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Facing West
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Blogger Ambigutrex reports on Cornel West's book-signingat the Barnsdell Art Park this weekend. As always, West was inspiring but Ambigutrex notices that some of West's fans seemed more interested in fronting their "street cred" than truly exchanging ideas.
Ambigutrex writes, " The crowd was wonderfully diverse, a salt and pepper mix of those conscious and willing enough to climb the stairs and sit on the lawn and be seduced. Cornel West is the Morrissey of political theoretical / public intellectual sphere. He’s a captivator, a seductress, a gracious and eloquent bard (sans lute). And the book he was selling “Democracy Matters,” couldn’t be possessed of a more prescient topic.
The speech which descried the tyranny of Imperialist, Fundamentalist, Homophic dogmas (to name a few), then digressed into a public question and answer section with each asker preceding their vague queries with a self aggrandizing self blurb: I’m a soul music DJ blah blah blah, my Uncle is a collegue of yours blah blah blah, I’m a teacher working on diversity programs blah blah blah. The only good question was asked by a man who decided against a blurbed autobiography and simply said, somewhat femininely, “I just have to say that I adore you. Thank you for bringing together all the elements that contribute to how much I adore you.” Hands down, best comment, because, see, in times like these, an event in the center of the city bringing together all kinds of races in a meditative, supportive, and kind atmosphere of disaffection, served as a kind of salve, for me, to my own disaffection and disengagement."
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We're just glad folks showed up. Any other attendees care to share their impressions?
Photo Credit: Ambigutrex.blogspot.com
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