The Inkwell Quarterly Issue 14.3: Spring 2020
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The Inkwell Quarterly Issue 14.3: Spring 2020 THE INKWELL QUARTERLY Exploring Issues at the Intersection of In this Issue: Race and Class The Spitfire Grill Review Cindered Shadows Game Review By Savannah Pinnock On February 27th, isn’t an unfamiliar name as he was Carrie Review 2020, English Professor Dr. a prominent voice in the Pan- Booker Prize Controversy Jap-Nanak Makkar delivered Africanist movement, a well-known The Vagina Monologues Interview an informative and thought- writer, and a major contributor to Witness to “Living at the End of provoking presentation that Black Literature and culture as they History...” addressed the topic of Black pertain to the Harlem Renaissance. Alice Sola Kim at Wilkes liberation. It primarily focused However, Frantz Fanon may be an Frozen 2 Review on the intersection of race, class, unknown name to many English Take on the Lore of League of and colonialism. Her presentation majors and minors as his works Legends was eloquently presented and she were focused on other disciplines King Lear Review incorporated the insights of W.E.B in the humanities and he wasn’t surrounding the dynamics Du Bois and Frantz Fanon which primarily a literary figure. With this that inform Black Liberation dovetailed seamlessly with her being said, Frantz Fanon’s voice is informative and more inclusive. presentation and gave it an added still very relevant as it pertains to As it pertains to inclusivity, I am level of credibility, as well as a racial equality--and to the study a person who identifies as Black strong foundation. of literature. His relevance comes but I am not African-American in from his moral starting point terms of ethnicity. I am an Afro- as a Black, French West Indian West Indian American which often psychiatrist and political author. complicates my relationship with In laymans terms, Fanon discussed being Black in America and being a the topic of racial inequality from Black American as I was born here. the perspective of a Black person of As a consequence of my French West Indian (or Carribean) identity as an Afro-West Indian descent. On the other hand, American, I found myself drawn to W.E.B. Du Bois discussed topics her discussion of Black Liberation related to racial inequality from his as it is quite inclusive in terms of perspective as an African-American nomenclature. For many who are author. Their moral starting points not aware of the intersection of as Black individuals from different race and ethnicity, one can be Black walks of life and areas of the world without being African-American allowed Dr. Makkar’s presentation Photo credit: Savannah Pinnock and vice versa. So her use of the to have a very well-rounded term Black is quite fitting and For English majors and foundation. As an American of inclusive as it refers to all Black minors at Wilkes University, W.E.B Jamaican and/or West Indian people who are in the Americas Du Bois should not be and likely descent I found her discussion and/or America. Black should not Story Continued on page 2 1 The Inkwell Quarterly Issue 14.3: Spring 2020 Exploring Issues at the Intersection of Race and Class continuation of page 1 be seen as an informal means of and Black individuals in general. these poor Whites had fought on discussing African-Americans; it Upon reading this statement, one the side of poor Blacks in terms of simply refers to all Black people may wonder why this would be economic prosperity, poor Whites who may or may not be American, an aspect of Black Liberation that and poor Blacks would likely have African-American is a Western or would be overlooked. The reason been in a better socio-economic American term. A Black person this aspect of Black liberation position. However, the problem in Brazil may not understand or would be overlooked is due to is that poor Whites thought they be aware of the term African- the fact that in the civil rights would lose their “racial superiority” American, and a Brazilian may live movement, the most pressing in fighting with poor Blacks. in the Americas but they are by aspect of Black Liberation is the Dr. Makkar also addressed the no means American and thus, not desire for racial equality. This repercussions of such phenomena African-American but Black. The equality is civic in nature and has to in that some Black women and men same is true for other Black but do with a Black person in America during that time refused to date non-American individuals in the or the Americas desire to have the within their race for reasons having Americas or across the globe. freedom to vote, to own property, to do with their class. With this being said, Dr. and have the same rights as the Dr. Makkar’s presentation Makkar’s discussion of Black majority or non-marginalized was amazing and insightful. Instead Liberation was quite inclusive on groups like that of Caucasian of addressing the hackneyed topics this level alone. It was inclusive Americans. With this being said, of general racism, she discussed the in that it discussed a topic that is relatively “smaller” issues like that issues that occur at the intersection relevant to Black History Month of a racial groups’ socio-economic of race and class. These issues are without discussing it in a manner health may not be met with much still looming and subtly present in that is only applicable to a subgroup passion or given much attention. modern day society. They present of the Black Diaspora, African- An analogy for this phenomenon and manifest themselves in the Americans. The title “Black is the idea of someone being fact that a lot of racial minorities Liberation” includes everyone extremely dehydrated and hungry. of Black descent live in poor who identified as a member of the Due to a person having a higher communities often as a result of Black Diaspora. Also, Dr. Makkar’s likelihood of survival while being red lining which may be a relic decision to maintain a primary hungry, a doctor may try to attend of our nation’s racial past. Her focus on the insights of W.E.B. Du to treating their dehydration before presentation was informative and Bois and Frantz Fanon opened up attending to their hunger. However, eye-opening and reveals that racial her dialogue to include not only for a person’s optimal health and inequality doesn’t end with race; it African-American rhetoric but well-being, it is essential that both is interwoven into every aspect of the insights and rhetoric of Black needs are met. our lives. people from all walks of life and As a consequence of this around the world. This inclusivity dynamic, Dr. Makkar discussed and is primarily due to her inclusion addressed the effects of colonialism of Frantz Fanon as he was a Black on the socio-economic class of individual although he was not Black people in the Americas. Dr. African-American. Makkar noted that one major issue During Dr. Makkar’s that presented itself is that in the presentation she discussed a topic past is that poor White Americans that has often been overlooked preferred to maintain their “racial as it has to do with the economic superiority” instead of fight on the well-being of African-Americans side of poor Black Americans. If 2 Photo credit: Savannah Pinnock The Inkwell Quarterly Issue 14.3: Spring 2020 Junior Spotlights By Haley Katona always keeps me engaged. She sees between what I love (thinking so much in me that I do not see critically and casually about games in myself. Dr. Stanley consistently and film, storytelling) and what is allows me to pursue my interests usually done in class. When I think framed in English. I have written of successful English majors, the far too many videogame-based first two that come to mind are essays for his class and he has Twitch streamers. So I’ll just keep accepted them every time. When on faking it. I took classes at Wilkes as a high school student, Dr. Stanley encouraged me to join the honors program. I took Honors English 120 as a high school student, and now I’m here. Q: If you could go back in time, Image courtesy of Darren Martinez what would you change about your Darren Martinez college experience so far and why? Q: Which English class has been A: Barring monetary restrictions, your favorite so far? Why? I’d probably try to live on campus. A: I think it’s a tossup between I honestly might have even tried the two creative writing courses going to Susquehanna University I’ve taken thus far. Bernie Kovacs’ instead. Living at home honestly Intro to Creative Writing and sucks. I work every weekend, don’t Dr. Anthony’s Advanced Poetry leave my room as often as I’d like, Image courtesy of Sheylah Silva Workshop were both enjoyable and and just feel like I miss out on a lot Sheylah Silva didn’t make class feel like ‘class,’ of experiences. My grades are fine, Q: Which English class has been y’know? I got to work on poetry but what memories do I have to your favorite so far? Why? and storytelling, and actually hone show for it? A: My favorite class so far has been the things I have pride in. I’m still English 353, a study in Postcolonial not the best writer but these classes Q: If you could give first-year literature.