Writing Self (Effacingly): E-race-d Presences in The Life and Adventures of Nat Love

W r i t i n g S e l f ( E f f a c i n g l y ) : E - r a c e - d P r e s e n c e s in Th e Lif e a n d A d v e n t u r e s o f Na t L o v e 1 K e n n e t h S p e i r s W e m ay say t h at self- fash ion in g o ccu r s at t h e p o in t o f en co u n t e r b e t w e e n a n au t h o r ity a n d an alie n , t h a t w h at is p r o d u ced in t h is en co u n t e r p ar t ak e s o f b o t h t h e au t h o r ity an d t h e alie n t h at is m ar k e d for at t ack , an d h e n ce t h a t an y ach ie v e d id en tity alw ays co n t a in s w ith in it se lf t h e sign s o f its ow n su b ver sion or loss. — St ep h en G reen b latt, R en aissan ce S e l f Fash ion in g A lt h o u g h m an y b lack s w o r k ed as cow b o y s o n t h e w e st er n r an ge d u r ­ in g t h e n in e t e e n t h cen tu ry, far m or e t h a n w est er n h ist o r y o r m y t h o lo gy allow , o n ly N a t Lo v e is k n o w n t o h a v e w r it t en ab o u t h is e xp e r ie n c e s.2 A s r e m ar k ab le as it is, T h e L ife an d A d v e n t u re s o f N a t L o v e (1 9 0 7 ) is t h e o n ly e x t a n t au t o b io gr ap h y by a b lack co w b o y fr o m t h e n in e t e e n t h - ce n tu ry A m e r ic a n W est . N a t L o v e ’s au t o b io gr ap h y t ells t h e st or y o f h is life as a slav e b o y in T e n n e sse e , a cow b o y r o am in g t h e r an ge, an d , fin ally, a P u llm an p o r t e r r id in g t h e w ester n rails. Lo v e ’s life sp a n n e d a r ich p e r io d in U .S. h istory. H e e xp e r ie n ce d fir st h an d t h e h o r r o r s o f slavery, an d t h e n , in t h e first y ears o f R e c o n st r u c t io n , h e st r u ggled t o su r v iv e its aft e r m at h b efo r e st r ik in g o u t for t h e W est . T h e...