There were no reporters in the room. They were only allowed after the luncheon was over and the doors were open. There may be a recording of it somewhere. I have a lot of pictures but no video recording. On Mon, Aug 1, 2022 at 4:37 PM Railton, Stephen F (sfr) < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > Thanks very much, Susan. This happened in 2015, is that right? Does > anyone on the forum know if they were any reports about the tray being > dropped in the local media? Your account is clear and convincing and I'm > very grateful you shared it with us, but I just wonder if the drama of the > moment, or the feelings of the server, or any more reactions from the > audience got reported. > "Was it something I said"?!? In this context, that line sure resonates... > Thanks again, Steve > ________________________________ > From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Susan Bailey < > [log in to unmask]> > Sent: Monday, August 1, 2022 4:18 PM > To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Re: BOOK REVIEW: _N: My Encounter with Racism_ by James Henry > Harris > > Steve Railton, > The following is my take on that day. It may differ from what others > remember but I was at the head table so had a bird’s eye view of a few > reactions. > > The president of the University and the other dignitaries looked very > uncomfortable but no one said anything. I believed Hal remarked from the > podium, “Was it something I said?” Everyone laughed and he moved on with > his speech, using the same word a few more times as I recall. But then > anyone who knew Hal Holbrook knew he didn’t mince words, not even that one. > He once told me that Twain had no other word to use in his time. > > After the luncheon was over he was surrounded by reporters but he told them > he had to get to another appointment, pushed me off on them by telling them > I could answer their questions (which I could not) and he left the > building. He and Ryan did hold the car for me until I was able to extricate > myself from them. > > On Mon, Aug 1, 2022 at 10:54 AM Railton, Stephen F (sfr) < > [log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > Kevin, I appreciated the thoughtfulness of your review. > > Susan, that was a very powerful story you shared, but I sure would like > to > > know more about what happened. Especially: what happened next? was there > > any discussion of the event? > > There's no question of how difficult this subject is to talk about, but I > > believe the more we talk about it, the further we can get. Thanks, Steve > > Railton > > ________________________________ > > From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Susan Bailey < > > [log in to unmask]> > > Sent: Monday, August 1, 2022 9:06 AM > > To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> > > Subject: Re: BOOK REVIEW: _N: My Encounter with Racism_ by James Henry > > Harris > > > > This review is very interesting to me and explains some things that I am > > aware of but didn’t quite understand. > > > > When Hal Holbrook received his honorary doctorate degree from the > > University of Missouri, he used that word a few times at a luncheon > speech > > while quoting Twain. A Black server dropped her tray with all the food on > > it. It was a dramatic moment! > > > > I’m a token member of a private all Black group centered in Hannibal and > > there are members that admire Twain for his writing and for what his > > presence did for Hannibal; Others believe him to be a racist because of > the > > liberal use of that word in his writings. I understand this better now. > > > > Regards > > Susan Madeline Bailey > > > > On Mon, Aug 1, 2022 at 8:26 AM Barbara Schmidt <[log in to unmask]> > > wrote: > > > > > BOOK REVIEW > > > > > > The following book review was written for the Mark Twain Forum by Kevin > > Mac > > > Donnell. > > > ~~~~~ > > > > > > _N: My Encounter with Racism and the Forbidden Word in an American > > > Classic_. By James Henry Harris. Fortress Press, 2021. Pp. 181. > > Softcover. > > > $18.99. ISBN 978-1-5064-7916-3. Ebook: 978-1-5064-7917-0. > > > > > > Many books reviewed on the Forum are available at discounted prices > from > > > the TwainWeb Bookstore, and purchases from this site generate > commissions > > > that benefit the Mark Twain Project. Please visit < > > http://www.twainweb.net > > > >. > > > > > > Reviewed for the Mark Twain Forum by > > > Kevin Mac Donnell. > > > > > > > > > This volume is a revision of _The Forbidden Word_ (2012), Harris's > > earlier > > > book about Mark Twain's use of the word "nigger" in _Adventures of > > > Huckleberry Finn_, with a new preface that takes into account the state > > of > > > race relations since the publication of that book. Harris describes his > > > hard-scrabble childhood, growing up in a house with no indoor plumbing > > and > > > no electricity, and surrounded by "sex, lies, drinking, liquor, and > > gossip" > > > (67-68). There was no health care, and the only books in the house > were a > > > defective Bible and whatever textbooks he and his nine siblings brought > > > home. These sparse