Things I Should Have More to Say About, But Don’t

1.  The Music Issue of the Oxford American never showed up here at work, but the Race Issue is here.  America, I hesitate to say anything at all, because lord knows I don’t want another Smirnoff meltdown in the comments, but, fine, I’m just going to say it.  This is some 1980s shit on my desk.  In a magazine about the South, in an issue called “Race: The Past, Present, and Future,” the issue is devoted primarily to the experiences of black people.  As if white people have no race?  As if there are no Hispanic people having any kind of Southern experience?  As if one of the largest Kurdish populations outside of the Middle East isn’t here?  And I know it’s kind of bullshit to dog on someone for trying, but good fucking god.  “Race” does not equal “Black” and a racialized experience of the South is not equal to the experience of being black in the South.  And it’s stupid anyway, because being black in the South is a great topic for the Oxford America.  So, why not just call it that?  What’s with the weird “we’re going to talk about black people and hear from black people and we’re going to invoke Dr. King because white people seem to think that the mere mention of his name is enough to keep black people from being mean to us, but we’re going to couch it in terms of ‘race’ not of being black?”  If it’s a race issue, there need to be more races in it.  If it’s the Black People issue, then call it that.  (Flowers is in it, though!  Woo hoo.)

2.  Could “Beowulf” mean “woodpecker”?  I don’t know.  But I like to think about it.

3.  Marrero sticks up for regular folks again.

4.  I loved last night’s episode of “Criminal Minds.”  I thought it was perfectly delightful how it walked you right up to the edge of every TV cliche about the supernatural and then… Nothing.  The story went on like normal.