Blog Post #2

I really enjoyed listening to the lecture on “The Rider” by Tananarive Due. I found myself captivated by it for its blend of historical fiction and horror, with Due’s late mom and aunt as the protagonists. Writing this piece allowed her to write a fictionalized version of her late mom while also creating a space to feel even more connected to her, in a cathartic way. This made the whole lecture more special to me. Whenever I read anything that relates to the author in some way, I always find myself more intrigued and analyzing it differently. Due mentioned how, although this did enable her to feel closer to her mom, it raised numerous questions while writing it, further showing the admiration and respect for her mom. This was something I was able to really understand because, if I were in Due’s position, I could not even begin to imagine the number of questions I would have about my late mom, such as: Would she approve of this? What was she like when she was younger? Am I including the right details? Should I omit some parts? I could see how this whole writing process could even be therapeutic. 

A part that really stood out to me was when her aunt got kicked in the stomach by a police officer. Shortly after, she left the country and moved to Ghana, but whenever she returned to the U.S., she would break out in hives. I found her emotional and physical reaction to be extremely saddening and heartbreaking. The fear, anxiety, and despair that she felt when she came to the U.S. were probably insurmountable and incomparable. I would imagine having to leave the place where your family is and the place you were born to leave a hole in your heart and fill you with anguish. Moving to Ghana was probably the best thing Patricia could have done for herself, but it is absolutely terrible that this mistreatment drove her away. This shows that when there are hate crimes committed against people for either no reason or even with reason, it leaves a lasting mark.

Lastly, another part that shocked me was when Patricia and Priscilla were sitting in a restaurant, and the waitress didn’t like them sitting there, so she threatened to throw a chair at them. First of all, that waitress must have had an incredible amount of anger and hatred in her body to threaten two women who were doing absolutely nothing wrong. It disgusts me and makes me upset that the waitress thought that was an appropriate response and feeling. When Due recounted that that was the moment her mom lost her non-violence, I found myself nodding my head in agreement, because if I were placed in that situation, I would have reacted the same way. Overall, I really enjoyed listening to Due unpacking “The Rider” and explaining what influenced her piece.


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