The autobiographical conditions that spurred Dalton Conley's thoroughly original memoir, HONKY, resemble some strange "what-if?" scenario. But if the events recorded herein suggest a made-for-TV-movie premise too incredible to be believed, they are nonetheless recorded in an objective, candid manner that reveals the voice of a writer far more concerned with social analysis than mere sensationalism. HONKY tells the story of a boy who must come to terms with his conspicuous whiteness in an African-American/Latino ghetto. Although being "white" usually ensures certain privileges in American culture, Conley's skin proves an increasingly difficult fact he must face in New York City's racially tense climate of the '70s and '80s.
In the opening chapter of HONKY, Dalton admits that as a young child he was quite ignorant of his ethnic difference. "…[I]n the projects people seemed to come in all colors, shapes, and sizes, and I was yet unaware which were the important ones that divided......
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Approximate Word Count: 680
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |