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Ann Lane Petry - tribute
Black Issues Book Review, July-August, 2002 by Clarence V. Reynolds
Petry's narratives are meant to strike out against a racist society as it attempts to make the lives of people--regardless of gender or race--less humane and less productive. Though Petry's works were mostly lauded, they also had their share of detractors. Her inclusion of life's gritty aspects placed her in the company of other, notable naturalistic authors--in fact, she was most often compared to Richard Wright. Some critics called her an "assimilationist" while many accused her of focusing too strongly on "the indictment of a racist" environment.
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In her poignant essay The Novel as Social Criticism, in response to the criticism, Petry writes, "It took me quite a while to realize that there were fashions in literary criticism and that they shifted and changed much like the fashions in women's hats. It is my personal opinion that novels of this [naturalistic, realistic] type will continue to be written until such time man loses his ability to read and returns to the cave. The greatest novelists have been so sharply aware of the political and social aspects of their time that this awareness inevitably showed up in their major works."
After the birth of her daughter Elisabeth, Petry began to concentrate on writing children's books. Incorporating historical figures, her goal for writing children's books, she once said, was to nurture young readers' knowledge of and pride in the achievements of blacks throughout history. Two of her more notable children's titles are Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad (1955), and Tituba of Salem Village (1964), the tale of a 17th century slave who was condemned in the Salem witch trials.
In a 1992 interview, Petry said, "I had lived my whole life without paying any attention. It wasn't my life. But once I became aware, I couldn't see anything but." Petry's contribution has been recognized by the Author's Guild and American PEN, along with her many honorary degrees. After a brief illness, Ann Petry died in 1997 in her hometown of Old Saybrook, a short distance from the family's pharmacy.
Many of her books are, indeed, like a treasure. They are difficult to get, but once found, readers will discover that Ann Lane Petty offers impressions of life much as she saw it and as she knew it. And the splendor of her blending life's realities with her vivid imagination makes for an enriched body of black literature.
Clarence V. Reynolds is a writer and freelance copy editor, dividing his time between New York City and Baltimore. Having owned a restaurant and worked at a number of publications, he has decided to devote himself to what seems like a lifelong project: He is currently working on a novella to include in a collection of short stories. "Writing steals a lot of time away from playing, sleeping, and, sadly, reading. Being on the BIBR team, however, I get wind of things I just shouldn't miss." Reynolds pays tribute to literary pioneer Ann Petry on page 79.
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