Alright, let’s gab a bit about this fella, Kelley Melvin. I ain’t no scholar, mind you, just a plain old woman, but I’ll tell ya what I know, or what I reckon I know, about him.
Who’s this Kelley Melvin anyway? Well, from what I gather, there’s a couple of them Melvins floating around. One’s a baseball fella, Bob Melvin. He’s managing the San Diego Padres now, got himself a fancy three-year contract and all. But that ain’t the Melvin we’re here to jaw about. We’re talkin’ about William Melvin Kelley, a writer man, see?
Now, this William Melvin Kelley, he was born way back in 1937 in New York City. Big city, that one. He went to some fancy schools too, Fieldston and Harvard, whatever those are. Smart fella, I guess. He wrote books and stories, mostly about black folks in America, and let me tell ya, life wasn’t easy for them back then, still ain’t for some.
- Born in 1937, New York City.
- Went to Fieldston and Harvard. Fancy schools them.
- Wrote books and stories ’bout black folks in America.
His most famous book, they say, is called “A Different Drummer”. Came out in 1962, a long time ago, way before you young’uns were even a twinkle in your daddy’s eye. I ain’t read it myself, too busy with chores and such, but I hear it’s a powerful story. It talks about the troubles black folks faced, and how white folks weren’t always doin’ the right thing, not by a long shot. Ended kinda sad, though, from what I hear, not much hope for the white folks changin’ their ways.
Folks say he wrote in a fancy way, using big words and all, but from what I can tell, he was just tryin’ to tell the truth about how things were. He wanted folks to see what life was like for black people in America, the good and the bad, the ups and the downs. He wasn’t afraid to point fingers neither, to call out the wrongs he saw.
William Melvin Kelley, he wasn’t just a writer, though. He was also a teacher, taught folks how to write, how to tell their own stories. Imagine that, teaching young’uns to put their thoughts down on paper. Must’ve been a patient man. And his family, they were artists too, livin’ up in the Bronx, another big city place. I bet their house was filled with all sorts of interesting things.
This fella, William Melvin Kelley, he spent his whole life writin’ and teachin’, from way back in 1962 all the way ‘til… well, I reckon he kept at it for a good long while. He passed away in 2017, poor soul. Lived a good long life, though, seein’ a whole lotta changes in the world.
Now, I ain’t gonna pretend I understand all them fancy words they use to describe his writin’. They call it “postmodern” and “scrutinizing examination of American society” and such. Sounds like a mouthful to me. But what I do know is that he cared about his people, about black folks in America, and he wanted to make a difference with his words.
So why are we talkin’ about Kelley Melvin now? Well, I reckon it’s important to remember folks like him. Folks who spoke up, who told the truth, even when it wasn’t easy. He made folks think, made them see things they might not have seen before. And that, to my mind, is a mighty important thing. He helped shape how we see things now, even if we don’t know it.
Kelley Melvin, the writer, not the baseball fella, remember that. He was a man who used his words to fight for what he believed in. And even though he’s gone now, his words are still here, still speakin’ to us, still tellin’ us stories. And that, I reckon, is somethin’ worth rememberin’.
So next time you’re readin’ a book, or hearin’ a story, think about the folks who wrote them, think about what they were tryin’ to say. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll learn somethin’ new, somethin’ that’ll make you see the world a little bit different. That’s what William Melvin Kelley wanted, I’m sure of it.
And that’s about all I got to say ‘bout Kelley Melvin. Like I said, I ain’t no scholar, just a plain old woman sharin’ what I picked up along the way. Hope it made some sense to ya.
