why must black writers write about sex?
Geoffrey Philp
Homel.
Coach
House. 198 pages. $11.95
__Why Must a Black Writer Write About Sex?__ Dany Laferriere. Translated
by David
Homel. Coach House. 198 pages. $11.95
Haitian exile writer Dany Laferriere won brief notoriety in 1990 over the
title of a film made from his first novel, _How to Make Love to a Negro
Without
getting Tired_ and respectful reviews in 1993 for his fictionalized
memoir, _An Aroma of Coffee_. Now Laferriere who divides his time
between
Montreal and Miami, returns to his theme of sexual trench warfare with
the
simultaneous publication of two new books, _Dining With the Dictator_
and Why Must a Black Writer Write About Sex? Although the books are semi-
autobiographical and linked thematically, _Dining With the Dictator_, a
coming of age novel set in Haiti under the Duvalier regime, and _Why
Must a Black Writer Write About Sex?_ a series of essays about race,
sex, and fame, differ greatly in tone and setting.
In the novel, _Dining With the Dictator_, Dany, a precocious
adolescent, growing up in a in a country where, "The only real men are
in the cemetery."
believes he is being hunted by Tontons Macoutes, "sharks" as he calls
them. He seeks refuge in an improbable sanctuary- the home of Miki, a
mistress of a
Duvalierist who lives across the street from his home. Over the course of
a weekend, he meets Pasqualine, one of "The Girls," whom he has observed
from his window, but has never encountered in the flesh. Miki's home is
also the retreat for Frank and Papa, two dim-witted Macoutes, who
provide money and transportation for The Girls in return for sexual
favors.
Fascinated by the intrigue and the vicious games the men and women play
with each other, Dany's attraction to Pasqualine grows and he becomes
increasingly voyeuristic in order to protect himself from the sexual
rapaciousness that surrounds him, "I like Pasqualine, but I'm afraid of
Frank.
One look at his face and you know why. A real killer, a blood thirsty
shark. But he's Pasqualine's lap dog...What's inside that skinny body
that can tame such a monster?"
Dany confronts female sexuality for the first time. He confuses Eros
with Venus, as boys will do . The characters are as one dimensional as
terrorists, and there is a great deal of sexual terrorism. The Girls,
vain, shallow and thoroughly engaging, lay claim to their sexual
identities with a vengeance. Although their existence, it may be argued,
is dependent on the
whims of a corrupt, patriarchal dictatorship, they dominate the novel
while the men, like neutered pit bulls, sulk silently in the background
paring their
fingernails with kitchen knives.
Violence or the threat of violence haunts this novel, and Dany's
innocence and ideas about manhood are at stake as he tries to understand
and to survive the brutal atmosphere of Port-au-Prince.
_Why Must a Black Writer Write About Sex?_ shifts the focus to North
America, and Laferriere examines race, fame, and, of course, sex.
Bemused by the success of _How to Make Love to a Negro_, he explores the
explosive issue
of race and sex, "The blonde is purely an American invention-like the
black. America is divided up between real blondes and fake blondes.
Marilyn was
fake. So is Madonna. That's how bad it's gotten. Marilyn and Madonna,
the two most powerful fantasies of the post war period, are fake blondes."
As Laferriere travels across America, he chronicles the casualties of
racism and fame: Miles Davis, James Baldwin (clearly, his literary hero)
and Jean-
Michel Basquiat. He also challenges black celebrities such as Toni
Morrison and Ice Cube, but saves his most scathing attack for Spike Lee,
"Who insists
on believing that America would have gone up in flames if he, Spike Lee,
had been kept from making -Malcolm X_."
But this approach is a bit hypocritical. While he acknowledges, "The
race issue has supported a lot more whites than blacks, though blacks
have
managed to survive on the crumbs," Laferriere's reputation is based on
books that mine racial issues. His most scathing ripostes are directed
at blacks, but he
never aims at white liberal intellectuals whom he contends also have an
economic motive for peddling images of black rage.
What saves -Black Writer_, however, is Laferriere's self deprecating
humor. He realizes he is the "flavor of the month," and enjoys his new
found status
as an important black writer, "There are fewer of us. It's easy to become
the greatest living writer." Laferriere has also chosen to model his
writing after
an often ignored aspect of Baldwin prose, a righteous cool that is urbane
and cosmopolitan, yet retains the searing vision that strips away layers
of hypocrisy, "The whole thing was really only a game, a serious game,
of
course, but [a game] all the same." He maintains this satiric tone
throughout the book and spares no one, "America is an overfed infant.
The world is like a baby's rattle in their hands. They break it; they fix
it...They know nothing about the past, and they despise the future. They
are gods. And their blacks are demi-gods."
_Why Must a Black Writer Write About Sex?_ and _Dining With the
Dictator_ are hearty romps through Haiti and North America, and David
Homel's translation of Laferriere's prose is to be savored page by page.
From _The Miami Herald_ January 1, 1995
--
One Heart,
Geoffrey Philp, Miami, Florida.
z900...@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us