Free Spirits: A Legacy of Wildness Bell Hooks Appalachian Heritage, Volume 36, Number 3, Summer 2008, pp. 37-39 (Article) Published by The University of North Carolina Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/aph.0.0087 For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/250425 Access provided at 13 Oct 2019 21:49 GMT from Ashford University FREE SPIRITS: A LEGACY OF WILDNESS bell hooks Sublime silence surrounds me. I have walked to the top of the hill, plopped myself down to watch the world around me. I have no fear here, in this world of trees, weeds—and growing things. This is the world I was born into—a world of wild things. In it the wilderness in me speaks. I am wild. I hear my elders caution mama, telling her that she is making a mistake, letting me “run wild,” letting me run with my brother as though no gender separates us. We are making our childhood together in Kentucky hills, experiencing the freedom that comes from living away from civilization. Even as a child I knew that to be raised in the country, to come from the backwoods left one without meaning or presence. Growing up we did not use terms like “hillbilly.” Country folk lived on isolated farms away from the city; backwoods folks lived in remote areas, in the hill and hollers. To be from the backwoods was to be part of the wild. Where we lived, black folks were as much a part of the wild, living in a natural way on the earth, as white folks. All backwoods folks were poor by material standards; they knew how to make do. They were not wanting to tame the wildness, in themselves or nature. Living in the Kentucky hills was where I first learned the importance of being wild. Later attending college on the West Coast I would come to associate the passion for freedom, for wildness I had experienced as a child, with anarchy, with the belief in the power of the individual to be self-determining. Writing about the connection between environments, nature, and creativity in the introduction to A Place In Space, Gary Snyder states: “Ethics and aesthetics are deeply intertwined. Art, beauty and craft have always drawn on the self- organizing ‘wild’ side of language and mind. Human ideas of place and space, our contemporary focus on watersheds, become both models and metaphors. Our hope would be to see the interacting realms, learn where we are, and thereby move towards a style of planetary and ecological cosmopolitanism.” Snyder calls this approach the “practice of the wild” urging us to live “in the self-disciplined elegance of ‘wild’ 37 mind.” By their own practice of living in harmony with nature, with simple abundance, Kentucky black folks who lived in the backwoods were deeply engaged with an ecological cosmopolitanism. They fished, hunted, raised chickens, planted what we would now call organic gardens, made homemade spirits, wine and whiskey, and grew flowers. Their religion was interior and private. Mama’s mama, Baba, refused to attend church after someone had made fun of the clothes she was wearing. She reminded us that God could be worshipped everyday anywhere. No matter that they lived according to Appalachian values, they did not talk about themselves as coming from Appalachia. They did not divide Kentucky into East and West. They saw themselves as renegades and rebels, folks who did not want to be hemmed in by rules and laws, folks that wanted to remain independent. Even when circumstances forced them out of the country into the city, they were still wanting to live free. As there were individual black folks who explored the regions of this nation before slavery, the first black Appalachians being fully engaged with the Cherokee, the lives of most early black Kentuckians were shaped by a mixture of free sensibility and slave mentality. When slavery ended in Kentucky, life was hard for the vast majority of black people as white supremacy and racist domination did not end. But for those folk who managed to own land, especially land in isolated country sites or hills (sometimes inherited from white folks for whom they had worked for generations, or sometimes purchased), they were content to be self-defining and self-determining even if it meant living with less. No distinctions were made between those of us who dwelled in the hills of Eastern or Western Kentucky. Our relatives from Eastern Kentucky did not talk about themselves as Appalachians, and in Western Kentucky we did not use the term; even if one lived in the hills where the close neighbors were white and hillbilly, black people did not see themselves as united with these folk, even though our habits of being and ways of thinking were more like these strangers than those of other black folks who lived in the city–especially black folks who had money and city ways. In small cities and towns, the life of a black coal miner in Western Kentucky was more similar to the life of an Eastern counterpart than different. Just as the life of hillbilly black folks was the same whether they lived in the hills of eastern or western Kentucky. 