Narrative of the Life of the Brown Boy and the White Man

89 Pages·2008·0.268 MB·English

by  Ronaldo Wilson

NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE
OF THE BROWN BOY
AND THE WHITE MAN
PITT POETRY SERIES NARRATIVE
Ed Ochester, Editor
OF THE LIFE
OF THE
BROWN BOY
AND THE
WHITE MAN
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH PRESS
Ronaldo V. Wilson
NARRATIVE
OF THE LIFE
OF THE
BROWN BOY
AND THE
WHITE MAN
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH PRESS
Published by the University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15260
Copyright © 2008, Ronaldo V. Wilson
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
Printed on acid-free paper
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN 13: 978-0-8229-6013-3
ISBN 10: 0-8229-6013-3
This book is the winner of the 2007 Cave Canem Poetry
Prize, selected by Claudia Rankine.
Founded in 1996 by poets Toi Derricotte and Cornelius
Eady, Cave Canem is a home for the many voices of African
American poetry and is committed to cultivating the artistic
and professional growth of African American poets.
Established in 1999, the Cave Canem Poetry Prize is
awarded annually to an exceptional manuscript by an
African American poet who has not yet published a full-
length book of poems.
Support for the Cave Canem Poetry Prize has been provided,
in part, from The Ford Foundation, Lannan Foundation, and
individual donors.

CONTENTS
I. NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF THE BROWN BOY AND THE WHITE MAN
Narrative of the Life of the Brown Boy and the White
Man 3
The Brown Boy Dreams His Father Is White and Thin 6
Irrational Desire 8
Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, and the Brown Boy’s Mother 11
II. THE BROWN BOY’S FAMILY
The Brown Boy’s Black Father Loses It 17
The Brown Boy’s Mother Is Wearing Green 20
The Brown Boy, the White Man, and the Snow 23
The Brown Boy Imagines the White Man’s Death 24
Koi and Eel Dream 26
Serena Williams, Whiteness, and the Act of Writing 27
III. THE BROWN BOY’S FLESH
A Cruise 33
The Brown Boy Remembers Mr. Moreau 35
The Brown Boy Plays a Game 37
The Brown Boy and the Baby 40
IV. THE BROWN BOY’S TRAVELS
The Brown Boy Opens His Mouth Underwater 45
Joey, The Brown Boy, and Ricky 50
The Accident 57
V. THE BROWN BOY’S FINAL KILLING
Incident and Episode in the Red House 63
The Brown Boy’s Flesh 66
The Brown Boy’s Silence 67
The Brown Boy’s Final Killing 69
VI. THE BROWN BOY’S CLARITY
The Brown Boy Is Looking and Listening 73
The Brown Boy Loves the White Man 75
Acknowledgments 79
I.
NARRATIVE
OF THE
LIFE OF
THE
BROWN
BOY AND
THE WHITE
MAN