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Axios
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
New book tackles the legend of Jim from Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn"
A new book unpacks Jim in Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" — a fictional enslaved Black man who is one of the most memorable characters in American Literature. Why it matters: For more than a century, Jim has been a source of sympathy, ridicule, anger, and protest due to the Black dialect he uses throughout the novel, but scholar Shelley Fisher Fishkin says that he's been misunderstood. The big picture: " Jim: The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn's Comrade," released last month by Yale University Press, comes out amid renewed interest in the Twain character. Percival Everett recently won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel, "James," which reimagines Jim from an illiterate enslaved man as often portrayed to a savvy and literate soul who has more agency. Fishkin tells Axios she wanted to explore how we've viewed Jim throughout the decades and how he has shaped American culture. The text in Twain's classic hasn't changed throughout the years, "but we've changed," said Fishkin, one of the world's top Twain scholars. Catch up quick: " The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" tells the story of Huck, a young, uneducated white boy, and Jim, an escaped slave, as they travel together down the Mississippi River on a raft. The pair must avoid mobs of slave hunters and robbers along their journey and develop a sense of care for one another. The book uses racist epithets of the time, and Jim speaks in a language that critics say today resembles offensive minstrel shows in the late 1800s — all of which have generated demands for the novel to be banned. Yes, but: Fishkin says Twain was being subversive in the use of Jim's dialect and criticizing all the racist stereotypes with a humanized portrayal. "Jim is the smartest character in the book. It's a mistake to assume he's there to be ridiculed. In fact, he becomes a father to Huck," says Fishkin, who wrote the 1993 literature critic classic, "Was Huck Black? Mark Twain and African American Voice." Fishkin says Jim is a complex character who is really the first Black father portrayed in American literature. Zoom in: In her new book, Fishkin takes on the historical myths and models of Black men in post-Civil War America. She then gives us a rundown of the debates of Jim and the novel's use of racist language that have generated pushback from liberals and conservatives. Fishkin then presents the reader with an innovative exercise in one chapter, exploring what Jim would say about everything in his own dialect. She ends with a lesson on how some high school teachers are presenting the book today and what lessons can be learned when the book "is taught correctly."
New Statesman
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
From Philippe Sands to Simon Park: new books reviewed in short
Wreckers: Disaster in the Age of Discovery by Simon Park According to Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations, the discoveries of America and a passage to the East Indies by Columbus and Vasco da Gama were 'the two greatest and most important events recorded in the history of mankind'. What wasn't recorded quite so diligently were the disasters, privations, deaths and sheer haplessness that accompanied the 16th-century voyages into the unknown. In this rollicking but reflective account of those early sorties, the Oxford historian Simon Park presents an alternative view of the 'action-hero version of history'. Wreckers is about the mariners who ended up 'kidnapped, stranded, abandoned and betrayed' in the pursuit of personal wealth and national glory and of the numerous attempts at colonisation that failed. Park is an adroit storyteller and makes the most of his picaresque stories, such as that of the German explorer Hans Staden, taken captive by the Tupinambá people of Brazil who kept him in a state of permanent fear with threats of eating him, and Martin Frobisher, who sought the North-West Passage but returned defeated with nothing more than a hold full of rocks. Empire-building, says Park, was not 'unstoppable' but uncertain. By Michael Prodger Viking, 368pp, £25. Buy the book The Dream Factory: London's First Playhouse and the Making of William Shakespeare by Daniel Swift Walking down London's West End, it's hard to imagine the capital without a single theatre. But theatre-less London did exist – until 1576 when the city's first ever playhouse was erected in Shoreditch. Daniel Swift's The Dream Factory traces the remarkable history of the aptly named playhouse, the Theatre, thanks to numerous litigations associated with the family behind it – the Burbages. Without James Burbage and the Theatre two significant parts of the history of theatre would be missing: Shakespeare and the Globe. Shakespeare began his writing in the Burbages' playhouse. It was here that A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet were written, and the son of James Burbage, Richard, is thought to have inspired many well-known Shakespearean characters. Deftly navigating social politics, the plague and preachers wishing for the Theatre's downfall, Swift tells its history in the most original