Beginning to read my way through the shopping bag full of books that MJ sent home with me I began with a farming book. It is a book unlike any I've ever read. It's actually an anthology of articles and poems about Black American farmers. Natalie Baszile's, WE ARE EACH OTHER'S HARVEST: CELEBRATING AFRICAN AMERICAN FARMERS, LAND, AND LEGACY is a tour deforce. Most of MJ's astute and erudite book notes are a single page single space. Her notes on this book are four pages single space and here I'm trying to tell the tale in a couple of paragraphs. JUST READ IT!
MJ quotes The Washington Post. "The celebration that Natalie Baszile refers to in her (book) is leavened by hard truths and cruelties of efforts to run Black farmers off the land. For decades the might of the United States Department of Agriculture systematically tried to wreck Black farmers' livelihood..." It's not easy reading but many of the essays tell the stories of farmers who have persisted even though the deck is often stacked against them.
Baszile has also told the story in a novel, Queen Sugar. That's next on my reading list.
Takk for alt,
Al
PS Asked in a comment what is meant by "critters" the facile answer is "it depends." Typically in farm country critters refer to livestock such as cattle and swine. Keith butchers cattle and pigs. When I see him I'll ask if he does sheep and goats. It's unlikely that he does fowl; chickens, ducks, turkeys or geese. Some butcher shops will clean pheasants and process deer and other wild game. After next Wednesdays Bankers/Butchers dinner I'll report back.
1 comment:
My mother being a zoologist, in our household "critters" referred generally to invertebrates, though small mammals were included as well. Ma loved her critters, the stranger the better. ;->
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