Regina Raiford Babcock

Passing Strange: A Gilded Age Tale of Love and Deception Across the Color Line

admin — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:41:00 +0000

When I first read the jacket for Martha A Sandweiss’s Passing Strange, I did a literal double take. I read those introductory paragraphs over and over again, the words slipping and sliding over my brain without sinking in. Passing Strange covers the true story of Clarence King, a much-lauded White geologist and man about town who secretly married Ada Copeland, a Black nursemaid, in 1888.

I have read works before that covered the subject of passing: books on light-skinned Blacks who clandestinely crossed the color line, accounts of multiracial families that split apart because of skin color, tales on Whites who pretend to be Black and slip into the Black community. Yet the love story of King and Copeland was something altogether different.

According to Sandweiss’ compelling narrative, King led a double life for thirteen years. In one life he was a swaggering frontiersman, director of the United States Geological Survey; and in his later years a popular scamp in elite Manhattan social circles. In his second life King lived as James Todd, a quiet family man in Brooklyn. His closest friends never knew he married, and until his death his wife never knew his true name or even his true race.

As a public figure and notable character, King is a rich figure for Sandweiss to mine. In his day, King was well known for mapping the West after the Civil War, and for his thrilling tales of exploration. Much of the book is spent analyzing King’s possible motives for crossing the color line and attempting to understand his passionate nature and mercurial personality.

Since so little was known about the life of Ada Copeland Todd, it was much harder for Sandweiss to glean Todd’s dreams, expectations, and feelings. From what Sandweiss does uncover about Todd’s life, she seemed both ordinary and remarkable. Reading feverishly, I wished I could have learned even more about this woman who eventually torn off the screen of secrecy that her late husband, and later his wealthy, powerful friends had placed over her family.

Passing Strange is a fascinating read. Out of the dry facts of King’s life, Sandweiss creates a flesh and blood character. King was a romantic, constantly searching for fame and security. I could picture a man who was always chasing hapless financial schemes, who was always desperately trying to provide for his mother and his younger siblings, as well as his wife and their growing family, who was always the most charming storyteller at the dining table.

A true page turner, Sandweiss’ work keeps the reader in suspense as we follow first Clarence King’s frantic struggle to keep all of his plates spinning, and later as we follow Ada Copeland Todd’s slow and steady fight to seek her family’s rightful inheritance. Sandweiss’ exhaustive research into this relationship focuses on personal details and larger issues from snippets of King’s love letters to glimpses of the Gilded Age social set and the fledgling turn-of-the-century black middle class community in New York City. By the book’s end, I was left with more questions than I had when I first perused the book’s jacket. Did Clarence truly love Ada? How could he maintain his double life for so many years? How much did Ada know? And most importantly, how much of the lies that we tell others reveal the truth of what we are?

Written by: Regina Raiford Babcock, April 21st 2009

Original and Compact Ragtotes

admin — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 13:34:00 +0000

By Ragtotes

Having been raised to refer to periods as “The Curse,” and plagued by years of heinous female problems, I have never been one to celebrate my menstruation. The Original and Compact Ragtotes are bejeweled, appliquéd plastic celebrations of the flow cheerfully announcing their use in a wavy font.

First problem: I could not get them open. Angrily, I finally popped the latch. Next, they seemed small. I am a backup woman. The Original fits one regular-sized tampon exactly. The Compact appealed to me more, and I packed it with three minis, giving me a sense of reassurance.

The hand wipes are the best! Cute and functional, these things rock. Ever the trooper, I loaded my totes - one for my purse, one for my knitting bag - and hit the world. Funny thing happened, my audacious Original Ragtote became one of my essentials.

I always hated how my pads would slide around in my purse getting tainted with blush. I hated rooting fruitlessly, realizing I was all out of napkins. My sequined companion told me I was covered. Since it only carried one tampon at a time, it had to be filled, or I would leave it out of my purse.

Imagine to be never caught out again empty-handed. Never to search for quarters to feed evil, broken feminine hygiene product dispensers. The Curse has ended! Long live the Tote!

Written by: Regina Raiford Babcock, July 4th 2007

Kaffe Fassett's Kaleidoscope of Quilts

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 02:41:00 +0000

By Kaffe Fassett

Taunton Press

In the world of knitting, needlepoint, interior design and quilting, Kaffe Fassett’s long line of books reign as the prettiest of the pretty coffee table books. An internationally renown artist, Fassett has authored over fifteen books on needle crafts and design and has exhibited his work in museums around the world. Fassett’s popularity has played a part in attracting a larger audience to knitting and quilting and elevating the appreciation of the fabric arts. Kaffe Fassett’s Kaleidoscope of Quilts is his latest showcase of dazzling quilt designs.

Saturated stripes and earthy floral prints, each quilted project is crafted from Fassett’s own line of sumptuous fabrics created with Rowan. Laying on a picturesquely rusted sailboat or pinned to a faded, ornate door, each quilt glimmers like a vibrant jewel in these settings. Beautifully photographed on the sun-drenched shores of Malta, the patchwork of Fassett and his design team—with its intense color ways—is shown to its best advantage. Close-up shots highlight the projects’ individual stitch work and palette.

After the lush photo spread, the rest of Kaleidoscope of Quilts is devoted to quilt assembly instructions, templates, and tips. Even in these nuts-and-bolts pages, there are generous photos and diagrams as well as clear, detailed instructions. In another welcome surprise, Fassett also includes biographies of the designers and the inspiration behind the choices of fabrics and patch shapes. This focus on the importance of design, color, and fabric pattern allows beginner quilters to create movement and energy within their own work. The book encourages adventure and experimentation.

Quilting is often mistakenly assumed to be humble women‘s work, a thrifty use of fabric scraps. However, piecework has always been about showing off, the decadent display of swirling stitches, the fearless juxtaposition of gingham, florals, and polka dots. In Kaleidoscope of Quilts, the art of quilting is shown at its best with gorgeous quilts and directions that instruct and illuminate.

Written by: Regina Raiford Babcock, March 25th 2007