38 In the Kentucky black subcultures, folks were united with our extended kin, and our identities were more defined by labels like country and backwoods. It was not until I went away to college that I was questioned about Appalachia, about hillbilly culture, and it was always assumed by these faraway outsiders that only poor white people lived in the backwoods and in the hills. No wonder then that black folks who cherish our past, the independence that characterized our backwoods ancestors, seek to recover and restore their history, their legacy. Early on in my life I learned from those Kentucky backwoods elders, the folks whom we might now label “Appalachian,” a set of values rooted in the belief that above all else one must be self-determining. It is the foundation that is the root of my radical critical consciousness. Folk from the backwoods were certain about two things: that every human soul needed to be free and that the responsibility of being free required one to be a person of integrity, a person who lived in such a way that there would always be congruency between what we think, say, and do. These ancestors had no interest in conforming to social norms and manners which made lying and cheating acceptable. More often than not they believed themselves to be above the law whenever the rules of so called civilized culture made no sense. They farmed, fished, hunted and made their way in the world. Sentimental nostalgia does not call me to remember the worlds they invented. It is just a simple fact that without their early continued support for dissident thinking and living I would not have been able to hold my own in college and beyond when conformity promised to provide with a sense of safety and greater regard. Their “Appalachian values,” imprinted on my consciousness as core truths I must live by, provide and provided me with the tools I needed and need to survive whole in a postmodern world. Living by those values, living with integrity, I am able to return to my native place, to an Appalachia that is no longer silent about its diversity or about the broad sweep of its influence. While I do not claim an identity as Appalachian, I do claim a solidarity, a sense of belonging, that makes me one with the Appalachian past of my ancestors, black, Native American, white, all “people of one blood” who made homeplace in isolated landscapes where they could invent themselves, where they could savor a taste of freedom. 39 Proofed Paper: ntp718087 - Thu Oct 24 12:12:45 EDT 2019 page 1 / 7 Paper Title: No. of Pages: 0 Paper Style: APA Paper Type: N/A Taken English? Yes English as Second Language? No Feedback Areas: General, N/A Paper Goals: ENG 121 This is my draft, please check my thesis statement, paragraph structure, grammar. Proofing Summary: Hi Jessie, I’m Ethan, your writing tutor for the Writing Center. I have reviewed your submission and have several suggestions that will help you revise. Please feel free to contact us through a 24/7 live writing session with any follow-up questions or for any clarification. Below, you will find a revision plan along with margin comments within your paper. Use my suggestions as a starting point for the revision process. Note that I have not proofread the draft for minor errors, but rather, focused on larger concerns such as idea development. For a complete look at grammar and punctuation, please use Grammarly. You have done a nice job of providing a clear introduction to the author and the main ideas of the article in your introduction paragraph. Good work! For your revisions, I suggest focusing on: 1. Thesis In the thesis statement, you should include the main idea from the article, as well as how this idea relates to your personal experience, as well as a wider group in society. 2. Paragraph Development Some of your paragraphs could use a bit more focus and organization. In general, all paragraphs need to have 3 pieces: P-Point—also known as your topic sentence where you state what the paragraph is about I-Information—where you present your information (facts, details, quotes, and reasons) E-Explanation—where you explain the relevance or importance of your information Please be sure to do all of this when writing your paragraphs. For help with this, click here: http://writingcenter.ashford.edu/body-paragraphs 3. APA Formatting Remember to format your references in APA style. For a guide that will help you to format whatever kind of source you are using for your references page click here: http://writingcenter.ashford.edu/format-your-reference-list Good luck in the course! Ethan Writing Consultant Proofed Paper: ntp718087 - Thu Oct 24 12:12:45 EDT 2019 page 2 / 7 The page number should be placed in the upper right of each page. Click here for more information on overall paper format: http://writingcenter.ashford.edu/introduction-apa Proofed Paper: ntp718087 - Thu Oct 24 12:12:45 EDT 2019 page 3 / 7 You have done a very good job here in this introduction paragraph of introducing the author, the article title, and the main ideas of the article. Good work! You have a run-on sentence here. A comma cannot do the work of separating 2 complete thoughts, but a semicolon (;) can! Or you can use a period and make 2 sentences. For more help on this, click here: http://writingcenter.ashford.edu/run-ons-comma-splices In a critical response essay, the thesis statement should indicate what you determined the main message from the author to be in sharing the essay and showing how you can relate to that, or why that would be important for others to know about that