speach tree

I guess I'll call it the Dave Chappelle Effect for now. I don't think that Chappelle ever came out and said that he left Comedy Central because he was uncomfortable with performing a black caricature for his audience of (by that time) mostly white people. I think he was a little more tactful, choosing instead to highlight the discomfort he felt about how his fame was affecting his private time with his family. But the effect I'm talking about is something best articulated in "YELLING AT THE SCREEN: An Open Letter From Dave Chappelle to His White Fans" (a parody by a blogger whose name I forget), and also in all the internet gossip about his conversation with Oprah after his return from South Africa... In any case, it's not just Chappelle. More than a few critics say that Chinua Achebe, Amy Tan, Nawal El Saadawi and a few other well-known and well-critiqued writers write more for the benefit of white audiences than for non-whites. Of course, I am no exception. ...

this blog is the result of a few deliberate thought-threads and a few spontaneous ideas: the internet is crazy and by no means as democratic as a lot of people want us to think. but it has its uses. the gym class heroes made a song about facebook. there are so many good ideas floating in the world that ought to be shared. i feel like i always do these retreats that are life affirming for a minute, then i return to this place that everyone calls "the real world." (what's so real about it?) i love sharing strategies. i love telling stories.