McPherson, James Alan - R. V. Cassill
R. V. CASSILL
I suspect some of the very real passion and vitality of McPherson's [collection of stories in "Hue and Cry"] may be overlooked because of the red-hot topical interest of his subject matter. He is black and writes from the point of view of black characters. Even when one or another of them protests against a definition of his life by race, the protest is apt to be co-opted into the blathering stereotypes of dialogue that have become our national diet. It is very difficult with the best of intentions and the most devoted skill to draw boundary lines on an avalanche while it is in motion or listen to Beethoven in a boiler factory. My real fear is that this splendid young writer may have trouble finding an audience fit to read what he is really saying. "Private Domain" and "Of Cabbages and Kings" both record the efforts of a man trying not to be forced into color stereotypes, and both, I think, are relative failures. They are anti-stereotype stereotypes,...
[The entire page is 433 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
