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Casey
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 13, 2003 - 11:55 pm: | 
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Oh, I just hate it that I missed the Douglass Women chat. I was at a book signing for the author Christopher Chambers. Just wanted to say that I did enjoy reading the book, although at first, the reading was slow and it took me a minute to get into it-but once over that hurdle I read it in a flash. I thought that it might change my opinion about Freddy, but I don't think that it did. After reading the book though, I see him as a man who definitely had some issues going on in his personal life. The book just allowed me another glimpse of him and his personal life. Now as for his wife and mistress, that's another story.My goodness it sure is something when a wife will allow a husband's mistres to stay in her home as anna(wife) allowed ottilie(mistress) to do! Now the modern day tv psych Dr. Phil would have a field day with that! All I can say is different time and different era, but they both looooved themselves some Freddy! Feel free to comment if you wish. |
Tee C. Royal
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 11:39 am: |
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Casey, I have GOT to read this one this year! It's in storage now, but I do plan to get it in soon. I've heard such positive things about it.
And, it was good seeing you at the Christopher Chambers signing. I can't wait to read his books also.
-Tee |
Thumper
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 17, 2003 - 04:36 pm: |
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Hello Casey,
I loved Douglass' Women. Jewell Parker Rhodes is one of my all-time favorite authors in the world. I really enjoyed the book. Did the book change your opinion of Douglass? When I had the pleasure of talking to Rhodes, she said that she tried not to villify Douglass. I certainly didn't like some of his actions, but I definitely saw him as human. |
Casey
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 17, 2003 - 09:59 pm: |
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Hello Thumper, No the book did not change my opinion of Fred Douglass-still think of him as a great abolitionist, etc. I think that the real test for me will be to read something that he has authored about slavery and the abolitionists, etc-see if that changes my esteemed opinion of him? That's one of my projects to do soon. I need to just find and read one of his books |
Yvette
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 24, 2003 - 01:06 am: |
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I just finished Douglass' Women. I loved it! This author is just magnificent! I'm currently reading Magic City, also by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Thump, do you know when her next one is scheduled to be released? After I'm done with Magic City, I will have read all of her fiction books.
Back to Douglass' Women. The book really didn't change my opinion about Douglass that much. I had to remind myself that this was a work of fiction based on the author's very vivid imagination. I just thought that he was one ungrateful, arrogant brother to bring a woman in the home of his wife and children. I also saw him as very controlling. I guess he forgot that she was the main reason he was able to escape. I'm guessing that he was just a product of his upbringing though. It must have been difficult, as a slave, to love and trust too much, when the future was so uncertain. |
yasmin
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 09:19 am: |
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Hello everyone!
Like many of you, I too enjoyed the Douglass Women but I must admit that it left a bad taste in my mouth about ole' Freddy. While I've read Douglass non-fictional reads those were always about his life as an abolistionist...and a FINE abolistionist he was. But as a husband he stunk to high hell and although the book was fictional, in real life he did have a wife named Anna and a mistress named Ottelie. I'm glad Ms. Rhodes wrote the book from the perspective of what these two women might have thought and experienced in this threesome. Of the 3, I thought that Anna was the better person because she knew who she was and what she was.I agree with the statement that Doctor Phil would have had a field day with these folks.
Well, since I enjoyed the Douglass Women and esp. Rhodes writing style I will have to read her other books and check and see when her next book is coming out. She's an awesome writer who doesn't get nearly the attention that she deserves. |
Thumper
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 11:36 am: |
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Hello All,
I'm so glad that you all have enjoyed Douglass' Women. I highly recommend Magic City. I just got Voodoo Dreams a month or so ago. I plan on reading it on my LA flight. I'll let you all know what I think about it. |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 12:31 pm: |
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The only complaint I have about Douglass' Women is that Anna's "true looks" were not portrayed, which would have been truly groundbreaking.
This was, in real life, was a lovely charcoal colored blue black woman.