way. The Burbages' dramatic life truly was well suited to their industry. By Zuzanna Lachendro Yale University Press, 320pp, £25. Buy the book 38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia by Philippe Sands Calle Londres intersects Calle París in central Santiago. Once a place of the elite, it was revitalised by cultural and political figures in the mid-20th century. Calle Londres 38, after which the bestselling author Philippe Sands' latest book is titled, was an unassuming house – until the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Under Pinochet, Londres 38 was turned into the detention and torture centre of the National Intelligence Directorate (DINA). Sands' 38 Londres Street is a gripping blend of memoir, investigative journalism and courtroom drama, with a narrative spanning decades and thousands of miles. It includes his own involvement as a barrister for a human rights organisation during the 1998 arrest of Pinochet in London, and his discovery of personal links to those affected by the dictator's regime and to the murders of Walther Rauff, the Nazi behind the gas vans used to kill thousands of Jews. Speaking to lawyers involved in Pinochet's later trial, Chileans affected by DINA's torture and disappearances and those who knew Rauff (after he settled in the city of Punta Arenas), Sands convincingly makes a connection between Pinochet's regime and the Nazi in exile. Most importantly, he shows why the dictatorship must not be tucked away into the past. By Zuzanna Lachendro Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 480pp, £25. Buy the book The Fall of the House of Montagu by Robert Wainwright On 24 January 2017, Alexander Montagu, the 13th Duke of Manchester, was sentenced to prison in Nevada for a melange of offences. He served 14 months in jail. Shortly before he committed a burglary, in 2016, he made a visit to his ancestral seat, Kimbolton Castle, and visited the family crypt, where his father and grandparents are buried. He was only a guest, however: the estate is now the home of a public school. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe 'How did it come to this?' you might ask, and if you did Robert Wainwright is your man. His new book closes with Alexander's sorry tale, the most recent tragedy in the decline and dissolution of a family first granted land by William the Conqueror. In some ways the story is typical: financial troubles thanks to mounting death duties; American heiress wives imported to maintain solvency; the eventual sale of the estate in a changing postwar landscape. But the Montagu story provides enough diverting specificities – bankruptcy, gambling dens and colonial exile – to make this a dramatic and pathos-inducing read. By Nicholas Harris Allen & Unwin, 352pp, £22. Buy the book [See also: Joan Didion without her style] Related
Irish Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Becoming Irish American: The Making and Remaking of a People from Roanoke to JFK
Becoming Irish American: The Making and Remaking of a People from Roanoke to JFK Author : Timothy J Meagher ISBN-13 : 978-0300281972 Publisher : Yale University Press Guideline Price : £11.99 On March 17th, 1948 the president of the United States , Harry Truman, became the first holder of that office to review the St Patrick's Day parade in New York . Later that evening his address to the city's Friendly Sons of St Patrick banquet was broadcast coast to coast on radio. A century after the worst Irish famine, the power and influence of Irish exiles was nearing its zenith. By 1959 some 108 of the 169 Democrats in the Massachusetts House of Representatives were Irish-American Catholics and a year later John Fitzgerald Kennedy , of old Irish and old Norman stock, was elected the 35th and youngest US president. The Friendly Sons of St Patrick, founded in Philadelphia in 1770, was among innumerable clubs and societies that became 'the first tangible, public embodiments of an Irish American identify', writes Timothy J Meagher, former associate professor of history at the Catholic University of America , in this densely detailed study. Roanoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina, is in the book's subtitle because it was there that the first would-be Irish settlers arrived in the 1580s as part of Munster Plantation beneficiary Sir Walter Raleigh's attempt to establish an English colony (to be named Virginia after his virgin queen, Elizabeth I). READ MORE In the waves of Irish immigrants who followed, the pioneering Ulster-Scots Protestants moved west and assimilated, while the overwhelmingly Catholic arrivals from the rest of Ireland settled mostly in east-coast cities and 'became the assimilators', conscious of their own separate ethnic identity and religion. 'Irish America was born in Ireland but has been made in [what Walt Whitman called] 'another country' – America, forged in an often complicated, but richly human, history of contingency and adaptation', adds Meagher, whose eight great-grandparents were Famine immigrants. While visiting Dublin to lecture at two universities Meagher realised and accepted that he was not Irish, but Irish American. His broad sweep over more than 400 years of emigration from the island of Ireland to North America is exhaustively sourced and fact filled (but it repeatedly misspells de Valera, of all surnames).
