tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post4969794597392981152..comments2024-02-29T02:54:19.767-05:00Comments on Babbling Books: Losing My Cool by Thomas Chatterton WilliamsBrian Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-10561888923205822372019-12-22T16:03:14.085-05:002019-12-22T16:03:14.085-05:00Thanks Liberty. It is actually amazing how much yo...Thanks Liberty. It is actually amazing how much you do remember this book considering the fact that you have not read it in so long. As your questions and observations show, there are many ways to interpret this book and it leaves one with many questions. I really do not know why Miles was expelled, it is something else that is repressed. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-71679036110125335222019-12-22T11:13:02.172-05:002019-12-22T11:13:02.172-05:00As with all of your reviews, I enjoyed this one. ...As with all of your reviews, I enjoyed this one. I suspected the horror of sexual abuse regarding Mr. Quint with Miles. However, I thought Miss Jessel's interest in Flora was to promote maleficence. Given their different positions within the house, I'm not certain that Mrs. Grose would have felt it was her place to contradict the governess regarding the ghosts. I think she would have outwardly deferred to her for this reason. Granted, this is only my opinion. What I would like to know is why the children's uncle was so strict with the governess about not reaching out to him. I don't recall it ever being explained why Miles was expelled from school. I read the book over 25 years ago so my memory may be faulty on that. If anyone knows why Miles was expelled, do tell! The Liberty Bellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05677266288990024025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-82510965148341764722019-12-08T23:45:45.725-05:002019-12-08T23:45:45.725-05:00Hi Stefanie -Despite his surroundings, Williams a...Hi Stefanie -Despite his surroundings, Williams always had a steak of intellectualism in him, prompted by his father. It set him apart at times from his friends. When exposed to different people at Georgetown, this began to grow. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-1145414876755766352019-12-08T15:12:19.674-05:002019-12-08T15:12:19.674-05:00Sounds like a good book. How did Williams manage t...Sounds like a good book. How did Williams manage to escape the anti-intellectual aspects? How did he get top grades and in get into such a good school? And what did his friends think about it?Stefaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14943596258182968212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-38830376308038451832019-12-08T11:55:36.474-05:002019-12-08T11:55:36.474-05:00Yes, Mary J Blige was more about women being empow...Yes, Mary J Blige was more about women being empowered ... Lauryn Hill was another popular female hip hop artist who sent the same message as well. ...the bookwormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15357796617059183930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-22597370531804206142019-12-08T11:37:40.290-05:002019-12-08T11:37:40.290-05:00Thanks Naida - I also was really culturally closed...Thanks Naida - I also was really culturally closed off in terms of music when I was young.<br /><br />Williams explained that people like Mary J Blige was looked down on in the Hip Hop culture that he was exposed rot as her message was not simplistic and did not promote the gangster image. <br /><br />Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-30969678964657797692019-12-08T11:22:44.886-05:002019-12-08T11:22:44.886-05:00Hi Brian, this sounds like a really interesting re...Hi Brian, this sounds like a really interesting read. I can imagine the author has come under a lot of criticism. Good point about how some people unfortunately don't branch out and learn about other forms of music like Jazz or even 50's doo-wop.<br />I used to love some hip-hop music as a teen myself in the 90's it was really popular...mainly the women artists. One of my favorite albums in the genre "My Life" by Mary J Blige turned 25 recently, I used to listen to that one all the time... the lyrics were inspiring and something I could relate to at that age. <br />Fantastic commentary as usual, thanks for your thoughts on this one!<br />I look forward to your post on Self Portrait in Black and White.the bookwormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15357796617059183930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-61894092880725261162019-12-06T07:41:24.736-05:002019-12-06T07:41:24.736-05:00Thanks Carol. Young people will tend to gravitate ...Thanks Carol. Young people will tend to gravitate towards some bad stuff. Hopefully, as time goes by, more will do so ironically. