correction and recommendation

interesting how history melts into conflicting stories when you look more closely. i picked up a book called Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol by nell irvin painter, only to find out that the speech normally attributed to sojourner truth - "and ar'n't i a woman?" - is actually NOT an exact quote (big deal with journalists like me). there were actually two main sources for the speech Truth did give, in akron, ohio in 1851, and in any case it was certainly an important and powerful speech. one report was written immediately after the fact by a man who knew Truth already, and was therefore familiar with her style, and the other - the one that went down in history - was written by a woman named francis dana gage, about twelve years after the fact - she was in attendance at the speech in question, but only came to know Truth after that speech. so apparently painter's interpretation that gage "invented" the phrase "and ar'n't i a woman?" is pretty controversial, though it seems pretty convincing to me (that if she had said the phrase at all, let alone four times, the writer of the first report probably wouldn't have missed it). also, she was known to have had only five or so children.

this is gage's report of the speech as presented in Wikipedia, though i think gage used the word "ar'n't" instead of "ain't":

Dat man ober dar say dat womin needs to be helped into carriages, and lifted ober ditches, and to hab de best place everywhar. Nobody eber helps me into carriages, or ober mud-puddles, or gibs me any best place!" And raising herself to her full height, and her voice to a pitch like rolling thunder, she asked. 'And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! (and she bared her right arm to the shoulder, showing her tremendous muscular power). I have ploughed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man--when I could get it--and bear de lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen chilern, and seen 'em mos' all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

truth was a preacher, and often described as having an innate, witty intelligence, though she was unlettered. i had had no idea that she had actually worked at selling herself as a speaker and symbol, had written her narrative and sold it well during her lifetime, or that her children went on to live and die in relative poverty and obscurity... painter's book was fascinating to read and makes me want to read more biographies.

one other recommendation i must make: just finished reading freedom and necessity by stephen brust and emma bull. never read either of them, fantasy writers, but this book was not exactly fantasy, though i kept expecting it to be from reading the cover blurbs (i wonder if there is much money to be had in writing cover blurbs? how do i get that job?). i really enjoyed this book, even though since my style is to read fiction very fast, and this is a densely written (think austen) book with much reference to hegel, marx and engels, of whose philosophies i have only vague ideas, and some social revolutionary concepts in mid-19th century england, i have to say i did not understand everything and may have to read it again. BUT. the characterizations are brilliant, some of the best i've read actually, as is the love story (with all its questioning of what actually constitutes love between two characters who are so unwilling to let their guards down). definitely recommend - abu sinan, if you're reading this, i thought of you in particular, even though this isn't technically "celtic" (though of course celticness pops up quite often).

so the house is clean and i'm sitting here waiting for the clients to show up and come see, keeping musa confined in the playpen behind me so he can't make a mess i have to scramble to clean up as soon as i hear the door open upstairs. not working though...