Black Elk Speaks, Brian Listens

Black Elk speaks, while well written, is proving incredibly hard to read. First, it's been incredibly sad so far...and I'm not talking "The Notebook"-style sad. All too often people, speaking mostly for myself here, completely forget that we weren't the first ones on the land we occupy, and that we don't get it by peacefully swapping wampum; there is an ugly side to the history of the land of opportunity. Although hard to read, this book is undoubtably important. I think it's pretty terrible that this side of history is so often skipped over, and that it is important to learn from our mistakes so we don't repeat them (a little Kindergarten wisdom for you).

A Real Alternative History

Before I get started, Howard Zinn and I are pretty tight. We have been for several years, and likely will continue to be for many more. But the thing with Zinn is although he writes a history for the oppressed, often telling of the seedy underbelly of America's commonly taught celebratory history, he hasn't exactly been a member of the downtrodden communities himself. And I'd say that's a good thing for him. I don't think oppression is worth the possibility of a resulting book deal. However, in Black Elk Speaks we're really being presented with an alternative history from the point of view of someone who is a member of one of the downtrodden communities of American history. Although, and I reiterate, oppression is not worth the book deal, by hearing from someone who has genuinely experienced such hard times, a new point of view is made available to everyone willing to read it. It's like this: The Tallest Man on Earth did an awesome cover of "I Want You" by Bob Dylan. (Link: http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/the-tallest-man-on-earth-concert/20030843-3738157.html) Here is an artist who was clearly influenced greatly by the folk legend, and he does his best to get Bob's message across while adding his own style. And that's respectable, but at the same time he isn't Bob Dylan and never will be. In the case of this analogy, Howard Zinn is The Tallest Man on Earth.