Last night I finally cracked open my copy of Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable (which will be referred here after and in future posts as, Reinvention). I think it is only fitting to blog my meditations about the book as I read it here. I finished the introduction, Life Beyond the Legend. I must admit I was shocked and pleased that Marable opened with the history of the Audubon Ballroom. That approach was totally unexpected.
I have not made it to the first chapter and there is already extensive underlining and side notes. I think I may need a small notebook dedicated just to my meditations on this work alone. Upon finishing the introduction, the researcher in me has been awaken from an extended nap. There are a few quotes that I want to share that are really pressed into my memory.
"You know, it was like having tea with a black panther." (pg 11)
This was said of Malcolm by M. S. Handler's wife after a visit Malcolm made to their house. The quote speaks for itself and I won't try to add to it. I do want to list some behaviors of a panther:
- stealthy
- elusive
- solitary
- temperamental
These attributes ties into another observation made by Marable:
"Malcolm always assumed an approachable and intimate outward style, yet also held something in reserve." (pg 10)
Remarkable. Maybe the "reserve" is what Marable is trying to uncover in Reinvention. No matter how famous a person gets or in this day and age maybe I should say it does not matter how many "likes" or "followers" someone may get/have something should be held in reserve. We see people spilling their guts on social media and then turn around and get mad when people start to whisper about what "they" put out.
As I go forward with reading this book, I ask the question, "Does anyone have the right to pull out or scrutinize our "reserves" while we are living or in death?" Some will say that if you put yourself on a public platform you can expect the scrutiny. With that thought being considered, when is enough, enough? I'm reading Reinvention with a grain of salt because I have always held Malcolm as my "shining black prince" totally untainted/unquestioned.
This book hit the shelves with an air of controversy and the untimely death of the author. Reinvention has been reviewed and dissected so much already that I don't want to complete a review and it just fall into the "pool." My plan is to blog out my thoughts here on a chapter by chapter basis. Hopefully this approach will yield more "hidden nugget" type discussions. I'm excited about this 600+ pg journey! Join in with me by leaving comments or emailing me directly: prissysnob@hotmail.com
2 comments:
I can't wait to see what you have to say about this book. So, I will definitely be reading your thoughts about each chapter. Back in 2009, I had the pleasure of meeting Manning Marable and hearing him speak. I remember him telling us that he was working on this book. Thus far, I am halfway through, and like you, I have underlined so many things and written so many notes. I admired Marable's scholarship and research before reading this work, but this book has taken my respect for him to a different level. While some people believe that there were some ill intentions on his part by writing this book, I think he does what scholars are supposed to do: illuminate. I can't wait for you to get knee deep into it because I have been grappling with some questions about Malcolm's ideology and his approach that I haven't been able to talk to anyone else about. And since I know you're well-versed in African American history and politics I look forward to engaging in some sort of discussion. Maybe you can shed light on some things. Ugh. This comment was wayyy longer than intended, but I'm excited to see what you have to say!
-Courtney
Looking forward to your thoughts as you journey through the 600 pages.
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