October 9, 2008
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The Daily News
1 Ah, America!
2 It was named after an Italian for goodness sakes. I love that.
3 The amazing thing about this year is that I'm discovering America.
4 And like the immortal Billy Pilgrim from Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five, I've come unstuck in time.
5 For example, I decided that it was important that include the "assimilation" of Native Americans into my American Lit class.
6 I showed a video of how the Columbus expeditions introduced the annhilation of an entire nation of people on the planet, save the few who still claim to be descendants of the Taino or the Arawak nations that once roamed freely over the land that has become America.
7 And at the same time, I'm descended from the Genovese, placing me in the same blood range as Columbus, an Italian navigator originally from Genoa, Italy. My ancestors are from Genoa, so all my life, Columbus Day has come to mean a celebration of my Italian heritage.
8 I'm now convinced that the guy who burst into San Jose City Hall on March 8, 2001, and who proceeded to take a baseball bat to a statue of Columbus might have had a good point, even though that bat might as well have banged into my own left temple, rattling my skull into the proverbial smitereens.
9 I'm now thoroughly convinced that Columbus was a not-so-nice fellow who pillaged, raped, and murdered the Taino nation, at times turning them into dog food at best, and starting them on fire at worst. He also saw to it that people could make money by selling many of them into slavery and selling the wimminz for profits so exorbitant that they succeeded in knocking gold directly out of first place.
10 I KNOW, I KNOW. A week ago I didn't know, but research has pretty much shown this is exactly what went down, beginning on C-boy's second voyage.
11 So I thought I'd interrupt the Italian party hats and flowing bottles of dry Chianti and bring the story to my students, who had only their piss-poor literature books to bring the Euro-centric news to the others.
12 And so, on this important voyage of discovery, I shall throw Columbus Day over my shoulder, lest I become a pillar of salt.
13 Native Americans I'll keep. I feel they are sacred. Not altogether nice, but certainly sacred on these shores, which are rightfully theirs.
14 And I won't throw away my Italian party hats, nor the flowing bottles of dry Chianti either.
15 Those things I also consider sacred.
16 But some other time.
17 But I've also reached a precipice.
18 If we come unstuck in time, where might we wind up tomorrow?
19 Truth be told, that's the beauty of discovering America.
20 I'm thinking of putting a Wheel of Fortune in my classroom and every Friday having a student spin it.
21 It will have a bunch of categories, much like Jeopardy.
22 Wherever it stops will be the piece of America we will discover next. Might be the 40's, for example, and it would have a picture of Bogart as Ric. Might be Poe. Might be Sports. Might be Folk/Rock. Might be Poets. Might be Immigration, which would steer the spinner to a dart board with the names Irish, Italian, Mexican, African, Chinese, Vietnamese, White, etc.
23 The sole purpose might be to discover America before the end of the year, as we know it.
24 Just spinning my wheels here on a blustery Friday afternoon.
25 Our next stop is going to be legends, ghosts, and Edgar Allan Poe. It will culminate in the very fabulous Heidi stories on Halloween, probably in the school's theatre.
26 Poe is as American as Pepperidge Farm.
27 It could be a fun discovery. Discovery through collage rather than chronology.
28 And on Fridays, I might introduce my classes to things that I think are America: Mom, baseball, apple pie, and watching ridiculously stupid things on teevee.
29 Meanwhile, it remains our place, our country, our town.
30 Despite it all, I love the place. Always will.
31 You have a wonderful weekend. Say hi to your Mom, watch a baseball game, eat some apple pie, and lie back, there's no shortage of stupid things on teevee.
32 Peace.
~H~
Weekend bonus:
America at its Best: Simon and Garfunkel from The Concert in Central Park
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7k7KcRKZiA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dau2_Lt8pbM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCbOEZ8c8dM
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