I cannot EVER recall such a woman of our race being portrayed in as the leading lady (with a romantic life) in a book before. I thought for many reasons...historically...sociologically...and as an affront against Colorism itself...it would have been really nice if that fact were presented as "NORMAL".
Knowing as much as do about the real Anna Douglass (I studied her for years as a teen), I felt resentful at the author's decision to take away this RARE opportunity to present one of of "those women". I think Sojourner Truth is the only other role model that blue black colored women have to look up to.
While such things don't matter to the majority of us--I certainly wish that we could ALL (every hue of female) someday represented. We blacks talk that crap...but when it comes to blue black women, we almost NEVER honor their image. EVER.
Think about it.
And when HBO makes the miniseries...they will have a girl my color play the role rather than Alek Wek (or someone of that coloring).
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yasmin
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 01:17 pm: |
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Kola I feel you and I was disappointed that the cover prominently featured an image of a white woman...it was as tho' she was the in the forefront and Anna lived in her shadow. While the story may have been told/perceived that way and even been understood to most that way, as far as I'm concerned Anna was the REAL MRS. FREDERICK DOUGLASS and therefore Ottilie lived in HER SHADOW. So she should have been in the background or shown as a wedge between Anna and ole Freddy.
Thumper: I will definitely pick up Voodoo Woman as well as Magic City. I'm a fan for life. |
Cynique
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 01:58 pm: |
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"The Douglass Women" is on my to-read list, because I'm currently into books about "real" people. From the comments being made, Douglass' romantic life sounds very much like that of another black icon, Paul Robeson, whose long-suffering black wife also had to contend with a white mistress throughout their marriage. Why is it these strong black men who are so militant about the issue of race, cannot resist the lure of white women??? |
yasmin
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 02:18 pm: |
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Cynique--WONDERFUL QUESTION and when we figure out the answer we will be multi-millionaires. I guess its something about the allure of what is considered poison and a can't have that draws AA males to white woman. I don't know...I wish I had the answer. sigh. |
Thumper
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 08:54 am: |
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Hello All,
Kola: Did you read the book? Rhodes didn't lighten Anna skin in the book. I'm baffled by your whole post.
Yasmin: What I got from the cover wasn't so much that a white woman is featured predominantly on the cover, it was the fact that Fredrick and Anna are painted in a portrait. Which I took as a portrait of two historical figures, who will always be discussed and written about. We, and future generations will always have the capacity to learn of Fredrick and Anna. When its all said and done Anna is Mrs. Frederick Douglass, ol' girl was simply his ho. If Anna was alive today, she would get all of our support and applause, everything befitting the wife of a great man. The white woman would get what...our contempt.
Look, before I read Douglass' Women, I had no idea Otille even existed. I knew about Anna though. One of the beauty of the book was that Rhodes brought both to life for me and I even felt sorry for Otille at the end. But Anna, Anna was all that and then some. Douglass married wisely. I give him that. |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 01:10 pm: |
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Hi Thumper,
She wasn't lightskinned. But she wasn't Blue Black charcoal colored either in the book...as she was in real life. Which would have been a first and major breakthrough.
She was a medium dark brown in the book. These gradations in color certainly matter..since, as I said...women of charcoal coloring are NEVER EVER portrayed in any type of media (by other blacks) and certainly not as leading ladies. As blacks, we will often claim our pride in our coloring running the gamet from vanilla to black velvet...BUT we never honor the black velvet.
As I said, colorism will be furthered when HBO casts a girl of my coloring to play Anna..rather than a girl of Alek Wek's color and looks (which would be far more accurate).
THere was one blue black woman who wrote me a letter about this book some months back and she said--"You'd have to be one of us charcoal gals to understand."
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ABM
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 08:39 am: |
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Hi Kola,
I must say I can't stand Alex Wek. Not be cause she is dark or have distinctly African features. I say "The darker the berry, the sweeter the cherry." ;).
I don't like Alek for this simple reason: She has virtually ZERO T&A.
What brotha would want to cuddle up to someone who appears to be in the advance stages of starvation. |
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