WEBVTT

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And the next part I will
read from a little chapbook

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called Black Genealogy,
which is like making

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a bridge between Witch
Wife and my next project,

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which is a book in which I think
about genealogy and history,

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early America, Virginia, a
little bit about Kentucky.

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I have some things
to say about slavery.

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I have some research that I've
been doing about my own family

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history when it comes
to that particular era.

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And so these poems
are an attempt

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to think about those
things, the collision

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of public and private history.

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So it actually starts out
with some poetry comics

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that were drawn by my poet
friend, Lauren Haldeman.

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I'm not sure if you
know her, but she's

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a wonderful artist and poet.

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And she collaborated
with me on this part.

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So I'll just read
this part, which takes

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place in Manassas, Virginia.

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"'Please, would you tell me,'
you ask the cashier a little

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timidly for you're still not
sure it's a good idea to speak

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to anyone at the
battlefield shop,

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'why that man is
grinning like that?'

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'He's playing a Confederate
general today,' said

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the cashier, 'and that's why.'

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You say, 'I didn't know
Confederate generals always

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grinned.

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In fact, I didn't know
Confederate generals could

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grin.'

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'They all can,'
says the cashier,

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'and most of them do.'"

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