Attica Locke on the US election: 'It's white Americans that have to fix this'

[cbabe]

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/oct/05/attica-locke-on-the-us-election-its-white-americans-that-have-to-fix-this

Attica Locke on the US election: ‘It’s white Americans that have to fix this’

The Highway 59 author discusses the influence of politics on her crime novels, how Beyoncé caused a backlash, and why Trump’s re-election is not as likely as it seems

Alex Clark
Sat 5 Oct 2024 06.00 EDT

Attica Locke’s Bluebird, Bluebird was published in the early days of Donald Trump’s presidency, and introduced readers to Darren Mathews, a Black Texas Ranger grappling with the demands of law enforcement in a divided society. Locke continued his story in 2019’s Heaven, My Home, and now concludes the prize-winning Highway 59 trilogy with Guide Me Home, in which Darren must confront the traumas of his upbringing, the painful contradictions of his career and an intricate web of political and judicial corruption. Locke, who was born in Houston, Texas and now lives in Los Angeles, is also a screenwriter and TV producer; her work includes adaptations of Celeste Ng’s novel Little Fires Everywhere and the memoir From Scratch, by her sister, the actor Tembi Locke.

The Highway 59 books are compelling crime novels, but they are also deeply concerned with the US’s turbulent politics. How important was the political aspect for you?
It was not really my intent, but once Trump was elected, and I saw what was happening to my country, and I’d written a character who was in the thick of it, I just leaned into it. It gave me a space to process my feelings about everything that I was watching and how profoundly Trump’s election had broken me. He just really undid me. It’s him; it’s the people who voted for him; it’s what he represents.

When Obama was elected, I was one of those people who was like: “Oh, look at America go. She’s just getting her shit together.” And I really bought it, as someone who was born after the civil rights movement; both of my parents were activists, and all of my life has been on the other side of a bloody battle for equality. But it seemed like we were getting there. I just thought that we had arrived at a place, and then I felt as if I got slammed in a car wreck all of a sudden. The backlash to what Obama represented really deeply broke something in my soul.

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[WhiteTara]

1. I haven't ever read her work, but

wow it seems powerful. When tsf was ushered into the White House, I was almost catatonic for several days or weeks. I understand her feeling of being broken. Everything I ever believed in and hoped for was smashed to small pieces, and I'm still trying to process and fit them back together again.

Here's to President Harris and a supportive Congress.

[cbabe]

3. I just read Black Water Rising, 2009. Powerful, disturbing.

Had to read in bits. Politics, murder, family, civil rights. Boomtown Houston. White power vs black church vs unions. Humidity soaked stew of a story.

…

Attica Locke is the author of the widely acclaimed debut novel Black Water Rising, which was nominated for a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, an Edgar Award, and an NAACP Image Award, and was short-listed for the UK’s Orange Prize.

[WhiteTara]

4. that makes me hesitate to read her work

My anxiety levels are so high already. But I'm glad she's out there writing about the unspeakable.

[cbabe]

5. Yes. I hesitated part way through. But a necessary read.

[cbabe]

8. You could think of it as a 'companion' title to

James Lee Burke Robicheaux series.

Similar to Nancy Rawles ‘My Jim’ or Percival Everett’s ‘James’ to Twain’s ‘Huck Finn’.

Or whose story is it?

[Solly Mack]

2. ...

Did part of the distress come from seeing that Trump had such wide support?

What it taught you is the power of white supremacy, that it is so intense and insidious, and its power is its unconsciousness. Because you have people who have mixed families, who have Black friends at work, people who like Beyoncé – but yet, the idea of whiteness needing to be centred was so strong that you’ve come up with all these other reasons why Trump is a fit, and you’ve ignored the craziness and lies.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

[malaise]

6. Profound

Rec

[Solly Mack]

7. I greatly enjoyed the interview.