June: Urban American Tall Tales

At a young age I remember learning the traditional American tall tales typically featured around the wild, wild west: Anne Oakley, Paul Bunyon; Johnny Appleseed


A tall tale  or legend is based on whatever inspires that community at that moment in history. Times have changed. We're not fronteiring across our country anymore. Cities, and borders have been well established for decades now.

 For us, America has been in an uphill battle with poverty, drug use, violence and all other sorts of dark demons. For our generation we'd need a tall tale that would be able to inspire us to do better, not give up, perserver, love ourselves for who we are. What does this better than novels and films?

Think of the movie/character Precious, based of the novel Push by author Sapphire. It follows a late teenager through the aftermath of her horrible life. Her mother abuses her, she was forced to concieve two children by her father and due to her cicrumstances she is far behind where should should be edcuationally.

Yet somehow she is encouraged to better her life, she goes back to school, is doing great, and then finds out she has aids from the abusive relationship she was subjected to.

Here's the main difference between Paul Bunyan and Precious: Truth.

Could Paul Bunyan knock down 16 trees with one swing of his axe, no.
Was this novel based on real life events, yes.

Has the idea of a tall tale shifted into something more cautionary, or is it inspiring that through someone elses extreme suffering we can appreciated our own better circumstance and not waste the lucky hand we've been dealt?

Makes me want to write something worth writing.