It’s Friday! That means our examination of Jujitsu for Christ is over. Well, sort of.
Recently the author himself graced our pages and admired our scritching and scratching of his lovely work. That means quite a lot to me, and I hope the respect and joy we have found in the book was apparent. When I first met Professor Fury, lo, these many moons ago, the, like, fifth word out of his mouth was “yougottareadthisbookit’samazingandallSouthernandcomicbooky.”
That’s not really a word, but his passion for the book was contagious and—there’s no other way to put it—fun. When he had the idea to spend a few days talking about the book, I immediately jumped on-board. And, as I told Sally the other day when we were walking, sitting down with a stack of old comics and thinking about what Leon’s cry of “Hawk-a-a-a” “meant” was an incredibly satisfying experience for me. Unlike Prof. and Sally (and many of our readers), I’m not nearly as well-educated in the ways and means of, how you say, the reading. Like a Cro-Magnon stepping back nervously from a blazing fire, I have always suspected the modern tools of in-depth textual examination and criticism, especially that they might ruin a work for me.
Perhaps it can, if forced by an evil teacher, or if focused on an ultimately shallow work, but sitting down and thinking and writing about Jujitsu for Christ was revelatory for me in many ways. It wasn’t an effort, it was fun: an Easter egg hunt that revealed layer after layer, with the book becoming richer upon our discussion and dissections.
Anyway, I talk too much: I know there’s some of y’all out there that read the book and haven’t piped up yet. Did you like the book? Were you disappointed? Did we beat it to death? Did you think the ending sucked and was a cop-out? Were you surprised that Marcus was the narrarator? Did you throw it in a pile with a buncha Lewis Nordan and go “meh”? Are you continually disturbed by its portrayals of prejudice and institutionalized racism? Are you worried that it’s not actually any different today? Is Roger a sap or a hero? Or, is he a transformative man, who lives somewhere in-between our static perceptions of race in the South, and so had to retreat to California, where the division wasn’t as palpable? &tc.
No matter what you thought about it—thanks for spending yr time tracking down a wonderful out-of-print gem and spending some time with us talking about it. We’ll do it again.
Previous entries:—Prof. Fury examines the Summer Passage in Jujitsu for Christ—Prof. Fury compares Jack Butler to a cross between “Thomas Pynchon and Lewis Nordan”—Prof. Fury looks at Marcus’ quest—Gorjus talks about Leon’s quest to form a superhero team like the Blackhawks
I read it and definitely liked it, although I haven’t had a chance to do the necessary re-read upon learning that Marcus is the narrator.
My favorite insights from the comments here were definitely on the gender issues raised by ER Gandy; really fascinating stuff. That will be something I pay close attention to upon re-reading.
Thanks for recommending the book and letting me eavesdrop on the interesting commentary of folks who are obviously way smarter than me.
Maybe not so much way smarter as just way gabbier, Lucy.
So cool that Jack B. himself stopped by. He must know that Prof is on a single-handed mission to get this book read. Prof is like a…a…Johnny Jujitsu-for-Christ Seed. Like the Oprah of the out-of-print. Shall I go on?
I like to think of myself as a teacher/writer who always keeps in the forefront of any considerations of literature that novels, poems, plays represent a form of critical public discourse: a writer’s attempt to interject into the myriad messages that we receive in the course of our lives about how to think and act. I, ultimately, judge the value of a work from an admittedly very biased political standpoint: how effectively I think the work can make a helpful dent on a reading public (and again ‘helpful’ I defing according to my political views).
I have loved hearing about and contributing in some small way to thinking about all the neat ways that this novel creates meaning; I think I should have pointed out to begin with that by my ultimate standards—not aesthetic, not of enjoyment—I think this book is GREAT. I’d like to get it into as many hands as possible, because I think it could contribute to making the world a better place. Then I could have talked about the interworkings that helped create its effects, and mentioned, which I never did, how much I just plain loved the experience of reading the novel.
I REALLY appreciate Gorjus’s comments, not just for their insight, but because I am immensely encouraged by non-professional, non-academic interest and engagement with literature. It is my greatest wish that some, any, please please please at least one of my students will carry that with them over the course of their lives.
It meant quite alot for me for Jack Butler to chime in, I won’t try to express how much, cuz I know I’ll sound sappy. Thanks for the novel!
Prof, thanks for getting me to read it. How the hell are you going to follow the inaugural book club up?
That’s it? I don’t think it’s fair to end without some further commentary prof
I really do think that the comments by mr. gorjus were fascinating, particularly the definitions of comic book heroes and perhaps ERGandy’s lack of 3 D heroines.
I really think that the comment Regulator made “the way that ideas manifest themselves in material conditions (race is not real, segregation is)” puts some good words on what is struggling to get out of my head. It is something of that classic Idealist/Materialist conflict, whether it is stated in philosophical terms or spiritual ones. The older I get, the more inadequate it seems to be simply an idealogue without demanding impact upon the material world, no matter how insignificant.
I am glad someone mentioned the final flight of Roger to California. Somehow I see that as significant. Is that the end to his fight for meaning, or what is that?
By the way, is there an author by the name of Marcus Gandy? I get the Marcus Aurelius thing?
Prof, what was the publication date of that essay that Eudora Welty wrote on whether authors have a active social responsibility? (I forget what it was called and I can’t find it.)
At any rate, I appreciated the incredibly insightful things that everyone had to say. Thank you for letting me participate.
Thanks, all, for participating in the book club! Particular thanks to gorjus for stoking the flames of Butler-mania while I was out of town and mostly internetless this weekend. This was a whole lot of fun, and we’ll have to do it again fer sure. Also, if some of you are still reading, don’t feel like you’ve got to stop or that the discussion is over! These posts aren’t going anywhere, so feel free to keep adding your thoughts as they occur to you; we’ll check back here periodically and see what you have to say.
Since nobody lynched me after my last comments, I will add a few more in answer to a couple of issues. For me, sexual discrimination and racial discrimination are essentially similar. Humans are humans. Nothing less is an adequate vision.
Roger flees to CA (in my mind) because he just can’t take the madness any more. it is odd that he only flees after eight years, perhaps, but he feels a responsibility to Marcus.
There is no Marcus Gandy I know of. I am delighted somebody picked up on the reference to the stoic emperor. There is no Marcus Gandy in one sense, but in another, he is the author of several books. He is the (buried) narrator of my second novel, Nightshade. John Shade the vampire is intended as one of the author Marcus’s versions of himself.
In some of the byways of the books, it appears that Marcus invented me, and is the real author.
Aw, I think this is the absolute last place you can expect to be the victim of any violence. And not just because we can’t get at you through your computer. Thanks so much for stopping by—it’s been an absolute treat. And ditto what the Regulator said: thanks, of course and foremost, for your work!
I am a bit surprised by the quiet on discussion of the sexual machinations of the book. But thanks to Jack for mentioning that important issue. bell hooks is verbal about that racial/sexual discrimination corollary and I would be interested in hearing more if anyone has anything to say. (11 am Sunday mornings, it is pretty notable in certain gatherings I’ve participated in.) I guess I’m interested in the tensions behind the sexual tensions in this book. Some of those tensions just seem like plain old vanilla passion, but some of it carries a symbollic weight that I may not completely understand.
Is the lack of fulfillment sexually really speaking of the great lack of fulfillment in genuine relationship between the races in Mississippi? The longing is palpable here, but Roger is left going off to Arkansas, with Marcus alone.