Thank you for this thoughtful article. I consider Maya to be one of my greatest role models and even one of my "spirit guides" in creativity. By pointing out these things, it actually endears me more to her than turns me off because it's proof that humans are humans. We make mistakes. We say the wrong thing, we defend a position that perhaps feels right in that moment but not later on. We rally for causes that seem appropriate but then turn into the very thing we fight against. None of us are infallible, and Maya is no exception. Thank you for yet another brilliant article, Michael!
I had to read that book in middle school. While most people will point out that here I am, alive and kicking and getting sleep at night like everybody else, there is something to be said about being exposed to vividly-depicted rapes below a certain age to help socialize people into believing "the right thing." I'm glad you appreciated it. That's something I can never do. None of that, of course, is Angelous fault.
You made some good points about the Woke ideologues here. But I don't think Angelou will be canceled. Woke language is so dependent on intersectionality it doesn't yet have an effective means to counteract a disagreeable Black person the same way as a disagreeable White person by virtue of intersectionality's core logical structuring: the best they can do is simply pretend disagreeable Black people don't exist, and hope that misinformed people "realize" all Black people agree with them. That's why you never hear about MLK anymore except in January: why, when he was an "evil Christian." While the recall unfortunately didn't get that pompous ken doll Gavin Newsom out of Sacramento, it did give us the juicy Woke absurdity of Larry Elder being "the Black face of White supremacy." The useful idiots no doubt accept it hook, line and sinker because they've been ideologically lobotomized, but deep down the thinkers among them must know it's an absurd concept and that they shouldn't have said that, if only for strategic reasons. Then again, perhaps I give them too much credit. If one book I read about the Weather Underground is any indication, they tend to rigidly accept certain truths about the world and nothing on the face of the earth can change their minds. Yuri Bezmenov was crystal clear about that when it came to ideological subversion.
As for Asians, Woke people hate Asians. I won't bore you with the laundry list of their hypocrisy on this front, but they despise Asians for being "the model minority," and for not hating White people as much as they do. But unlike Irish-Americans who they have written off as "traitors to the cause" for "becoming White," they still pretend to care about Asians every now and then: the whole Chinavirus kerfuffle was one example of that, as was Dr Seuss.
What they will do with Angelou - should this come to public attention - is claim that it was White supremacy that made her prejudiced or something like that. (They will say prejudiced, because to them a Black person can never be racist) That's basically the argument for why John Rollin Ridge, author of the first California novel Joaquin Murrieta (Ridge having been a Cherokee Indian), had Murrieta the bandit attack Chinese immigrants in California as well as White gold rush miners. These arguments always try to find excuses for prejudice coming from non-Whites (in other words, they defend it) before trying to circle back to make it White people's fault, and I've seen academics do this at conferences too without entertaining any alternate explanations. The fact that it robs Angelou of her personal agency and autonomy as a human being is irrelevant to these people.
It's easy to make these arguments when a society doesn't believe in the individual: Angelou isn't an individual to Woke people, but a color and a body. Nothing more. I wish it was just Woke people who held that belief. Anyway, sweet article! Your thoughts on literature are always insightful.
Yeah, she won't be cancelled; this is my point. She's untouchable on the left even though the language is "cancellable" by 2023 Woke definitions. But the definitions are constantly changing and it depends on whether you're on the "right side" (pun intended). Therein lies the hypocrisy. That was my main thesis here: If the left does it, no matter how bad it is, it's all good; if the Right does, no matter how benign, it's inherently racist and evil. Her book "should" be cancelled by the left's own game. But I don't think it should be: I don't think ANY books on any side should be cancelled.
Thought provoking reflection on Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings". I've ordered another copy, I read this years and years ago but it might be time for a refresher.
I actually audiobooked Mein Kampf just a couple weeks ago. One day I was like, why am I so irritated right now? Then I realized it was cuz I had just listened to like 6 hours of that trash book.
I also read another book recently called, Cracker Culture. It was recommended by Thomas Sowell at some point, I think in his book Black Rednecks and White Liberals. I don't really think the South is any more racist than the North today. But those books are interesting. They discuss the Scots-Irish cultural influence on America, including on black people. I think I read somewhere that over 40% of African-Americans have some Irish ancestry.
The comment “the South, was terribly, ruthlessly racist, and not just culturally, like today, but sadly legally.” Why do you feel the South is “culturally racist” today?
That line of mine might have been a little loose and slightly sloppy. What I meant was: Just like most parts of the USA (North and South, East and West) there is *some* minor ambient level of cultural racism going on today, which pales in comparison to back then in the 1930s.
If and when the wrongheaded thinking of today’s progressives gets beveled away and leaves something healthier, it will have been helped along by sensitive humanist critiques like yours. The problem for the left is that they’ve been so unwilling to listen to voices like yours, they’ve allowed themselves to be typecast by the right. The stereotyping of woke progressives by the right is largely in bad faith, I think, but THAT accusation isn’t one I can really back up. And even if the right IS in bad faith, the DeSantis kind of policy response was earned by the left.
Until there’s acceptance of that, Trumpism will never go away.
YES!!!!! Extremely well said my friend! Moynihan on The 5th Column was sort of just talking about that on the most recent pod (the one where they discuss Pride Month and Tupac) a la "Root Causes." The left desperately needs to own their side and take some goddamn responsibility. Time to look in the mirror.
I agree. That's what I mean: it definitely hasn't and wouldn't be cancelled today, but by the Leftist definition it "should" be. Were the author white, say, it probably would be. This is what I'm criticizing. I don't think Caged Bird should be cancelled. But also neither should any other book.
