow at Stanford from 2008 to 2010, she is currently the Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi. Her debut novel, Where the Line Bleeds, was an Essence Book Club selection, a Black Caucus of the ALA Honor Award recipient, and a finalist for both the Virginia Commonwealth University Cabell First Novelist Award and the Hurston/ Wright Legacy Award. Salvage The Bones is her second novel and is the Winner of the 2011 National Book Award in Fiction.

Here's a link to a personal statement by Ward about her life and the inspiration for her writing:

http://www.bloomsbury.com/Jesmyn-Ward...

Here's an interview with Ward in The Paris Review:

http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/20...

And here's a great review of Salvage the Bones from the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/enterta...

We'll start the discussion tomorrow. Happy New Year and happy reading!

I will get my copy on hold at library on Jan. 2nd to start the read. I hope this one is better than last month but enjoyed November read.

That's the fun of a group, Adrienna - everyone has different opinions about the books! It's always a surprise to see who enjoys which books!

So true Mina!!! It surprises me sometimes and what we take from it is more important to open my eyes and ears, and even heart to things I missed or overlooked as well. This also helps me understand it better than when I read it; whether I agree or disagree. The feedback is great.

How many of us have read or are reading this book? I am a little more than halfway through.

Sorry I'm not able to step up to discussion leader on this one. I won't even get to start reading Salvage the Bones for a few days, but I will jump in as I do.

I think that, once you start reading, you will not be able to stop. I completely see why this won the National Book Award. I can just go ahead and lead on this one as soon as we are ready to start.

I hope to read it next week, since I will pick up from the library tomorrow. I have several other reads to do today. Glad to hear about this read. I am liking "Oil on the Water" by Helon Habila from a past selection that didn't make the list that I wanted to read instead of "We the Animals."

Cannot wait to see what there is to discuss soon.

I read Salvage the Bones several months ago and it is one of my top reads by AA authors for 2011. I will be interested in what others have to say about the book. I have since donated my book so I will be commenting from memory.
I enjoyed this book much more than Ms. Ward's first book and thought that her writing and storytelling had matured.

Adrienna wrote: "I hope to read it next week, since I will pick up from the library tomorrow. I have several other reads to do today. Glad to hear about this read. I am liking "Oil on the Water" by Helon Habila fro..."

Glad you are enjoying Oil on Water. I have enjoyed all of his work and am sad that I have to wait several years between books.

Thanks Beverly; and wow great review from NY. Can't wait.

Just starting up, I loved the three epigraphs at the beginning of this book. Could they be any more diverse? The first is biblical:

See now that I, even I am he, and there is no god with me; I kill, and I make alive, I wound, and I heal, neither is there any can deliver out of my hand. - Deuteronomy 32:39

The second is from Spanish poet Gloria Fuertes' poem "Now":

For though I'm small, I know many things,
And my body is an endless eye
Through which, unfortunately, I see everything.

And the last is from hip-hop artists Outkast from their release, "Da Art of Storytellin' (Pt. 1)":

We on our backs staring at the stars above,
Talking about what we going to be when we grow up,
I said what you wanna be? She said, "Alive."

Even if you haven't read the book yet, do these choices say something about this book? I was intrigued.

i read the first and the last as talking of the hurricane, and the second and the last as talking about esch, the moral center of the novel (and the narrator).

the last one, too, is powerfully life-affirming.

I wanted to share the link of an excellent podcast of an interview with Ward, but be prepared - it's long! A full hour. But it's wonderful to hear Ward speaking about her life, her work, and the people she grew up with and writes about. I heard her speak at the Decatur (GA) Book Fair this summer and she is a very interesting young woman. Here it is:

http://www.washingtonindependentrevie...

Thank you for all the yummy links.

The cover of this book lets us know right away that one of the most important characters in this book is China, Skeetah's pit bull. The birth of China's puppies is our introduction to the Batiste family. Without going too deeply into the book, what did you think about Ward's treatment of China in this book? Was anyone uncomfortable with the idea of China as a fighting dog?

