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Tuesday, February 26, 2008
“Song Yet Sung” at Margaret Mitchell House
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I love Atlanta. There is no other place on the planet that could welcome author James McBride, who’s in town to read and sign his new novel about slavery, “Song Yet Sung,” and do so at the Margaret Mitchell House.
That simple juxtaposition says so much about who we are.
There are a lot of ways to view “Gone With the Wind,” but the sophistication of its black characters rarely comes in for much praise. Nevertheless, one of the the most prestigious spots to host a visiting author in Atlanta is the Mitchell house. McBride’s novel celebrates the Underground Railroad, something that would have made 95 percent of the white characters in Mitchell’s novel spit nails.
McBride, who’s also known for his memoir “The Color of Water,” will be at the Mitchell House tonight, with a reception at 6, lecture at 7 and signing to follow. Admission is $10 for non-members, free to members.
I reviewed the novel in Sunday’s Arts and Books section , and gave it a very positive review. In today’s paper, staff writer Rosalind Bentley has a Q & A with McBride. Here’s an excerpt, with McBride talking about the Code that helped runaway slaves move toward freedom:
“I read several slave testimonials, and there are several references that talk about some of the signals that were used to let someone know that they were part of the “gospel train.” Turn the light on at a certain time. The ringing of the blacksmith’s hammer, the way ropes were tied, particularly by watermen on the Eastern shore. But about 30 percent I made up. I have no doubt that the Code existed. How could all these people get free? You needed a secret language.”
James McBride at the Margaret Mitchell House is one of those only-in-Atlanta events.
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