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-63001416866623994202019-12-06T00:48:05.749-05:002019-12-06T00:48:05.749-05:00Hi Brian, really enjoyed reading your review. I ag...Hi Brian, really enjoyed reading your review. I agree that there are other pop cultures that are just as negative.Carolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06820925595506920754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-75418125045552520452019-12-04T17:27:43.217-05:002019-12-04T17:27:43.217-05:00Hi Hila - Indeed, that is one reason that ire is d...Hi Hila - Indeed, that is one reason that ire is directed at Williams. Especially in his second books, his ideas have challenged what I have referred to as the ideas of the postmodern left. <br /><br />Young people so often fall into bad behaviors that they often grow out of. This includes my own experiences. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-47728312685092200362019-12-03T22:59:54.264-05:002019-12-03T22:59:54.264-05:00I can understand why he's come under criticism...I can understand why he's come under criticism. Or at least one of the reasons why he might have; writers from minority groups often get accused of inviting racism or other kinds of bigotry if they say critical things about their own culture.<br /><br />It sounds like an interesting book, and I agree that many cultures have elements that can be destructive, especially to younger people who need to mature, see more of the world, and hopefully grow past certain habits or mentalities.HKatzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17653570160517335758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-3069782555216815872019-12-02T14:18:49.407-05:002019-12-02T14:18:49.407-05:00Hi Karen - This is Indeed a substantive book. I ca...Hi Karen - This is Indeed a substantive book. I cannot imagine what those celebrity autobiographies of young people are like. <br /><br />I tend to think that no two people could possibly agree on all these complex issues. With that, Williams is definitely worth listening to. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-79226136888654673222019-12-02T12:44:01.786-05:002019-12-02T12:44:01.786-05:00I saw the sentence which said this was a memoir of...I saw the sentence which said this was a memoir of a 23 year old and instantly thought, how can someone that young have much to write about. But the rest of your review made it clear this was nothing like the shallow 'autobiographies' we get now from many celebrities. Whether you agree with his views or challenge some of them, at least this is a book with much matter to reflect uponbookertalkhttp://www.bookertalk.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-17065331239274304282019-12-01T19:04:24.969-05:002019-12-01T19:04:24.969-05:00Hi again Susan - Thanks for mentioning Bless Me, U...Hi again Susan - Thanks for mentioning Bless Me, Ultima, I will check it out. <br /><br />Living with two cultures can be rewarding and it can be difficult. In the case of this book, Williams gives no credence to hip - hop culture and calls for its rejection. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-79628804825087214212019-12-01T17:47:49.722-05:002019-12-01T17:47:49.722-05:00It's me, I'm back.
Re-reading this review...It's me, I'm back.<br /><br />Re-reading this review brought back to a book (I've read 3/4 of it...was still teaching then.) "Bless me, Ultima", written in 1972. Its story is intense, seeing the struggle within his own family. the mother and father's different families and their life views lead the boy to seek his own path. <br /><br />It is an excellent book and it relates to Williams conflicts. Ignorance, yes.<br /><br />In San Diego, so close to the border, teaching meant seeing these children struggle, being between language, fitting neither in lst and 2nd cultures.Susan Kanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09834094675218254410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-48347727126892363422019-11-29T20:30:36.025-05:002019-11-29T20:30:36.025-05:00Thanks Jane - This book was an enlightening look i...Thanks Jane - This book was an enlightening look into a subculture that I only had a limited knowledge about myself. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-3207073103082079572019-11-29T17:58:08.382-05:002019-11-29T17:58:08.382-05:00What a fascinating post—I have never heard of Will...What a fascinating post—I have never heard of Williams nor this book, and no nothing about the Hip-Hop culture—so I learned a lot. Interesting that it is anti-intellectual—I can see that—sort of the notion that I don’t want to be part of a club that I think doesn’t want me. <br /><br />Thanks for a great review and opening my eyes and mind to a whole different world.JaneGShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11094501834387622997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-2123284688302216032019-11-29T15:10:48.864-05:002019-11-29T15:10:48.864-05:00Thanks Rachel- It was well worth reading. But ther...Thanks Rachel- It was well worth reading. But there is so little time. