April 3, 2025
A poem from James Baldwin's posthumously published book, Jimmy's Blues
I'm always happy to see a new batch of people find and adore James Baldwin. His literary voice rings like a bell as true today as it did when he first wrote. He knew better than anyone about the forward and backward dance of progress, but even he, I think, would have hoped that we'd have progressed further toward racial, sexual and gender equality by now. Perhaps the answer isn't fighting over who gets to lead, but changing the choreography altogether, so that we are collectively dancing to the same music, together, alone, each our own glorious, individual selves, and those who refuse to learn the new steps shame-shunned from the dance hall entirely.
OK. Enough cheesy crap. He and I also agreed about Lene Horne. Check this out:
Le sporting-club de Monte Carlo (for Lena Horne)
The lady is a tramp
a camp
a lamp
The lady is a sight
a might
a light
the lady devastated
an alley or two
reverberated through the valley
which leads to me, and you
the lady is the apple
of God's eye:
He's cool enough about it
but He tends to strut a little
when she passes by
the lady is a wonder
daughter of the thunder
smashing cages
legislating rages
with the voice of ages
singing us through.