Category: of love and dust

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Interracial Intimacy in Ernest Gaines’ “Bloodline”

As I read Ernest Gaines’ “Bloodline” recently, the interactions between ‘Malia and Frank Laurent stood out. The story, essentially, centers around Copper, the son of Frank’s brother Walter who raped Copper’s mother. Copper has returned to the Laurent plantation to claim what is his, by birth. Essentially, he arrives to overthrow the system that denies him an existence due to the fact that his … Read More Interracial Intimacy in Ernest Gaines’ “Bloodline”

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Ernest J. Gaines’ “The Tragedy of Brady Sims”

Speaking with Jerome Tarshis in 1974, Ernest Gaines spoke about his desire to write a story with “that barber shop type of thing” where people gather around a community center and relate stories about the past and the present. Looking at James Joyce’s “Ivy Day in the Committee Room” as an example, Gaines told Tarshis, “I think is one of the greatest short stories that … Read More Ernest J. Gaines’ “The Tragedy of Brady Sims”

“100 Rifles” and the Late 1960s: Part II

On Tuesday, I wrote about 100 Rifles (1969) as a commentary on the cultural moment that it originally appeared within. Today, I want to continue that discussion by briefly looking at couple of more scenes from the film that should be examined. Continuing from where the previous post left off, this post will look at Lyedecker and Herrera’s conversation with the priest as they … Read More “100 Rifles” and the Late 1960s: Part II

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My Five Favorite Posts from 2016

This past year, close to one hundred posts have appeared on Interminable Rambling. With the end of 2016 in our rear-view mirror, I want to take the opportunity to highlight my five favorite posts from last year. You can see my favorite posts from 2015 as well. The posts from 2016 ranged in subject matter from pop culture and music to pedagogical approaches in … Read More My Five Favorite Posts from 2016

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The Convict Lease System in Frank Yerby’s “Gillian”

Frank Yerby’s Gillian (1960) deals, thematically, with the idea of manhood and the mythological ideals surrounding white Southern Womanhood. Gillian MacAllister and Hero Farnsworth shatter the virginal, innocent idea of white Southern Womanhood while Michael Ames challenges ideas of manhood. While these themes are at the forefront of Gillian,  there are, as usual with Yerby, racial aspects that swim just beneath the surface. Gillian, … Read More The Convict Lease System in Frank Yerby’s “Gillian”