Taft
by Ann Patchett
April 12 was a bright sunny day. We had a good turnout, with all seven of us in attendance. We were in general agreement that Taft is a good yarn, the voice of John Nickel, a young Black man captured skillfully by a White woman writer. The fact that John is Black came as a surprise as he does not speak like a Southerner. He seems intelligent and capable, yet lost and floundering, having random affairs and living with no clear focus. The story raised many questions for us: why does he go out of his way to help Fay and Carl? Is it because he feels guilty for having treated Marion badly? Why does Marion not “get over” it, after all, John is trying, and he did send her to nursing school. His channeling of Taft seems accurate, but why does John idealize a father who is White? Why does Ruth want him to be a drummer again? Can he do nothing better than to manage a bar? (To which someone answered that there is nothing much else in Memphis.) What does the ending suggest about the future of John and Marion and Franklin?
Friday, April 18, 2008
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