American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)

The conclusion of my thoughts on the slave narrative by Olaudah Equiano. In my view, in this narrative he parallels the struggle against slavery with his Christian journey for salvation, coming together into a call for action. Next we will jump to the antebellum slave narratives with the Confessions of Nat Turner.

"It's Great to be Back" is another 1947 Saturday Evening Post story by Robert A. Heinlein dealing with nostalgia for Earth and the human presence in space. A great story to pair with "The Green Hills of Earth".

In this wonderful short story, Heinlein tells us the history of a blind working class space poet, who also caught the essence of Earth's identity in space. One of his best.

The first of two episodes covering Olaudah Equiano's amazing slave narrative. It is a thematic. structural, and moral foundation of all other slave narratives. It is also an amazing story that everyone should read.

In this tiny story published in 1947 in STARTLING STORIES, Robert A. Heinlein explores the struggle for progress and how every generation builds off the courage of those that came before, and how we forget.

I am back from my summer break and start with a look at slave narratives. First up is the strange but significant account by James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw. It works as a narrative of the Atlantic working class and the benefits of Christianity, but never directly attacks slavery itself, making it one of the strangest slave narratives. However it was the first published in English.

A great story by Robert A. Heinlein, "Jerry Is a Man" (1947) explores the nature of humanity, animal rights, and genetic engineering. It is hard not to think of this story in terms of Star Trek's great episode "The Measure of a Man"

I complete my look at Mark Twain with one version of "Mysterious Stranger" known as "No. 44: The Mysterious Stranger". The other versions have interesting things to say as well, but this one focuses on work, automation, and technology.

A better novel than TOM SAWYER ABROAD, TOM SAWYER, DETECTIVE by Mark Twain picks up as a sequel to THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN. It also is a window into Tom Sawyer's potential adult life.

It's Nazis on the moon in part two of ROCKET SHIP GALILEO by Robert A. Heinlein. While it does not compare to some of the short stories and later juvenile we will look at soon, there is some staying power with in this novel.