coldhearted scientist وداد

Introductory matter or contorno: Cirilo Villaverde, the U.S. Latino writer, or at least his novel Cecilia Valdés as American novel where “America” includes but is not limited to the United States (following Rodrigo Lazo‘s lead on this).

Central discussion: the image of plaçage in American literature including Cecilia Valdés. Kenneth Aslakson has already done significant research on this and it would be interesting to gather all the reports on and references to it — at least as an archive for future use. Charles Bon in Absalom, Absalom, for instance, has an octoroon mistress down in New Orleans.

I do not know where the project will lead in the end, but in the middle it will lead through some songs.

This is Blind Willie McTell in 1928.

Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low
Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low
Have you got the nerve to drive papa McTell from your door

My mother died and left me reckless, daddy died and left me wild, wild, wild
Mother died and left me reckless, daddy died and left me wild, wild, wild
No, I’m not good lookin’, I’m some sweet woman’s angel child

You’re a mighty mean woman, to do me this a-way
You’re a mighty mean woman, to do me this a-way
Going to leave this town, pretty mama, going away to stay

I once loved a woman, better than I ever seen
I once loved a woman, better than I ever seen
Treat me like I was a king and she was a doggone queen

Sister, tell your Brother, Brother tell your Auntie, Auntie, tell your Uncle,
Uncle tell my Cousin, Cousin tell my friend
Goin’ up the country, Mama, don’t you want to go?
May take me a fair brown, may take me one or two more

Big Eighty left Savannah, Lord, and did not stop
You ought to saw that colored fireman when he got that boiler hot
Reach over in the corner, hand me my travelin’ shoes
You know by that, I got them Statesboro blues

Sister got ’em, daddy got ’em
Brother got ’em, mama got ’em
Woke up this morning, we had them Statesboro blues
I looked over in the corner,
Grandpa and grandma had ’em too.

Axé.