Reader: Pamela Buhler

Respondent: Sabrina Frith

Recorder: Dawn Taylor

"Blonde White Women"

(Unsettling America, p. 77)

Biographical Information:

Patricia Smith is an African American writer and poet. Smith is known for performance poetry, which can be defined as "slam." "Her work resides in the present, in urban neighborhood, in nightclubs, streetcorner gathering places like the barber shop or in 3:00 AM taxi rides home. "And while she writes from the "I", she writes selflessly so" (Heintz, screens 1–2). Smith’s career as the first black woman writing a weekly metro column for the Boston Globe came to an abrupt end when it was revealed that some of her stories were fabricated. She wrote this biographical poem in 1992.

Publications:

"Close to Death," "Big Towns, Big Talk," and "Life According to Motown."

Life After Motown – Smith’s one-woman poetry/theater production in Nov. and Dec. of 1993.

Objectives:

Literary 1b. – To criticize as well as celebrate the American dream

2a. Who writes the immigrant narrative? Smith is second generation

3. Fictional or non-fictional modes of the immigrant narrative. Smith’s poem suggests it is non-fictional.

Cultural 1a. – African Americans were involuntary immigrates.

1b. Internal migration from southern to northern states.

Interpretation:

The overall theme of the poem "Blonde White Women" is the acceptance of self. Smith seems to be criticizing the American dream with her poem, yet she celebrates the dream by writing, "no color darker, more beautiful, than I am." The poem is written from an "I" stance, which gives it a non-fictional mode addressed in objective 3. The word "snowstorm" connects to the word "white" in the title. Is Smith referring to a true snowstorm or a storm of white women? Ebony magazine is an African American based magazine that is promoting Smith to question her own skin and hair through the advertising. She should not be happy and satisfied with herself. Stanza two is asking Smith to "count them"--the "Blonde White Women." She looks at the candle flames of hair, blood in their cheeks, and observes the look they return to her.

Stanza four has Smith recalling wishing at an earlier age that she had golden, not "nappy," hair and that the "pink Crayola" would change the color of her own skin. Smith describes playing under her father’s white shirt and pretending to have "white light pigtails" because "blond and white meant to be kissed." In the passage, "When I was white, my name was Donna. My teeth were perfect; I was always out of breath" (78), the little girl is describing the characteristics she wants or believes are necessary. When the "blonde teacher hugged me," Patricia Ann wanted more. She wanted the teacher’s color to rub off on her and make her white. The teacher let go of her and Patricia Ann felt rejection due to her skin color.

Stanza 8 addresses literary and cultural objective 1b. The migrate pattern from south to north. Smith’s mother completed an "Internal Migration" from Alabama to Chicago. Smith is a second generation of immigrants. Smith recognizes the love she has for her own Mother and an acceptance of self, "My name is Patricia Ann." In the final stanza, "treachery" is Patricia Ann lack of assimilation as she involuntary join society fulfills objective 1a.

Respondent:

Sabrina Frith responded Smith’s journey through wanting to be white and not black was due to a period in time. She finally accepted herself and became a professional and arrived.

Discussion:

Sylvia viewed the poem as a "swack" at commercialism by reading an Ebony magazine and the pink Crayola. There is a lack of color in the media. Smith had to come to terms with being black. The shaking off the snow was shaking off the white. The forced participation of African Americans makes a difference on how they view the U.S.

Kellie commented that the flesh pink Crayola has been discontinued.

Rachel questioned the 6^th line, "skinny pink fingers shiver." Why? Why with fear? She felt Smith was sending the message that white people easily hugged and blacks are pushed away. The use of the word "treachery," who was she a traitor to? Smith has to explain why she found her identity. Rachel felt this was a very strong statement.

Sources:

http://www.boston.com/helpwanted/resume/smithp.htm

The Book of Voices: Patricia Smith. Kurt Heintz. July 1999.

http://www.e-poets.net/library/bov/001-Psmith/intro.html