And the next part I will read from a little chapbook
called Black Genealogy, which is like making
a bridge between Witch Wife and my next project,
which is a book in which I think about genealogy and history,
early America, Virginia, a little bit about Kentucky.
I have some things to say about slavery.
I have some research that I've been doing about my own family
history when it comes to that particular era.
And so these poems are an attempt
to think about those things, the collision
of public and private history.
So it actually starts out with some poetry comics
that were drawn by my poet friend, Lauren Haldeman.
I'm not sure if you know her, but she's
a wonderful artist and poet.
And she collaborated with me on this part.
So I'll just read this part, which takes
place in Manassas, Virginia.
"'Please, would you tell me,' you ask the cashier a little
timidly for you're still not sure it's a good idea to speak
to anyone at the battlefield shop,
'why that man is grinning like that?'
'He's playing a Confederate general today,' said
the cashier, 'and that's why.'
You say, 'I didn't know Confederate generals always
grinned.
In fact, I didn't know Confederate generals could
grin.'
'They all can,' says the cashier,
'and most of them do.'"