idea. For example: “Sedaris shows the value of continuing education, which is important to anyone who might try to learn a new skill or go back to school after an absence for awhile.” Proofed Paper: ntp718087 - Thu Oct 24 12:12:45 EDT 2019 page 4 / 7 In a short essay like this, you typically should avoid including long block quotations, as the primary focus of the essay should be on your own words, with quotes and other citations included as support. Click here for more information on integrating quotes into your arguments: https://writingcenter.ashford.edu/integrating-research There is good information in this paragraph, but the paragraph as a whole could use a bit more focus and organization. Here is a rough outline to help you revise your paragraphs, and explain yourself a bit more: a. Topic sentence that states the topic or point of the paragraph b. Give a Fact/Detail/Reason/Quote that supports your point c. Explain this fact d. Give another point on this topic e. Give another Fact/Detail/Reason/Quote to support that next point f. Explain this fact g. Give more Explanation & Analysis to your purposes for writing h. Closing Sentence For more help with paragraph development, click here: http://writingcenter.ashford.edu/body-paragraphs Proofed Paper: ntp718087 - Thu Oct 24 12:12:45 EDT 2019 page 5 / 7 Here it seems that you have referenced Hooks' essay, but have not provided a citation. You must provide an in-text citation any time that you summarize, paraphrase, or directly quote another person’s words or ideas. For help on when and how to do this, refer to this guide: http://writingcenter.ashford.edu/citing-within-your-paper As you revise the body of your paper, be sure that it is divided into clear, unified paragraphs. Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence and should make a distinct point. Proofed Paper: ntp718087 - Thu Oct 24 12:12:45 EDT 2019 page 6 / 7 In a conclusion paragraph, you should typically begin by rephrasing the thesis statement, then provide a brief summary of the main points that were covered in the body paragraphs of the paper. Click here for more information on writing a clear conclusion paragraph: http://writingcenter.ashford.edu/introductions-conclusions Proofed Paper: ntp718087 - Thu Oct 24 12:12:45 EDT 2019 page 7 / 7 Please properly format your References. Your citations should be in alphabetical order and double spaced with hanging indents. Also, be sure that your sources are cited properly, because many of them are incorrectly cited. For help formatting your references page, click here: http://writingcenter.ashford.edu/format-your-reference-list Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) Running head: A LEGACY OF WILDNESS Free Spirits: A Legacy of Wildness Jessie R. Harper ENG 121 Professor Kathryn Zurlo Running head: A LEGACY OF WILDNESS Free Spirits: A Legacy of Wildness Growing up in the countryside, away from the bustling activities of the cities, is undoubtedly the best experience a person can ask for. This is the experience that Bell Hooks (2008) describes in the book “Free Spirits: A Legacy of Wildness.” Having grown up in the mountains of Appalachia, the author describes the valuable lessons derived from living in the countryside. In the mountainside, people live according to nature, and they do not seek to alter the cause of nature. The activities of the inhabitants show a keen eye in ensuring the environment is protected. This is achieved by using natural methods of farming, keeping chicken, and engaging in fishing. This ensured that the communities are self-sustaining. Hooks cherishes her countryside upbringing because it encouraged her to be self-determining, taught her the importance of taking responsibility, and she learned the history of her ancestors. In the countryside, the author learned to be responsible, she spoke how she used to “fished, hunted, raised chickens, and planted what we call organic gardens” This taught her to be responsible. The author felt free and at peace in the wilderness. Reading this reminds me of myself growing up in a foster home, with several brothers and sisters, which we were not related by blood, but we called each other brothers and sisters, being free and playing together out on the streets in New York. We had chores and various responsibilities at home. Learning to be responsible starts at home, the type of environment, role-model which surrounds a person's life; helps him/her to accept responsibilities throughout their life span. Self-determining is another lesson learned by growing up in the countryside. A person develops their self and identity through their adolescent years. During this time some Adolescence struggles with self-identity. The article stated self-identity with various cultures can be different. Running head: A LEGACY OF WILDNESS However, the North are of particular interest, their attitude is characterized by an unusual duality in their view of life. “The mythological consciousness and uniqueness of the traditional way of life on the one hand, and a special position in the system of relations with the dominant majority of the population on the other hand. Some studies are exploring certain aspects of self-identity among adolescents from different ethnic groups”. ”. (Flotskaya, Bulanova, Ponomareva, & Flotskiy 