Introduction, Video & Reviews

Source: ChickenBones: A Journal for Literary & Artistic African-American Themes

In the Crazy House Called America

In the Crazy House Called America

In the Crazy House Called America

Essays By Marvin X

ICEBREAKER VIDEO

Introduction

By Suzzette Celeste Johnson

"He walked through the muck and mire of hell

and came out clean as white fish and black as coal"

The reader may feel anger, congruence and/or enlightenment as you read these essays. You may

feel personally attacked, insulted or even "feel sorry" for the brother based on his ranting and

ravings on AIDS, sex, love, freedom, revolution, addiction, power, politics, imperialism, religion

and God, poverty and education. In his essay - "63% of Black 4th Graders Can't Read," Marvin

illuminates "This is not news to me, especially as a former teacher and as a writer--I saw middle

In the Crazy House Called America

and high school students with third grade readers. As an author, I am permanently depressed by

the fact that a large majority of the people I want to read my books cannot." No matter your

personal views, you will agree Marvin is the Master writer and story teller. He weaves us

through his experiences and observations of life with delicacy, intelligence and complexity.

Through his own spiritual, personal and political expansion we are allowed to visit the sanctuary

of "Marvin's World" as he so arrogantly defends and defines his divine and inalienable right to

his views and perspectives.

As he will so fondly tell you, "You either love me or hate me-probably both." I have chosen to

love him. My brother is articulate and utilizes his passion and God-given skill of the "written"

word as a "double-edged" sword. Despite his arrogant, crude, rude, impatient and sometimes

primitive person--we have a brother that despite his failings, errors, "sins if you will", mistakes,

pain and suffering, knows that he is a perfect personification and manifestation of creation and

our brother has come home.

I am an avid reader, a spiritual practitioner, revolutionary change agent, social worker, public

administrator, speaker, former dancer, addiction specialist, adult child of an alcoholic, mother,

daughter, sister, teen of the 60's, lover, friend and African American female born in this country-

-.I know a good book, an excellent writer and awesome storyteller when I see and hear one! In

The Crazy House Called America is some good stuff! The stories are heartfelt, theoretical, and

insightful, passionate and private, with psycho-social, political recommendations and

commentary on what Black folks need to do to get reparations, our "40 Acres and A Mule".

The essay "Let There Be Peace in the 'Hood" indicates the author's willingness to unify: "It's

time to reach out and embrace all the true troopers and true believers in the righteousness of our

struggle for freedom. Do you think it matters to our enemies whether we are in the NOI (Nation

of Islam) or Sunni or Shi'ite or Sufi or Christian, Communist, Pan African, New Afrikan, old

African, progressive, conservative? Can any nigguh, rich or poor, get a taxi to Harlem from

downtown late night? It's a new era, a new day. " "Hunger in America" reconciles the author

with humility: "There was a point in my life when I looked down on the poor. I had heard about

skid row, but didn't know what it was until I found myself on San Francisco's Sixth Street, living

In the Crazy House Called America

in a room sometimes, sometimes sleeping in the alley--But it was a great lesson for me, making

me forever humble, thankful and grateful God delivered me from the bottomless pit. And yes, I

want to be like Rev. Cecil Williams. I want to walk in his shoes. I want to show agape love to

all that I meet."

The brother is courageous, bold and exercises his right to free speech. Marvin dedicates this

book to his youngest son Darrel (Abdul Ibn El Muhajir). Darrel committed suicide on March

18th of this year. Marvin is hurt and simultaneously clear and confused, helpless and serene as

he is profoundly affected by Darrel's transition, in which this father had no power. In the essay

"Manic Oppression and the Suicide of My Son" the author elucidates: "My own mental state is in

chaos and I am making every attempt to deny that it happened in order to resist rather than accept

the painful reality so many of my friends have had to endure: the self destruction by suicide

and/or homicide of our children--finally, I want the world to know that my son, in his days of

sanity, was like my brother and friend. There was nothing we did not discuss, nothing we did

not do as men. I pray that all fathers have the type of relationship I enjoyed with my son. May

his soul rest in peace."

Marvin, a former wife beater, crack-head, alcoholic, cigarette smoker, sex addict, university and

college professor is ever humbled by his son's death. He cried, was angry, tender and gentle,

organizing every aspect of his being to understand the pain his son felt and the guilt Marvin felt

as an unavailable father--pre-occupied with "making" revolution, writing, crack and pussy.

I honor Marvin. He perseveres, despite himself. Marvin strives for order, understanding,

emotion and love as he continues this complex journey called LIFE. He is clear that it is not his

life--¦however, rather God's life in which he breathes and has his being. This time around, with

wisdom, humility, tremendous breadth and more depth--he better comprehends his spiritual self

in the necessary details of his surroundings.

The readers will also chuckle and howl at Marvin's essays. You may experience some tears and

profound empathy from the emotions evoked. You will appreciate the command of the language

and the extensiveness of the subject matter, the areas in which Marvin was stuck, is stuck and

In the Crazy House Called America

where he has transcended. You may concur or disagree with his use of nigguh, nigger,

motherfucker, punk-bitch, ho, sissies and "bitch behavior" when he educates in "The

Psycholinguistic Crisis of the North American African" or "Wanted: One Hundred Black

Murderers."

