Status Updates From Hell of a Book

“It’s sadness that sits at the bedrock of all of the anger these people feel everyday. Sadness at being left behind and left out of so much of what everyone else seems to have in this country.”

“Ain’t willful ignorance a hell of a thing?”

“I’m not sure Black people can be happy in this world.there’s just too much backstory of sadness …life always comes thru with those reminders letting you know …you’re just a part of an exploited people and a denied destiny and all you can do is hate your past and, by proxy, hate yourself.”

She explains that many parents like him beat their children because they are terrified and just want their children to be safe. The fear that Black parents feel about their children being in danger is all-consuming. parents beat their children because they would rather be the ones to give their children pain than have them receive it from the outside world.

“You see, the thing those fablers don’t get is that certain kids don’t get a fair chance to chase the dream. The world murders them first. Murders them, but fails to kill them. So these kids, they die young and grow a little more mad every day from then on out.”

‘Most of them will think that everything is okay and that you’re being treated well enough and that everything is beautiful. Because for them all they can imagine is a world in which things are fair and beautiful because they’ve always been treated fairly and beautifully. History has always been kind to them

“Dear Mr. Lord of War: The whole world of my life spins under a radiant marquee of fear. Day in and day out it kills me, over and over and over again. Kills me dead, just to restart it all tomorrow. And all I can do about it is tell people that I’m fine. Thanks for reading.”

The phrase "Americae excommunicatus" (Latin for "excommunicated America" or "the excommunicated American") appears in academic and literary contexts to describe the marginalization or exclusion of Black Americans as the ultimate "American Other" outside of standard temporal and human structures.

When Jack meets the first-person narrator, he asks, “You’re Black?” to which the narrator responds, “I am” (89).

He’s talking about nostalgia and an impactful incident. “That’s what I call “nowstalgia “. When you know a time in your life is gonna last forever, even before the moment is over.”

This quote: When telling Soot about the truth about being treated differently because of the color of his skin and how he needs to act differently because of that (with police etc) “And with each word, his son’s heart would break. With each word, his son would be capable of a little less love….a little less life. It was the bonsai of a child. His own child.”

Ewww. I hate that his dad told him to be colorblind.

Similar to Soot’s father only drawing white people, Renny criticizes The author for not writing about Black people or the black condition.

I am starting to wonder if the author is living in reality or if this is all in his mind. Does he really not know he is Black until now?

I love this book and I am only on page 10.