Revising Western Criticism through Wanda Coleman

E lsie P a lm e r P a y n e . B U S S T O P . C a . 1 9 4 3 . O il o n c a n v a s. 3 0 ' x 2 5 '. C o u r t e sy o f t h e B u c k C o lle c t io n , L a g u n a H ills, C a lifo r n ia . A lt h o u g h P a y n e ’s b la c k w o m a n b u s r id e r fr o m 19 4 3 m a y se e m so m e w h a t m o r e d o w n c a st t h a n C o le m a n ’s c o n t e m p o r a r y t r a v e le r s, P a y n e ’s Lo s A n g e le s o f t h e 1 9 4 0 s w as fille d w it h a v a r ie t y o f w o m e n w o r k e r s, p a in t e d in b o ld c o lo r s. Re v is in g We s t e r n C r it ic is m t h r o u g h Wa n d a C o l e ma n K r is t a C o m e r T h e L o s A n g e le s I k n o w , t h e w ay I gr e w u p in it in t h e ’5 0 s, d o e sn ’t e x ist in lit e r a t u r e y e t. . . . E v e r y b o d y I k n o w is w r it ­ in g a b o u t H o lly w o o d o r O r a n g e C o u n t y o r B e v e r ly H ills, b u t t h e y ar e n o t w r it in g a b o u t t h e L o s A n g e le s I gr e w u p in . S o in a se n se I h a v e a st a k e h e r e . I lik e c a r s, I lik e d r iv in g , I lo v e t h e fr e e w ay . I a m v e r y m u c h a p r o d u c t o f t h e e n v ir o n m e n t , b u t I fe e l lik e I ’m t r a p p e d h e r e t h e w ay y o u fe e l lik e y o u ’r e t r a p p e d in a n y k in d o f g h e t t o , a n y k in d o f p r iso n . Y o u ju st d o n ’t h a v e t h e c h o ic e , y o u d o n ’t h a v e t h e o p t io n [t o le a v e ]. — W a n d a C o le m a n , Lo s A n ge le s T im e s In t e r v ie w (1 9 8 2 ) Sh e lik e s c a r s. S h e lo v e s t h e fr e e w ay . S h e is t h o r o...