Re: Ku Klux Klan member an author?

[Debbie Abilock <debbie@NUEVA.PVT.K12.CA.US>]

Ruth:

This does make an interesting story.  The N.Y.Times Book Review section
of November 24, 1991 had a wonderful article by Henry Louis Gates (author
of LOOSE CANONS; NOTES ON THE CULTURE WARS and Professor of Humanities at
Harvard) on "'Authenticity,' or the Lesson of Little Tree."  It was
billed as an autobiography of Little Tree, "sold more than 600,000 copies,
received an award from the American Booksellers Assn, sold on gift tables
of Indian reservations and assigned as supplementary reading for courses
on Native American Literature."

Critics loved it..."To the embarrassment of the book's admirers, Dan T.
Carter, a history professor at Emory University, unmasked 'Forrest
Carter' as a pseudonym for the late Asa Earl Carter, whom he described as
a 'Ku Klux Klan terrorist, right-wing radio announcer, home-grown
American fascist and anti-Semite, rabble-rousing demagogue and secret
aauthor of the famous 1963 speech by Gov. George Wallace of Alabama:
'Segregation now...Segregation tomorrow...Segregation forever.'"

Gates then raises the issue of authenticity and discusses the pros and
cons.  Nicely done.

I've used this article in a Native American unit as an option in a packet
of choices.  First ask child to read the book, looking for stereotyping,
bias, etc., based on such criteria as offered in THROUGH INDIAN EYES.
Then have them read the article and evaluate their conclusions, feelings
and prejudices based on the intersection of their original point of view
and the new information.  Fun!  This option works so well precisely
because the book's such a good read.
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Debbie Abilock              "It is important that students bring a certain
The Nueva School            ragamuffin barefoot irreverence to their studies;
6565 Skyline Blvd.          they are not here to worship what is known,
Hillsborough, CA 94010      but to question it."  (Jacob Bronowski)
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On Wed, 4 Jan 1995, Ruth Rogers wrote:

> One of our teachers recently read the book, THE EDUCATION OF LITTLE TREE
> by Forrest Carter.  Here is what she says:
>   " A treasure of a book!  I used it with my L.D. 11th and 12th grade
> students and they published a newspaper which could have been circulated
> at that setting, West about 1930.  Grandparents, Indians who live in the
> mountains, adopt a 5-year-old boy.  It is funny, educational, moving and
> written beautifully.  It is also available on tape, condensed, narrated
> by Capote."  She highly recommends the book.
> Her question is this:  Was Forrest Carter, the author, ever a member of
> the Lu Klux Klan?  Someone told her that he was and she was just
> incredulous.  Can any of you answer her question?  I told her that if
> anyone would know it would be the LM_NETTERS!  Thanks:-)
> Ruth Rogers - job title in limbo, but you may refer to me as a
>               library/media specialist
> Crestview High School
> Ashland, OH
> CRVHS_RSR@NCOCC.OHIO.GOV
>