WEEK OF MARCH 20 - 26
Triangular Road
by Paule Marshall
Non-Fiction
BasicCivitas Books
March 2009
Meet the families, the people and the places of Brooklyn, Barbados and Africa which helped to define literary legend Paule Marshall, author of “Triangular Road,” a memoir appropriately named for the three destinations on her literary journey.
Explore the wildlife of the James River, the tropical climate of the Caribbean Sea and the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean as Marshall offers readers a kaleidoscope of literature, politics and revolution.
Marshall, author of five novels and two collections of short fiction, is a keen observer of truth and injustice. She provides a historical account of slave trade that began in Barbados before it reached the rest of the world. As an activist and researcher, her findings on the commerce of slavery paints a heart-wrenching portrait and a unique history lesson for young Americans.
Her tenacity, evident even as a youth, appears when she inquires about books written by black authors at the white public library; and her persistence is explicit with a desire to change the pronunciation of her name, which she did.
Marshall’s mother, Adriana, gifted in storytelling, influences not only her identity, but her writing as well. But one of her fondest memories is that of the matriarch (her mother’s mother) of the family, M’ Da-duh. M’ Da-duh’s strong presence is recanted in Marshall’s first and only meeting of this revered family figure whose influence appears in every book she’s written.
Despite her father’s inability to provide for his family and to stick around, Sam Burke is remembered with affection. Even today, Marshall admits that she hopelessly loves him. A studio portrait of Adriana Burke, Sam Burke and their first born child speaks volumes. It’s obvious that her father is a proud man.
A Reading in Raleigh
On a rainy Thursday night, an enthusiastic crowd gathers at Quail Ridge Books & Music located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Paule Marshall, a literary legend, arrives at the podium and begins reading from her memoir “Triangular Road.”
Marshall’s electrifying enthusiasm matches that of the crowd. Her eloquent tone delivers a poignant, yet humorous story of a remarkable man, Langston Hughes who is anointed a special place in Marshall’s memoir and heart.
Hughes is hailed in the first chapter of “Triangular Road” as a loving, demanding and unforgettable confidant. A close friend and mentor, Marshall affectionately refers to him as “night people.” Hughes, the black poet laureate and Marshall, the novice writer, experience a cultural tour of Europe which serves as the launching pad for her future in writing.
As women reminisce on the writings of celebrated female authors, March is officially recognized as Women’s History Month. This celebration of sorts marks the 50th anniversary of literary trailblazer Paule Marshall’s 1959 classic novel “Brown Girl, Brownstones” and compels us to experience her recent literary achievement, “Triangular Road.”