The Soldier in the Poet

For me reading Soldier was about experiencing the actual life of such a prolific writer. Since Jordan’s death much has been said about her life, personality, and writing. I think people often forget that June Jordan isn’t just another african american writer but that she is a child of immigrant parents. When considering the pool of writers of color we have to accept them for all the different facets. Audre Lorde is not just a gay writer neither is Adrienne Rich they are all multifaceted. In terms of her writing this memoir it was extraodinary to experience such a painful life and I feel this book was necessary. And I also think it was impossible (without offering explanation) for her to go back into a lot of her early childhood experiences like before birth and directly after. I also really believe its no wonder that she grew up fighting so much in school and in her life it seems to have been the only true currency she had throughout her young life and also into adulthood with men.  I think that when we as writers and used to be children ourselves we have to consider when our innocense changes completely I think from birth something starts fading. I think it was necessary she stopped the memoir before the pre-teen years.  I think what was most clear to me was that Jordan’s parents were very effected by their own upbringing.  I think Jordan’s memory of her childhood is pretty amazing to have pieced together their is no way I could be this specific about my own memories.