Title tale: An excerpt from "God is Dead"
“If I may speak frankly, sir,” the official said, “I’m not sure black is the word I’d used to describe you.”
Powell deployed a fierce, wide-eyed gaze, one he’d perfected through hundreds of hours viewing and reviewing Samuel Jackson movies. “Oh no?” he said.
The official, realizing he’d stepped directly into the metaphorical pile of dung, tried to backtrack. “Well, of course, I mean, ethnologically speaking, you’re black. Sir. Of course. I was thinking more of your appearance, a sort of benign, nonthreatening, ashy tone which — “
“I’m black as night, motherfucker!” With a sweep of his hand, Powell indicated the throng of Dinka surrounding the Suburban. “Those people out there,” he said, “are my brothers and sisters. My family.”
“Of course they are, sir,” the official said. “Sorry, sir.”
“Apology accepted. Bitch-ass.”
“Back to the keywords for tonight, sir. If we may.”
“Lay it on me.”
“Okay, so we’re talking about the Sudanese government and our attitude toward them. Keywords for our attitude, as regards the humanitarian situation here, include, but are not limited to: ‘steady,’ ‘demand,’ ‘firm,’ ‘control the Janjaweed,’ ‘do what’s right,’ and ‘solution.’”
“Got it,” Powell said.
“Keywords for the Sudanese government include, but are not limited to: ‘denial,’ ‘avoidance,’ ‘responsibility,’ ‘militarism,’ ‘racism,’ and — here’s your ace in the hole, sir — ‘obfuscate.’”
“The fuck does that mean?”
“To obscure or confuse. Ties directly into ‘denial’ and ‘avoidance.’ Trust me, sir, it’ll bring the house down.”
“If you say so,” Powell said. “Okay. I’ll go out and do my little soft-shoe routine. Make it look like that hillbilly actually gives a shit what’s going on here.”
Copyright Ron Currie Jr. Used by permission.
God Is Dead | by Ron Currie Jr | Viking Press | 182 pages | $21.95 | reading at Longfellow Books, in Portland | 7 pm September 13 | 207.772.4045 |
