Nathan McCall Message Board
A. S. Barlowe posts on 10/4/2011 11:48:42 AM
Mr. McCall -- You nailed it, eloquently as usual, in your Washington Post on the President's speech to the recent CBC annual dinner. I hope that paper and other mainstream outlets will allow you to have more of your say on this subject in the not too distant future.
Don Hoaglin posts on 9/26/2011 12:49:32 PM
Mr. McCall
I teach a high school class called Spoken Word and Contemporary Poetics. My students read the section from Makes Me Wanna Holla called Gangstas Guns and Shoot-em Ups. They put together responses, many in poetic form, and I told them I would try to get hold of you so you could see them. Could you email me at dhoaglin@madison.k12.wi.us with any contact information, please?
Thanks, I appreciate.
Rose Mullen posts on 4/19/2011 3:37:04 PM
Nathan, wanted you to know I loved "Them".
I read your first book when it came out and loved it. Thank you for being a writer!
I look forward to your next book.
Rose
Sal posts on 5/19/2008 6:02:10 PM
Nathan
Just a few words from me -
A story that is real- such as yours - will indeed stay with me forever. I learnt -gripped -teary eyed,at times - and heard many of the sitautions you faced and almost felt I was their at certain stages throughout this amazing story of your struggles through growing up and facing the wars you did - daily. An even - more powerful story - told when you challenged yourself and I beleive - have become a guide/strenght & much more! in many eyes across the world that will be looked at and have -as an example of not just a young boy - man - son and pillar for admiration in many decades to come. Thank you for sharing htis experience that will touch me and my family for a logn time.
Carolyn Stacker posts on 4/8/2008 4:49:00 PM
want a copy of Make Me Wonna Holla. Can not find it. I have read it but I loaned my copy to someone and did not get it back.
Dot posts on 3/25/2008 7:07:21 PM
Mr. McCall,
Thank you for Makes Me Wanna Holler.
Dan posts on 1/21/2008 12:41:27 PM
Knowledge is power in a corrupted democracy where equal opportunity is disenfranchised by the local enviroment. I've walked through many different people and sects allways viewed as an infiltrator in search of knowledge. Always wondered how you could know somebody by spending a few minutes with them. I look up to McCall even though we are seperated by racial lines, I would be stereotyped; and thats my power. Its not so much race anymore its about respect with everyone demanding it, and that stereotype thing is worse than racism. Its whats causing all the hatred to be expressed through violence.I feel the isolation of not belonging to my race, but never had to make that racial choice (poor white). I was blessed with the freedom to be independant. I've been looking a long time for a writer about real knowledge from experience and have the power to express it. Its like a survival guide to deal with situations. I would like a book about how the crip influence strikes white suberbia to escape daily living. What is that feeling to become something special and how you fit in. Its like a delusion that becomes reality to make you believe that theres more to your life than just struggling. But if your fake to everybody you cant live to be that old cuz I allways dream that I could make something positive. To live through the King era I would love to be african-american becuase the militant fight for rights its the best image to have.
djones posts on 1/18/2008 11:24:23 AM
Just a follow up the last blog..I apologize for spelling Mr. McCall's name without the double C..Sloppy on my part..By the way for the not to relevant file, this gentleman if you haven't seen him looks like he's about 34, and I think he is close to 50..He's lived a fascinating, hard at times life and he is coming on strong..I think Journalists make the best writers as they really know what is going on....Good on him...
djones posts on 1/18/2008 7:46:19 AM
Mr. Mcall is brillaint. His latest work "Them" is a an excellent novel portraying the feelings and frustrations of gentrification. I am a white man who is working class and feels similar feelings to the characters in the book as rich people are moving back into the city and because of their entitlement (money) basically are doing whatever they want. There is an old song by Frank Sinatra "There used to be a ballpark right here". I think one of Mr.Mcalls points is though gentrification can have some benefits and we certainly should be diverse, the problem is when folks come in and take away the "intangibles" that don't make money such as old ballparks, or corner stores that get turned into latte lands, the characters in the neighborhood who get pushed out. Its really sad...I live in Seattle, and when I grew up there were 5 bowlings alleys close to me, now there are none because that property is "condoized" or turned into "boutique bs shopping spots"
Ah, the rich get richer it seems..If they don't like the suburban commute they created, then well they go back in and take the city neighborhoods. It makes me really mad and I doubly feel for black folks, who probably must think, white folks just take what they want, when they want it..First they left now they want it back...ugh...I went to hear Mr. Mcall speak and he made a brillaint point that what happened in Paris recently will probably happen here in the US...namely if you move poor folks through pricing out to the suburbs which is hard enough, then on top of that basically leave them with no infrastructure people are going to get pissed eventually...Won't that be irony the suburbs maybe the inner cities of the 60's..I know I feel the rage myself..I could really relate to Tyrone in the book when he strangled the next door neighbor when he put up a fence and cut down the tree that housed birds he was fond of..
It does make you wanna holler!
Alonzo posts on 1/17/2008 5:54:09 AM
ref. to AJC article Published on: 01/17/08:
I think Barack Obama at 46 yrs old should concede in this presidential primary election. We are running the risk of believing an illusion that has massive repercussions. I remember back when Cynthia McKinney(D) was running and the Republicans crossed over and voted in a Democratic election in support of her opposition and she lost. I'm not comparing McKinney to Obama, but I'm comparing that folks are crossing over to hoist Obama over Clinton.
We still live in a time where race, sadly stills plays a major role in today's society (just do a review in the news for 2007 and see how blacks are still being mistreated).
My theory is that Obama will get the nomination at the convention which is what the other side wants, but he will not have a chance to win against a white republican. The wins that are coming now on this primary trail (go back to McKinney) is just to make sure Clinton or possibly Edwards don't get the nomination. We all would love to see an intelligent black man in the white house, but look at what we have at stack if he gets the nomination and losses another 4yrs of a Republican president.
This country was founded on race then politics. What we must consider is that some democrats will not vote for him due to he is black. And a no vote is a yes vote for the opposition. At least with Clinton we still have the democratic vote, the woman vote, minority vote, and she is associated with prosperity for minorities in this country.
I mention Obama's age because it's not like he can't run again. I think we shouldn't chance another 4yrs of a Republican president. Let's allow Clinton or possibly Edwards win the office and then in 4yrs we send Obama after her or him. In turn this allows him more experience and a force to be reckon with. It's just too much at stake and too many factors to be considered to think he will beat a white republican. Along with at least if Clinton or Edwards win we have a 4yr reprieve from misery.
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