Marvin was in Newark, New Jersey on September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center

became Ground Zero. It was no coincidence that his daughter Muhammida (who was home) did

not answer the phone in her Harlem apartment at 8:00 a.m. Her daddy was on his way to visit her

and would have been under the World Trade Center at 8:47 a.m. that infamous

morning. However, synchronicity in the Universe would have it the brother instead was taking

videos of the "Fall of America" vs. being a victim of it. In his essay "Beyond Bin Laden" he

writes "If Bin Laden's dark deeds have brought any light to our vacant minds, we should rejoice

and thank him for being such a wonderful teacher. It's unfortunate his teachings cost so many

lives, but America's actions throughout the world cost even more lives each day as we see when

our information is not limited to the nightly news." It is understood both in the 'Hood and

enlightened spiritual circles--ye will reap what you sow.

His movie and CD reviews of Training Day, Ali, Baby Boy, Lumumba, The Green Mile and

Bobby McFerrin's Beyond Words and Angie Stone's Love Song is commentary about artists on

art by an artist. In "Beyond Words" Marvin himself becomes the musician: "Words cannot

describe this bird from heaven singing outside my window as dawn approaches, singing sounds

without words, beyond words, beyond birds, beyond scatting, a world of his own, without peer,

conjuring, configuring sounds that take us beyond the beyond, stopping by Brazil, getting off the

boat in Africa, passing through America, stepping, prancing, dancing, chanting, floating on top

of the piano and drums as they carry him along as he joins Sun Ra on some planet, maybe

Jupiter, Mars, who knows where Bobby goes, but we go with him, enjoying a genius at work." I

guarantee the reader will go find and watch the movies or buy the CDs. Finally, brother Marvin

X is in a long and unconditional love affair with his people. If you talk with him he will deny

this with passion.

In the Crazy House Called America

However, if you have the time and/or the skill to pin him down, he will with some reluctance

agree that his 40 year obsession has been about his people and for his people. With all of his

wisdom, experiences and intelligence--he still tends to operate (cause it is habit, he is stubborn,

cause he has free will and maybe he really doesn't know) from lack of trust, chauvinism,

arrogance, impatience and insensitivity, emotional unavailability, and an acknowledged attention

deficit disorder when he deals with his people. However, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally

Marvin is passionately and unconditionally in love with black folks-and all people. He knows

too well the pain, suffering, oppression, poverty, disease, ignorance, fear of his African

American brothers and sisters whom he knows is himself.

In The Crazy House Called America is a general call for our people to wake up from the

separation of recognizing their real selves, from doubt, fear and platitudes of complex defense

mechanisms that cease to protect and defend us and which have distracted us for too

long. Become conscious and make your ancestors proud, the author would say. It is our

obligation to focus on the truth, the freedom, quality of life, love, health and prosperity in social

and economic liberation.

Stand Up! Take from Marvin's essays an unleashed and expanded understanding of yourselves,

ourselves. Recognize and acknowledge our ignorance of the spiritual and universal laws, the

denial of our understanding of the law of cause and effect that continues to keep us in bondage.

As America moves completely to the political and religious right with escalating unemployment,

homelessness, murder in the Black Community, severe chronic illness and disease, mental

illness, addiction, domestic assault and trauma, poverty consciousness and limitation, it is past

the time for African Americans to reclaim our integrity, our knowingness, our liberation and

what is rightfully ours. Choose Liberty over Death! Ache.

Suzzette Celeste Johnson, MSW, MPA, RScP

Richmond, CA

July 5, 2002

In the Crazy House Called America

Reviews

Marvin X has always been in the forefront of pan African writing. Indeed, he is one of the

founders and innovators of the revolutionary school of African writing. In the Crazy House is

solid writing!—Amiri Baraka (aka LeRoi Jones), Newark, New Jersey

In terms of being modernist and innovative, he's centuries ahead of anybody I know.—Dennis

Leroy Moore, filmmaker, Brecht Forum, New York

Courageous and outrageous! He walked through the much and mire of hell and came out clean as

white fish and black as coal.—from the foreword by James W. Sweeney, Oakland, CA

In the Crazy House Called America is for brothers especially. It is a book all black men should

grab hold of and digest, if for no other reason than to experience just how redemptively healing

and liberating being honest can be.—Junious Ricardo Stanton, New York

Marvin X is doing the kind of thing we should be doing, bringing "psychodrama" into didactic

nonfiction. Beyond that, it's good literature.—Dr. Nathan Hare, San Francisco

The stories are heartfelt, theoretical, insightful, passionate and private, with psychosocial,

political recommendations and commentary on what black folks need to do to get reparations,

our "40 Acres and a Mule."—from the Introduction by Suzette Celeste, MPA, MSW, Richmond

California

"The Maid, The Ho', The Cook" was one of the most beautiful pieces about real love I've ever

read. The image of "crack-heads" as scandalous and without human dignity is destroyed by

Marvin's recollection of this sister with whom he fell in love.—Lil Joe, Los Angeles, CA

In the Crazy House Called America

One of the things that makes this book a great joy is the range of subjects vital to all types of

Black folks from richest to poorest.—John Woodford, former editor in chief of Muhammad Speaks

When you listen to Tupac Shakur, E-40, Too Short, Master P or any other rappers out of the Bay

Area of Cali, think of Marvin X. He laid the foundation and gave us the language to express

black male urban experiences in a lyrical way.—James G. Spady, Philadelphia New Observer

In the Crazy House Called America, Essays By Marvin X, 200 pp. / $19.95 plus $5.00 for handling and

mailing: Black Bird Press, 3116 38th Ave., Suite 304, Oakland, CA, 94619.