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-49447113175470967342019-11-29T13:00:34.474-05:002019-11-29T13:00:34.474-05:00Hi Brian! Another good review! Again, I'll pro...Hi Brian! Another good review! Again, I'll probably not get to it, but it's nice to read about it, and I look forward to the follow up.Rachel Bhttp://hibernatorslibrary.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-77264527681701792392019-11-28T19:08:30.037-05:002019-11-28T19:08:30.037-05:00Hi Susan - I think that many young people, includi...Hi Susan - I think that many young people, including myself, find that many assumptions that they grew up with should be questioned.<br /><br />I love Metallica. I also think that they have some worthy things to say. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-89528979556436663662019-11-28T14:51:38.061-05:002019-11-28T14:51:38.061-05:00"You have been lied to (and for how long?) an..."You have been lied to (and for how long?) and now you know that you have been lied to and you can’t deny it and you are naked." Says so much.<br /><br />This is something I faced. Growing up in a tight-conservative religious community which condemned just about everything, I learned that world was different. It was a shock when seeing just how different with Vietnam and racial tensions. (Midwest--never even saw a black person until I was in college.)<br /><br />My then-teenage kids once told me I needed to listen to Metallica, that I'd learn something from it. Did I? I guess I did, always do when someone really listens.<br /><br />Susan Kanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09834094675218254410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-10691377825200335832019-11-27T20:52:14.578-05:002019-11-27T20:52:14.578-05:00Hi Susan - Williams came under a lot of criticism ...Hi Susan - Williams came under a lot of criticism for this book.<br /><br />He does talk a fair amount about Ballin. One of several points he makes is that he compares the intellect and substance os Baldwin and those he influenced to what he believes to be the vacuousness of hip - hop culture. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-57303708568145001332019-11-27T18:02:05.395-05:002019-11-27T18:02:05.395-05:00Hi Brian: thanks for introducing me to this write...Hi Brian: thanks for introducing me to this writer & thinker. He seems pretty brave to take on hip-hop culture in such a way. He sounds like a young James Baldwin type ... going to France and being an intellectual. Does he mention Baldwin? I look forward to hearing about his next book. thecuecardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08870323589682197091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-73849604725285781012019-11-26T05:17:23.150-05:002019-11-26T05:17:23.150-05:00Hi Baili - It has been a long time since I saw roo...Hi Baili - It has been a long time since I saw roots. It really was extraordinary and disturbing especially for the time that it was made. <br /><br />Williams view is that a long and noble fight against racism and oppression is tarnished by what he views is a shallow and unprincipled descent into hip - hip culture. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-34202800979908969792019-11-26T02:20:20.185-05:002019-11-26T02:20:20.185-05:00what i could see through your wonderful wonderful ... what i could see through your wonderful wonderful review is that writer seems to be failed to neutral in his expressions .<br /><br />long ago during my early twenties i watched a horrible drama series "Roots" it filled me with terror for long as human dear Brain ,whatever i watched later about people of color was always under influence of that powerful sense of pity which i felt for them when i watched that series .<br /><br />i think such writing or set of thoughts are fair products of oppression and cruelties they beard as race. it will be impossible to write something about their life while avoiding all dark realities .<br /><br />the aggression and rough behavior of hip hop culture is simple display of disturbed upbringing <br />i agree that rock culture and some others like that were also there to show that it was not matter of people of color only.<br />many fine people among them stood away from such negativity and survived sublimely by rising and shining among others . <br />i appreciate that writer tried to share his thoughts honestly here <br />thank you so much for being here to share them with us dear Brain!bailihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06498012175058870980noreply@blogger.com