"We Almost Killed Ourselves with Rage": Working-Class Lives in Recent American Writing

E s s a y R e v i e w s “W e A l m o s t K i l l e d O u r s e l v e s w it h R a g e W o r k in g - C l a s s L iv e s in R e c e n t A m e r ic a n W r it in g W e n d e l l R i c k e t t s W o r k s R e v i e w e d Bak op ou los, D e an . P le ase D o n ’t C o m e B ac k f ro m th e M oon : A N o v e l. N e w York: H ar cou r t , 2005. 2 8 8 p ages, $2 3 .0 0 /$ 14.00. Fad erm an , Lillian . N ak e d in th e P ro m ise d L an d : A M em oir. Bo st on : H ou gh t on M ifflin , 200 3. 36 8 p ages, $ 2 6 .0 0 ./M ad iso n : U n iver sity o f W iscon sin Press, 200 4. $19 .9 5. Rech y, Jo h n . B e n e at h th e S k in : T h e C o lle c t e d E ssay s o f Jo h n R e ch y . N e w York: C ar r oll an d G raf, 2004- 352 p ages, $ 14 .95 . W illiam s, St an le y Took ie. B lu e R ag e , B lac k R e d e m p t io n : A M e m o ir. P leasan t H ill, C alif.: D am am li P u blish in g, 2004. 371 pages, $24-99. Q u e st io n s o f d e fin it io n a n d g e n r e ar e in e v it a b le in c o n v e r sa t io n s a b o u t lit e r a t u r e , a n d p e r h a p s n o m o r e so t h a n w h e n t h o se c o n v e r sa t io n s t a k e p la c e in fo r m a l o r a c a d e m ic se t t in g s. W e w r it e a n d sp e a k sp o n t a n e ­ o u sly , n o t t o say car e le ssly , a b o u t so u t h e r n w r it e r s, t h e B la c k M o u n t a in sc h o o l, sc ie n c e fic t io n , t h e H a r le m R e n a issa n c e , o r R o m a n t ic ism , fo r e x a m p le , e v e n w h e n w e k n o w fu ll w e ll t h a t su c h t e r m s ar e n e c e ssa r ily m o r e p r e g n a n t w it h c o n flu e n c e a n d d iffr a c t io n t h a n t h e y ap p e ar . A n d y e t t h a t o d d se n sa t io n — o n e t h a t is e it h e r p o st m o d e r n o r sim p...