Thank you for this thoughtful article. I consider Maya to be one of my greatest role models and even one of my "spirit guides" in creativity. By pointing out these things, it actually endears me more to her than turns me off because it's proof that humans are humans. We make mistakes. We say the wrong thing, we defend a position that perhaps feels right in that moment but not later on. We rally for causes that seem appropriate but then turn into the very thing we fight against. None of us are infallible, and Maya is no exception. Thank you for yet another brilliant article, Michael!
I can't believe I missed this before but: Thank you!!!!!
I had to read that book in middle school. While most people will point out that here I am, alive and kicking and getting sleep at night like everybody else, there is something to be said about being exposed to vividly-depicted rapes below a certain age to help socialize people into believing "the right thing." I'm glad you appreciated it. That's something I can never do. None of that, of course, is Angelous fault.
You made some good points about the Woke ideologues here. But I don't think Angelou will be canceled. Woke language is so dependent on intersectionality it doesn't yet have an effective means to counteract a disagreeable Black person the same way as a disagreeable White person by virtue of intersectionality's core logical structuring: the best they can do is simply pretend disagreeable Black people don't exist, and hope that misinformed people "realize" all Black people agree with them. That's why you never hear about MLK anymore except in January: why, when he was an "evil Christian." While the recall unfortunately didn't get that pompous ken doll Gavin Newsom out of Sacramento, it did give us the juicy Woke absurdity of Larry Elder being "the Black face of White supremacy." The useful idiots no doubt accept it hook, line and sinker because they've been ideologically lobotomized, but deep down the thinkers among them must know it's an absurd concept and that they shouldn't have said that, if only for strategic reasons. Then again, perhaps I give them too much credit. If one book I read about the Weather Underground is any indication, they tend to rigidly accept certain truths about the world and nothing on the face of the earth can change their minds. Yuri Bezmenov was crystal clear about that when it came to ideological subversion.
As for Asians, Woke people hate Asians. I won't bore you with the laundry list of their hypocrisy on this front, but they despise Asians for being "the model minority," and for not hating White people as much as they do. But unlike Irish-Americans who they have written off as "traitors to the cause" for "becoming White," they still pretend to care about Asians every now and then: the whole Chinavirus kerfuffle was one example of that, as was Dr Seuss.
What they will do with Angelou - should this come to public attention - is claim that it was White supremacy that made her prejudiced or something like that. (They will say prejudiced, because to them a Black person can never be racist) That's basically the argument for why John Rollin Ridge, author of the first California novel Joaquin Murrieta (Ridge having been a Cherokee Indian), had Murrieta the bandit attack Chinese immigrants in California as well as White gold rush miners. These arguments always try to find excuses for prejudice coming from non-Whites (in other words, they defend it) before trying to circle back to make it White people's fault, and I've seen academics do this at conferences too without entertaining any alternate explanations. The fact that it robs Angelou of her personal agency and autonomy as a human being is irrelevant to these people.
It's easy to make these arguments when a society doesn't believe in the individual: Angelou isn't an individual to Woke people, but a color and a body. Nothing more. I wish it was just Woke people who held that belief. Anyway, sweet article! Your thoughts on literature are always insightful.
Yeah, she won't be cancelled; this is my point. She's untouchable on the left even though the language is "cancellable" by 2023 Woke definitions. But the definitions are constantly changing and it depends on whether you're on the "right side" (pun intended). Therein lies the hypocrisy. That was my main thesis here: If the left does it, no matter how bad it is, it's all good; if the Right does, no matter how benign, it's inherently racist and evil. Her book "should" be cancelled by the left's own game. But I don't think it should be: I don't think ANY books on any side should be cancelled.
Very thoughtful and can't say I disagree.
Thanks, Michael!!
Thought provoking reflection on Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings". I've ordered another copy, I read this years and years ago but it might be time for a refresher.
Let me know what you think when you're done!
I actually audiobooked Mein Kampf just a couple weeks ago. One day I was like, why am I so irritated right now? Then I realized it was cuz I had just listened to like 6 hours of that trash book.
I also read another book recently called, Cracker Culture. It was recommended by Thomas Sowell at some point, I think in his book Black Rednecks and White Liberals. I don't really think the South is any more racist than the North today. But those books are interesting. They discuss the Scots-Irish cultural influence on America, including on black people. I think I read somewhere that over 40% of African-Americans have some Irish ancestry.
I've read Black Rednecks. Great book!
The comment “the South, was terribly, ruthlessly racist, and not just culturally, like today, but sadly legally.” Why do you feel the South is “culturally racist” today?
That line of mine might have been a little loose and slightly sloppy. What I meant was: Just like most parts of the USA (North and South, East and West) there is *some* minor ambient level of cultural racism going on today, which pales in comparison to back then in the 1930s.
If and when the wrongheaded thinking of today’s progressives gets beveled away and leaves something healthier, it will have been helped along by sensitive humanist critiques like yours. The problem for the left is that they’ve been so unwilling to listen to voices like yours, they’ve allowed themselves to be typecast by the right. The stereotyping of woke progressives by the right is largely in bad faith, I think, but THAT accusation isn’t one I can really back up. And even if the right IS in bad faith, the DeSantis kind of policy response was earned by the left.
Until there’s acceptance of that, Trumpism will never go away.
YES!!!!! Extremely well said my friend! Moynihan on The 5th Column was sort of just talking about that on the most recent pod (the one where they discuss Pride Month and Tupac) a la "Root Causes." The left desperately needs to own their side and take some goddamn responsibility. Time to look in the mirror.
Aargh. Yes they do. They don’t seem to want to hear it from me, though.
Thank you Nadia :)))
I agree. That's what I mean: it definitely hasn't and wouldn't be cancelled today, but by the Leftist definition it "should" be. Were the author white, say, it probably would be. This is what I'm criticizing. I don't think Caged Bird should be cancelled. But also neither should any other book.