Guest post from The Bottom of Heaven

Claudia from The Bottom of Heaven, a blog about "post-modern blackness," submits this guest post about fiction about slavery. I tend to be skittish about reading books about slaves (or any stories that involve mental, sexual or physical abuse), though I did read Song Yet Sung. But this piece challenges that position and because of her recommendation I'm definitely going to check out one of the Beverly Jenkins and see how I do. I love that an English prof can recommend literary fiction and romance in the same post! By the way, Jenkins has a new book out in January called Bring on the Blessings.

Please leave comments for Claudia here or at The Bottom of Heaven.

Everything following is from Claudia:

"Liberating Literature: Encountering Slavery in Black Fiction"

One of the unofficial rules of the monthly African-American book club that I attend is "no slaves" - that is, we don't read stories that take place during slavery. We've read everything else: from Zora Neale Hurston to Walter Mosley and Zane. But rarely do our selections venture into the Antebellum Era. When I raise the issue among the group of well-educated, assertive black female friends, I'm gently reminded that our book club is for fun and relaxing reading.

And stories about slaves? "Too depressing."

Readers who are new to black fiction may be similarly reluctant to immerse themselves in a world that imagines the inner lives and experiences of enslaved blacks and their white owners from years past. For some, the subject evokes guilt or shame that feels devastatingly personal. For others, slavery is too removed from their own experience or, perhaps, an old wound best left alone.

Nevertheless, as an English professor, I know that black writers have found fresh, inventive ways to bring African-American history into genre fiction. There's more here than public whippings and spoiled southern belles. These texts also take risks by exploring the everyday lives of enslaved blacks through sophisticated humor, romance, and unconventional points of view. So before you tackle Beloved or The Known World (two of my favorite novels about slavery), allow me to make the following introductions:

* Meet Charles Chesnutt: This late-19th century black writer's collection, The Conjure Woman, is filled with captivating southern folktales set during slavery. Unlike the Br'er Rabbit Tales adapted by Joel Chandler Harris, Chesnutt's black characters contain a stronger sense of dignity, determination, and intellectual vigor. The elderly black narrator in stories like "The Goophered Grapevine" is both an expert storyteller and trickster figure who finds ingenious ways to protect his livelihood. So if you enjoy Zora Neale Hurston, take a chance with Chesnutt.

* Meet Charles Johnson: Johnson's award-winning novel, Middle Passage, chronicles the grueling transatlantic journey of enslaved Africans, but what distinguishes this novel is the witty, sardonic observations of its free black narrator - a thief named Rutherford Calhoun. He's a stowaway on a slave ship who moves from apathetic outsider to reluctant hero in a surprisingly clever odyssey between bondage and freedom. And if you enjoy Johnson's style, you may also find Ishmael Reed's satirical neo-slave narrative, Flight to Canada, to be of interest.

* Meet Beverly Jenkins: Her historical romance fiction breaks new ground with well-written love stories that take place during and after Emancipation. Her characters are not only former slaves, but New Orleans Creoles, Buffalo Soldiers, and black Seminoles out West. More importantly, she incorporates historical details into her fiction in a subtle and seamless manner, without over-burdening the romance plot; most of her books even include bibliographies. My favorites include Night Song, Indigo, and any novel that features the smokin' hot Le Veq brothers. (Oh yes, and Jenkins is the author that finally persuaded my book club to suspend the "no slaves" rule.)

Just to be clear, my intent is not to "make light" of slavery, or to suggest that these novels should serve as a substitute for tough, honest American history lessons. I only want to acknowledge that when it comes to stories about our turbulent racial past, African American fiction contains a wide range of creative mediums to carry the message. Each of these writers have found innovative ways to approach historical truths that are, at times, "depressing." Given the realities of slavery, this is unavoidable. But if writers like Chesnutt , Johnson, and Jenkins also bring us closer to a shared understanding of how far we have come as a nation, then there is hopefulness, too, and empathy that speaks to the power of great storytelling.

If you've read any of these books, I'd love to hear your thoughts on how they grapple with the subject of slavery. Other suggestions for books and authors are also welcome!