A SAMPLE OF NARRATION FOR CHAPTER 15:
SINCE NO BLACK ARTIST CAN SHOW THEIR WORK IN THE WHITE-RUN ART GALLERIES OR THE ONE MUSEUM IN TOWN, FRED AND BOB HAVE BEEN CREATING SPACES FOR BLACK ARTISTS SINCE THE 50S, WITH GALLERY ENTERPRISES BEFORE THE LOUISVILLE ART WORKSHOP, JOE’S PALM ROOM AND BROWN DERBY BEFORE THAT. THE WORKSHOP MAY BE BLACK-RUN BUT IT’S AN INTEGRATED ART SPACE.
AFTER MEETING A SWIRL OF PEOPLE, OF ALL AGES AND COLORS, FRED MOTIONS TO A TRIM, NATTILY DRESSED MAN TO COME OVER. IT’S DEVA PATNIAK FROM BHUBANESWAR, ORISSA, INDIA, A VISITING PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE. HE IMMEDIATELY TAKES A LIKING TO US.
THE NEXT WEEKEND, WE VISIT DEVA IN HIS TINY APT. ON THE
U. OF L. CAMPUS. IT’S SO SMALL THE ONLY PLACE TO
TALK IS ON THE BED. HE ASKS US TO TELL HIM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OURSELVES.
BUT WHAT DO YOU TELL SOMEONE WHO YOU ARE, WHEN YOU DON’TKNOW YOURSELF? KINGSTON COULDN’T BEGIN TO TELL DEVA ABOUT HIS INCIPIENT FEELINGS THAT HE MIGHT BE GAY, WHEN THE WORD “GAY” WASN’T EVEN SPOKEN IN 1966 LOUISVILLE.
FOR MY PART, HOW COULD I ADMIT, THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE ANY KIND OF NORMAL ADOLESCENTS, I HAD TO BECOME A LIAR ABOUT EVERY ASPECT OF MY LIFE, FOR INSTANCE, VISITING DEVA IN HIS TINY APARTMENT.
UP TO THAT POINT, THE WELL WORN PATHS I HAD KNOWN
WERE FEW. ON THAT DAY, THE WORLD EXPANDED BEYOND
THE LAND-LOCKED BORDERS OF MY LIFE, FROM THE EAST END TO THE WEST END AND BEYOND, ALL THE WAY TO INDIA.
Sample script and other