details don't begin to convey the relentless > grinding > > > poverty or the crushing weight of the confusions, injustices, losses, > and > > > tragedies of his childhood years. As if this noxious brew needed > > seasoning, > > > a heavy dose of racism was stirred into this miserable mix. > > > > > > Harris survived, but not without scars. Now a Distinguished Professor > of > > > Pastoral Theology & Homiletics at Virginia Union University, more than > a > > > decade ago he decided to pursue a Master of Arts degree in English > > > literature at the age of 53, and enrolled in a class on _Huckleberry > > Finn_. > > > He was the only black student in the class, in fact the only minority > > > member of the class (xv), and immediately found that reading the word > > > "nigger" on the printed page was one thing, but _hearing_ the word read > > > aloud and bandied about on the lips of the white students and his white > > > professor was something quite different, and not merely offensive or > > > humiliating, but profoundly painful. > > > > > > Hearing the word triggered Harris's memories of being called a "nigger" > > as > > > a child, which felt "like the sharp jabs of a dagger" (25), which had > > laid > > > the foundation of his lifetime reaction to the word, knowing that "when > > you > > > hear whites use the word, you know in your spirit that it is intended > to > > > harm" (151). Although Mark Twain is not calling Harris or any of his > > > readers a "nigger," Harris's life-long conditioning explains what some > > may > > > consider his overreaction to hearing it spoken from the pages of > Twain's > > > novel. Writes Harris, " . . . nobody can tell me I am a _nigger_ . . . > > > nobody has the right to do that, and Mark Twain is no exception" > (ix-x). > > > Harris even describes his violent physical reaction to hearing the word > > > spoken by his fellow classmates (18). Harris also feels that when > anyone, > > > including "Black intellectuals," substitutes the phrase "N-word" for > > > "nigger" that this is the equivalent of "nigger" and therefore equally > > > disturbing (xiii-xiv). > > > > > > For Harris, Twain's satire often backfires; he writes that "satire > works > > > too well for Black people. It reinforces the stereotype it was intended > > to > > > obviate" (156). But he also acknowledges his admiration of Twain's use > of > > > satire and irony, especially in the portrayal of whites in the novel, > and > > > praises Twain's "marvelous" use of words and phrases (147). Harris > makes > > > clear that "any author willing to send his dear protagonist Huck Finn > all > > > the way to hell on behalf of one of my African American ancestors is > > > certainly worthy of my acclamation" (47-48), but he still objects to > > > Twain's use of the word "nigger" and describes his "dialectical > > > relationship with the writer and the novel" as "Love and hate. > Admiration > > > and disgust" (150). > > > > > > At times he seems to confuse Twain's putting the word into the mouths > of > > > his characters with Twain uttering the word himself, but either way it > > > makes no difference to Harris (148-149). However, this distinction is > no > > > small distinction, and is a valid explanation of Twain's utilization of > > the > > > word, but Harris explicitly rejects that argument (xv). To Harris, > Twain > > is > > > a racist because he uses the word "so flippantly. So cavalier-like. So > > > wrenchingly and so unashamedly" (31) and that "there is a persistent > > racial > > > and cultural hierarchy that permeates the written and visual texts in > > > _Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_" and that "this does mean that Twain > > was a > > > racist, and he certainly took advantage of being white" (152). Harris > is > > > either ignoring the satire or simply missing Twain's point; perhaps > both. > > > Even at key moments in the novel, Harris does not soften his objections > > to > > > the word, asserting that Aunt Sally's revealing expression of relief > that > > > the steamboat explosion only killed a "nigger" was an example of > "racism > > > and white supremacy" and not a moment of "literary genius" (155). > > Likewise, > > > although Harris accurately cites Pap Finn's racist rant about "niggers" > > and > > > the government as Twain's way of showing "the racism of the times" he > > > nevertheless concludes that "it is symptomatic of the reality of white > > > supremacy in both Pap, the character, Mark Twain, the writer, and Huck > > the > > > protagonist" (171). > > > > > > Harris refuses to distinguish the racism of Twain's characters from > their > > > creator, and is consistently confrontational and defiant, or else a > > > provocateur (130). At other times he is admittedly mischievous (136), > and > > > admits that his imagination sometimes may be getting the better of him > > > (132). He questions his own sensitivity to the word, and addresses the > > very > > > different attitude among younger blacks today, but defends his position > > > (35, 165-166). In class he swallows his anger and instead contributes > > > mostly "good trouble" to classroom discussions, sometimes getting > > > jaw-dropping reactions from his fellow students, and sometimes their > > > understanding. > > > > > > At the end of the "brutal and uncomfortable class" (177) which he also > > > describes as a "slug-fest" that left him feeling "battered" (46-47), > each > > > student was required to recite a one-hundred-word excerpt from the > novel > > in > > > front of the class. Unable to bring himself to say the word "nigger" in > > > front of a classroom of white students, Harris instead recites two > poems, > > > ending with Langston Hughes's "Refugee in America'`: > > > > > > There are words like Freedom > > > Sweet and wonderful to say. > > > On my heart-strings freedom sings > > > All day everyday. > > > > > > There are words like Liberty > > > That almost make me cry. > > > If you had known what I knew > > > You would know why. > > > > > > The recitation brings him to tears and hushes his classmates into a > > "gaping > > > silence" (178). > > > > > > The arguments Harris makes have been raised before by black writers; > John > > > Wallace's _Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Adapted_ (1983), and Sharon > > > Rush's _Huck Finn's "Hidden" Lesson: Teaching and Learning Across the > > Color > > > Line_ (2006) come to mind. Most Twainians familiar with _Huckleberry > > Finn_ > > > will disagree with Harris's indictment of Twain as a racist, his > > assessment > > > of how the word "nigger" functions in the novel, and his conclusions > that > > > "the ubiquitous use of _nigger_ by Twain is the basic reason why his > > novel > > > has attained the status of an American classic" (141) and that "Twain's > > use > > > of the word _nigger_ . . . is so much a part of his being white that he > > > does not have to think twice about its use" (147). > > > > > > Readers might conclude that _Huckleberry Finn_ was poorly taught in > > > Harris's class, or more likely, that Harris's visceral but > understandable > > > response to hearing the word spoken in class clouded his perception of > > > Twain's deliberate use of the word to signify the racism of the > > characters > > > in the novel. Some readers might also notice that while Twain puts the > > word > > > in the mouths of his characters more than 200 times in _Huckleberry > > Finn_, > > > Harris himself uses the word more than 175 times in his own book. But > how > > > else could either man show his readers the evils of a systemic racism > > that > > > has continued to infect American culture from Twain's era to our own? > > > > > > Readers who find it difficult to understand why Harris (and others) > react > > > this way to the word "nigger" in _Huckleberry Finn_ will find the > answer > > in > > > the last two lines of Langston Hughes's poem. White readers may > question > > > Harris's arguments, but not his black experiences. This white reviewer > > > cannot imagine very many black students willing to express themselves > in > > > front of other students--especially white students--as candidly and > > > emotionally as Harris does in the pages of his memoir. For that reason > > > alone, anyone, black or white, who teaches Twain in the classroom to > > > students, black or white, will profit from reading Harris's account. > > > > > > T. S. Eliot, commenting on _Huckleberry Finn_ in his introduction to > the > > > 1950 edition, said that "_Huckleberry Finn_, like other great works of > > > imagination, can give to every reader whatever he is capable of taking > > from > > > it" (Eliot xiv). Black and white readers each bring different > experiences > > > to the table, each capable of taking things from this novel that the > > other > > > will not, each necessarily viewing the book through black or > white-tinted > > > spectacles. But none can be excluded from the table if a meaningful > > > discussion is to take place. > > > > > -- > > Susan Bailey > > Co author > > The Twain Shall Meet > > < > > > http://www.amazon.com/Twain-Shall-Meet-Granddaughter-Gabrilowitsch/dp/1499799497/ref=sr_1_1/191-7847938-3534132?ie=UTF8&qid=1415889321&sr=8-1&keywords=the+twain+shall+meet+susan+bailey > > > > > Twain Page <https://www.facebook.com/marktwainsgranddaughter> > > www.marktwainonline.com<http://www.marktwainonline.com>< > http://www.marktwainonline.com<http://www.marktwainonline.com>> > > Greenville, SC > > > -- > Susan Bailey > Co author > The Twain Shall Meet > < > http://www.amazon.com/Twain-Shall-Meet-Granddaughter-Gabrilowitsch/dp/1499799497/ref=sr_1_1/191-7847938-3534132?ie=UTF8&qid=1415889321&sr=8-1&keywords=the+twain+shall+meet+susan+bailey > > > Twain Page <https://www.facebook.com/marktwainsgranddaughter> > www.marktwainonline.com<http://www.marktwainonline.com> > Greenville, SC > -- Susan Bailey Co author The Twain Shall Meet <http://www.amazon.com/Twain-Shall-Meet-Granddaughter-Gabrilowitsch/dp/1499799497/ref=sr_1_1/191-7847938-3534132?ie=UTF8&qid=1415889321&sr=8-1&keywords=the+twain+shall+meet+susan+bailey> Twain Page <https://www.facebook.com/marktwainsgranddaughter> www.marktwainonline.com Greenville, SC