Mina, I have my book from the library. From the first page I was pulled in by Jesmyn Ward's writing. I did feel shocked that China is a Pit bull. I'm sure there is a reason for her to choose a fighting dog.

SPOILER MAYBE??

I'm glad you brought up the pups. If I'm not mistaken the dog on the cover is the puppy which was born dead.

I am thinking China is symbolic I some way maybe but I am not to far into the book yet.

I think so too.China is so gentle with her pups. I guess we can learn lessons from our pets or the animals around us.

Mina, thanks for bringing up the epigraphs. I need to reread each one.

That Hip Hop one is powerful, isn't it?? I like it the best. I'm not familiar with the poet.

Wilhelmina wrote: "Is there anyone who had read or who is presently reading Salvage the Bones who would like to lead the discussion starting on January 1?"

I'm having the same experience as some people. The books are on hold or in transit in SF all libraries. I will just read it at the book store.

I hope to be able to get my copy from the library tomorrow.

Great, Keisha! How is everyone else coming along?

done.

Esch and China are the only females in a very male-centered world. (I had never heard the name "Esch" before, but the author, in an interview, confirmed that it is short for Eshelle, a name of French derivation.) Did you think that the author effectively conveyed the effect on Esch of the lack of a mother, sisters, or close friends?

I'm coming along slowly. Luv the book. Wasn't well yesterday. Didn't get any reading done. Want to move forward in the book today. It's such a good one.

even though a lot of the "action" in the book is masculine (hurricane preparation, hard labor, etc.), the book felt very feminine to me. one element of it is that all the kids are very clearly and overtly much attached to their dead mother, and very much influenced by her. the dead mother is a very powerful presence and gets constantly evoked in the narration, through esch's thoughts and in her conversations with her brothers. the dead mother made this family the way it is, and this family models itself on how it was when mom was alive and things had no yet fallen apart.

also, the job of nurturing doesn't fall only on esch, the only sister, but on all the siblings (except for junior, who's the youngest). when the mother died, randall and esch were put in charge of bottle-feeding baby junior and took turns doing so, and randall is very attentive toward him (my impression is that randall is junior's primary caretaker).

skeetah's nurturing of course comes out very strongly in his attention to china and the puppies. the scenes in which skeetah takes care of china are some of the most beautiful in the novel. his love for and lovingness toward the dog brought tears to my eyes. (hattie, pitbulls are not more aggressive or less sweet than any other dogs. they got a bad rap after michael vick, but their reputation is undeserved. dogs of most breeds can be trained to fight.)

i think that in a way the two biological females are less nurturing than some of the other characters, for all sorts of complex reasons we can discuss as we go on. i don't know if this is your impression also.

finally, i want to point out that the hurricane seems to be a female presence, and it's surely a fierce one!

but i'm getting ahead of myself...

Ummm, it's going a little slowly for me. I might have my mind on an ebook I'm reading. Will have to come back to this at a later time. Sorry, Mina. Enjoyed reading the comment directly above. Will look forward to reading the comment at a later time. Thanks for understanding.

Hi Jo,

Thanks for explaining the nature of the pit bull. Just reading the name pit bull made me afraid.

Jo, your post is very helpful. Hate to give up. Will try to read more.....

Joy, I'm back again. I'm here to stay. I'm sucked into the book again.

excellent, hattie! enjoy the book. it's a good one.

I know.

Jo, I've gotten to the point where there is no turning back. I am beginning to sort through the characters and like or dislike them: Escha, Skeet, Manny, Junior, etc.
Is there a reading schedule? I'm always overlooking one thing or another.

Rebecca, I don't know which week....I'm just flowing along with the story.

This is not a long book, so I am hoping that people will just start by discussing the first section of the book where the Batiste family members - living and not - are introduced and we see their world through Esch's point of view. I agree with jo that Esch's mother is still a dynamic force in her family's life, but I do think that her absence deeply affects how Esch sees the world. What did you think about Esch's sexual life? Was her behavior understandable?

