Man Reading Morrison On Park Bench Wondering Why No One Has Complimented Him Yet
BROOKLYN, NY—Area man Troy Barrow has expressed confusion at the lack of any compliments received from passersby while reading Toni Morrison’s acclaimed 1970 novel The Bluest Eye in numerous public settings.
“I’ve tried the subway, the front stoop of my apartment building, and the outdoor seating areas at my local coffee shops. Nothing seems to be working,” Barrow said while seated on a bench on the outer perimeter of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.
"We’re within walking distance of the [Brooklyn Public] Library’s main branch. I thought for sure that someone here would stop and tell me how much they appreciated me stepping outside of my comfort zone to read such a challenging work, but I guess not. This never happened before the COVID-19 pandemic. People used to compliment me on Catch-22 or any Murakami that I read. Are those days gone forever?’
An avid reader, Barrow has used his spare time during quarantining to re-examine his attitudes and internal biases as the U.S. undergoes a period of racial reckoning. To that end, he claims to have read The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Parable of the Sower, and White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism in the past year.
“That last one really blew my hair back,” Barrow said. “As a white person—particularly a white, heterosexual, cisgender male, the onus is on me and my general demographic to make the change we need to have true equality across race, gender, and class. That being said, what good is a profound personal epiphany if no one commends me on it? Is it just social distancing at play here, or is there something I’m doing wrong? I need validation!”
Dr. Robin DiAngelo, the author of White Fragility, weighed in on Barrow’s dilemma.
“He’s a fucking narcissist!” Dr. DiAngelo said. “I coined the term ‘white fragility' in part to categorize self-entitled man-child yahoos exactly like him back in 2011! He’s only doing this to satiate his ego and go through the motions of self-improvement.”
"I guess I shouldn’t completely steamroll him,’ DiAngelo continued. ‘I appreciate the fact that he’s doing something. Even so, from one white person to another, he is taking the wrong lesson from my book. In a simpler sense, he’s also denying himself the pleasure of reading a profound work by one of the twentieth century’s greatest authors. Is his ego that delicate? I know this past year has been tough, but I think he needs to speak to a therapist. It’s really not my area of specialty.”
Frustrated by his inability to draw any attention to himself, Barrow decided to head home for the evening.
“I’ve been thinking about streaming Eyes On The Prize or 13th, but what would be the point?” Barrow said. “Watching a movie is way more private than reading. I suppose I’ll have to seek affirmation during an awkward, inappropriate conversation related to racial matters during a work meeting with my colleague Malik on Monday. As per usual.”