Forbes
17-04-2025
- General
- Forbes
Can You Eat Meat On Good Friday? What Tradition Means Around The World
Many still skip meat on Good Friday—but the food traditions go far beyond that. Here's how five ... More countries turn this quiet holiday into something meaningful at the table. Good Friday is widely recognized—even by those who don't observe it. For some, it's simply the Friday before Easter. For others, particularly within Christian traditions, it's a solemn day of reflection tied to the crucifixion of Jesus, believed to have taken place on this day according to biblical accounts. The day's cultural footprint often stretches beyond the church. It's not a federal holiday in the U.S., but it still prompts annual questions: Are banks open? Can I eat meat today? What do people eat—and why? In many Christian denominations—including Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox churches—Good Friday is traditionally marked by pared-down meals, fasting, and a general sense of stillness. For those who observe it, that often means skipping meat and sitting down to simpler dishes. But even in largely secular households, the food traditions tied to Good Friday can linger—quiet, nostalgic, and deeply regional. From pickled fish in South Africa to hot cross buns in the U.K., here's how five countries bring meaning to the table on this quietly enduring day. In medieval Europe, Good Friday meals reflected both faith and survival—meatless dishes made from ... More fish, legumes, and preserved foods marked the season's scarcity and restraint. Historically, Good Friday has been associated with fasting and restraint—not just in spirit, but on the plate. In medieval Europe, these limitations shaped entire culinary traditions, emphasizing meatless meals made with fish, legumes, and preserved or pickled ingredients. As Yale University Press explains, these customs were not only religious in origin but also tied to seasonal rhythms and scarcity, especially in regions where Lent overlapped with the final stretch of winter. Over time, many of those traditions evolved, regionalized, and—perhaps most notably—became cultural markers that persisted long after religious observance faded. Today, you can see echoes of those same values in the dishes that still appear on Good Friday tables around the world. a serving of hot cross buns and pickled fish which is a traditional meal enjoyed at easter in the ... More cape culture of south africa. A Cape Town staple, pickled fish blends sweet, sour, and spiced flavors—a dish rooted in preservation, history, and Cape Malay tradition. In Cape Town and coastal communities, pickled fish is a beloved Good Friday staple. Made by marinating fried white fish in a spiced vinegar sauce with onions and curry, it's tangy, sweet, and sour all at once. The dish has Cape Malay roots and speaks to both preservation and celebration. Italy's Good Friday tables often feature zuppa di pesce, a rustic fish stew that reflects both ... More religious abstinence and regional abundance. Italian households often skip the meat and serve zuppa di pesce, a rustic fish stew made with tomatoes, garlic, and shellfish or white fish. In coastal regions, it's a centerpiece of the La Vigilia tradition, which also includes pasta dishes with anchovies or sardines. In Argentina, empanada gallega—a tuna-filled pie with Spanish roots—is a Good Friday staple, ... More honoring Catholic tradition with flaky, meatless comfort. In Argentina, empanada gallega—a savory pie typically filled with tuna, onions, and bell peppers—is a traditional Good Friday dish, especially among Catholic families. This Galician-influenced preparation is often made with puff pastry or bread dough and served either warm or at room temperature. Some versions are dusted with powdered sugar, creating a sweet-savory contrast that reflects both Spanish culinary roots and local adaptation. A northern German favorite for Good Friday, pickled herring in cream sauce with boiled potatoes ... More keeps the meal humble, briny, and Lenten-friendly. In parts of Germany, pickled herring served in a cream sauce with boiled potatoes is a common meal for Good Friday. It's a dish tied as much to Lenten abstinence as to practical, everyday fare—light, cold, and simple to prepare. While it's also considered a go-to hangover remedy, its presence on Good Friday tables reflects the tradition of fish-focused meals that avoid richness or indulgence. Soft, spiced, and marked with a cross, hot cross buns were once reserved for Good Friday alone. ... More Today, they remain one of the most iconic Easter season foods. Perhaps the most iconic Good Friday treat, hot cross buns are spiced sweet rolls studded with raisins or currants and marked with a cross in whitre icing on top. Though they're now eaten throughout Lent, they were once reserved for Good Friday alone—meant to symbolize sacrifice and shared comfort. However people choose to observe (or not observe) Good Friday, the foods that show up on this day tell a bigger story. They connect people across time and place—not just through belief but through memory, habit, and what gets passed down.