Hi Mina,

I think Esch's feelings are typical. She's not happy about her pregnancy. She's not even sure about her feelings for Manny during that intimate moment. She likes it. She doesn't like it. Kinda like He loves me, he loves me not. Plus, Esch is afraid. What will happen to her physical body? What will her daddy think? What will her brothers think? How will they react?

I think Ms. Ward really made us understand a young girl's feelings when this happens....Without it being said I knew Esche needed her mom at this time. Needed that woman to woman kind of thing.

Mina, I feel comfortable here. Happy.

If I remember correctly, Escha is very young. Twelve or thirteen?? Those numbers don't look right.

i think esch is older than that. i remember working it out at the time but i don't remember what i figured out now. i think randall is 18, and the other two older siblings are very close in age to him and to each other.

at the beginning esch talks about her sexuality a lot. she has the reputation of being easy, as apparently she had sex with a lot of the boys who hang out at the batiste property (and what's with that, by the way? why is that a good place for all these boys and men to hang out?). she describes having sex as something she really likes to do, but the two or three descriptions of sex-making we get are anything but savory. the very first time she had sex is like rape, with esch feeling powerless to stop it or to do anything about it. when she has sex with manny, well, it's very clear that manny does not love OR like her, to the point that he doesn't let her touch his face or kiss him, so it's all pretty demeaning and sad.

from what you say, mina, it sounds as if you attribute this to motherlessness. is that correct? i wish you said more about esch's mother's death and the way esch sees the world...

Hattie wrote: "Mina, I feel comfortable here. Happy."

Glad to hear it, Hattie!

jo wrote: "why is that a good place for all these boys and men to hang out?)...."

Mother is dead; father is barely present and alcoholic. No one to hold them accountable for their behavior.

I do think that the absence of any older women to talk to and learn from has left Esch adrift when it comes to understanding sexuality. She has no living models of behavior - only the memory of her parents and her father's continuing love for her mother, and the biggest influence - books. She turns to Greek mythology to understand relationships, and, while the Jason and Media story is a passionate one, it's also tragic and filled with betrayal on all sides. She's a very intelligent young woman, but she understands nothing about intimate relationships. She says that she has sex because it's the easiest thing to do, and then, when she falls in love with Manny, he becomes her Jason, her "golden" lover. His casual use of her sexuality and passion is heartbreaking.

Oh, and her other example of a relationship is, of course, Skeetah and China. This is no way for a young girl to grow up. (She's 15 or 16 in this book.)

I had her age wrong. No, it's not good. No older women is like an empty hold. I was surprised to read about the Greek Mythology reading....I wonder why the author chose Greek mythology. It does add interest to the story along with the puppies.

Violeta Leon wrote: "I'm having the same experience as some people. The books are on hold or in transit in SF all libraries. I will just read it at the book store. "

Me as well, there is a long late for this book at my libraries! Hopefully I will have it soon.

Violeta, Regina, and others waiting for the book: Join us whenever you can. It's a pretty quick read and well worth the wait!

As you are reading, what did you think of Esch's voice in this book? Did it ring true for you? What about her identification with Medea?

Wilhelmina wrote: "Esch and China are the only females in a very male-centered world. (I had never heard the name "Esch" before, but the author, in an interview, confirmed that it is short for Eshelle, a name of Fren..."

Yes I caught the fact that they are the only women in the home, female dog and female girl/daughter/sister and wondered where the name came from as well! I am only about halfway in the book.

To answer your previous question, I was wondering where some of the scenes of blood came from on the dog--fighting dog. There was also indication Skeet wanted to sell her pups to make at least $800 to help his brother fee for basketball camp. The book for me goes in and out with China, then Skeet undeniable love for his dog (some compare as man and wife), and Esch naive mindset but believes she is a woman because of having sex with boys at an early age.