010406 Christa insisted that we capitalize “Black” (I’m not sure if she capitalized “white”), but my Black Lit book from 1971 does not. Is this new(?) capitalization scheme a symptom of compensatory self-conscious guilt? ‘The WPA also developed work projects for unemployed writers, musicians, and actors. “Why not” said FDR (American Journey 831)? “They are human beings. They have to live” (American Journey 831). In response, the American Guide Series of the Federal Writes’ Project was established (Stott 105). The Federal Writers Project was a product of one of the most ambitious research and writing undertakings in American History. The project put authors to work preparing state guidebooks, writing historical pamphlets, and recording the points of interest of each state that had decided to partake in the undertaking (West viii).’ - Holy cwap. Can you even IMAGINE our current administration enacting something like that? Holy fwucking cwap. 012306 Another good omen & controversion of my expectations: I went to Denny’s to stuff my face (slow day at work), and I had with me the Dreamkeepers book to read. The whole time I was conscious of laying it face down on the table, not face up, and carrying it face in, and so on, because I was embarrassed at the notion of the African American employees there seeing I was reading a book about teaching African American kids. I thought it would engender some kind of Who does this white boy think he is, all pretending and shit--! But at one point I forgot to be vigilant, and I left the book face up when my server came by. Then at the register on my way out, the Black woman who rang up my check asked me, What’s that book you’re reading? And I said, It’s called Dreamkeepers.... I explained I was in school to be a teacher, and this was one of the books I was given as an option for an assignment. She smiled, nodded, said, Well, good luck, sir. 013006 Well. Well, well, well, well, well, well, well. Some of those eighth graders--