Forbes
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Dangerous Learning: The Story Of The Struggle For Black Literacy
The story of the fight for Black literacy Yale University Press In his new book Dangerous Learning: The South's Long War on Black Literacy, legal scholar Derek Black tells the story of the resistance to Black literacy in America. The author looks at three periods: pre-Civil War, post-Civil War, and the years of Jim Crow to the present. And as the saying goes, history may not repeat itself, but sometimes it rhymes. Black holds the Ernest F. Hollings Chair in Constitutional Law at the University of South Carolina Law School. His previous book, Schoolhouse Burning, examined the growth of public education as a protected right, and this new work overlaps with much of that story, with both building the case that the growth and adoption of public education in this country is closely linked to the movement to provide education to Black Americans. In Dangerous Learning, Black tells how successive waves of calls for teaching slaves and freedmen to read and write triggered resistance from whites in power. Literacy was seen as a major factor in pre-war slave unrest, and attempts to educate Southern Blacks were greeted with everything from suspicion to violent opposition. Even limited attempts, such as church-sponsored schools that promised to confine instruction to Biblical and religious texts were seen as a threat. Schools for Black students often went underground, and teachers sometimes put on trial. Northerners were seen as outside agitators, trying to spread the notion that Black literacy was a good idea. Teachers were increasingly seen as the enemy. Schools for Black students often went underground, and teachers sometimes put on trial. Southern authorities tried to clamp down on mailers from the North that promoted such ideas. Censorship was increasingly a tool, as Southern politicians believed that 'their way of life depended on blockading the South against antislavery ideas, rhetoric, and literature.' Antislavery and literacy ideas were not even to be discussed, their existence not acknowledged. Black describes the pre-war South as enclosed in a propaganda bubble, a steady media diet that told a story only from the enslavers' point of view. The machine fed the Southern identity a poisonous diet for three decades. And once the slavocracy was speaking only to itself, the capacity to sort fact from fiction, reason from sophistry, policy preference from constitutional principle, disappeared. Reconstruction saw a change, and the rise of the idea that, as Senator Oliver Morton put it, 'Republican government may go on for a while with half the voters unable to read or write, but it cannot long continue.' The states could, and did, drag their heels and find creative ways to segregate, but as W.E.B. DuBois wrote in Black Reconstruction, 'The first great movement for public education at the expense of the state, in the South, came from Negroes.' Schools drew white rancor during Reconstruction. Black cites one scholar who found evidence of 631 attacks on Black schools during the period. There was also resistance to legislation and policy. Publications like Georgia's Weekly Examiner argued that if white people had to pay taxes to educate Black people, 'the extraction of white wealth for benefit of Black people would never stop.' Taxpayer funded Black education, writes the author, 'was the wedge with which these papers tried to turn voters against the new state constitutions.' It was, white leaders charged, a diet of 'social engineering' indoctrination of children. When the election compromise of 1877 ended Reconstruction, opponents of Black literacy took center stage, and Southerners leveled arguments still heard today. Mississippi Governor James Vardaman told the legislature to stop 'wasting' money taken from 'toiling white men and women' to spend on the 'vain purpose' of educating Black children. Historian Heather Cox Richardson, in her regular post for March 30, notes a similar procession of this complaint. In 1871, she argues, former Confederates began maintaining that they had never objected to Black rights on racial grounds. What they opposed, they said, was that poor Black men, impoverished because of their time in slavery, had the right to vote. Those men would, they said, vote for services like roads and schools and hospitals, and such services could be paid for only through tax levies on propertied Americans who overwhelmingly were white men. Thus, permitting Black men to vote meant 'socialism' that would destroy the United States. Other authorities zeroed in on the books that students would use, making sure that Southern students learned about a war that was the North's fault; the peace-loving South has been a home where 'slaves were not ill-treated.' Black concludes that the anti-Black literacy movement post-Reconstruction would be a long one, and that even the aftermath of Brown v. Board of Education would be 'a sad testament to how hard old habits are to break.' The book provides a strong, narrative history that focuses on the work of the men and women who pursued Black literacy. It's a powerful read that challenges the reader to understand that our country's past is not nearly as far past as we might wish, with our current culture wars carrying echoes of this earlier struggle. It's a lively and engaging read, a series of stories that brings critical episodes of our country to life, full of both hope for achieving the best promises of America and disappointment for the deliberate attempts to cut those promises short.