2019). Due to I am in the United States Army, many of my soldiers and friends are from various cultures, which I observed they are self-determined. One of my closes friends are from Jamaica, he shared some of his home stories with me, He was raised in the countryside of Jamaica, his morning chores was making sure the animals were fed, he had to carry buckets of water from a hill, down a hill, and helped take care of his siblings. His motto is Never to give up!. He is a selfstarter and has great morals and Integrity. Therefore, I agree with the author's self-determination has a lot to deal with your environment and upbringing. Hooks' mother left her to mingle with her brother while young irrespective of their different genders. They both “run wild” together, freedom was fun for both Hook and her brother. When Hook’s got older self-determination was not a problem due to her childhood upbringing and the environment she was raised. Hook was not forced to conform to a particular way of life, and this helped her maintain her identity during and after college in the post-modern world. Getting to learn and experience the ways of the ancestors. The Country folks grew food and engage in fishing just like their ancestors. According to Hook, city folks stereotype various cultures, some people think living in the country is backward, and lives in isolated farms. This is something Hook learns while attending college, I am guilty of stereotyping people from third Running head: A LEGACY OF WILDNESS world countries until I visited my friend in Jamaica. My friend lives in a huge house, which I thought life in Jamaica was backward. Sometimes we have to take that time to learn another person's culture instead of stereotyping. Hook learned of the history of her black ancestors who lived in Appalachia before and after the slavery, which they were part of the wild living also. Cheating and lying were something Hooks ancestors did not engage in. They believe in Integrity. Living in the wilderness there is a sense of identity unique to the countryside. People living in the countryside portray an identity unique to themselves, they learn to appreciate the simplest things in life. This reminds me when I visit family members in South Carolina with my foster parents, everyone was different. City folks were different from country folks. The way of living, speaking, food, lifestyle was peculiar. I could not understand why Country people who Lives in the countryside have an identity uniqueness to themselves. Probably, due to country people are not exposed to all the “hustle and bustle of life”. With my experience simulates living in the country and city, people have values, they work and have families. The only difference between country and city living; is their environment. Hook spoke about ways of black people in the Appalachian’s are more similar to that of other white folks in the region than to black folks with money in the cities and the value of Self-determining applies to all people in the area irrespective of their race. Hook stated presently, diversity in Appalachia is no longer silent, she’s proud of her culture and where she came from. Her “ancestors are black, Native American, white, all “people of one blood”. (Hooks, 2008). Running head: A LEGACY OF WILDNESS Conclusion The countryside has enabled Hook’s to be self-determining, it has taught her the importance of responsibility, and she has also gotten a chance to discover her ancestry. While growing up, Hook’ learned the Appalachian values, which taught a person to be self-determining. With the freedom to dictate the direction life takes comes a responsibility. One also learns the ways of the ancestors and the uniqueness of the countryside lifestyle. These values and lessons Hook’s learned in the countryside were instrumental in helping her succeed in modernity. Running head: A LEGACY OF WILDNESS Reference Flotskaya, Bulanova, Ponomareva, & Flotskiy. (2019). Self-Identity Development among Indigenous Adolescents from the Far North of Russia. Behavioral Sciences., 9(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/bs9100106 Hooks, B. (2008). Free spirits: a legacy of wildness. Appalachian Heritage, 36(3), 37-39. The Final Critical Response Essay • • • • • • • • Must be 4-5 properly-formatted pages or 1,000-1,250 words (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.) resource. Must include a separate title page with the following: o Title of essay o Student’s name o Course name and number o Instructor’s name o Date submitted o For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.). Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance. Must include a clear thesis statement. For more information about writing thesis statements, visit the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.) and review Chapters 4 and 5 of Essentials of College Writing. Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper. o For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources. Must use at least 1 credible source in addition to the course text. o The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment. Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.) guide. Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.
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