Colored Television

There’s a devilishly delightful twist near the end of Colored Television–Danzy Senna’s latest novel– that is especially devilishly delightful because I didn’t see it coming.

Until Senna made it happen. At which point, I exclaimed–yes, of course! Makes perfect sense.

I’d like to tell you more about that devilishly, delightful twist, going into all of its devilishly delightful details, except that would give stuff away. And I know many of you out there hate when you hear something about a novel before you read it.

In fact, telling you the devilish details of an ending that is so delightful precisely because I didn’t see it coming would constitute a giving-too-much-info-away crime of the highest degree. So don’t worry—I won’t do it.  

instead, I’ll limit my comments to this…

Senna's twist more or less reveals how full of shit all of us can be. Even people you like, or who are "like" you. I hope that’s vague enough not to be viewed as giving anything away.

Colored Television features funny riffs and caustic takes by people of color, trashing white people. Especially politically correct white people, who try to signal their virtue, even as they lead virtueless lives, by using the term "people of color." A politically correct term if ever there was one. 

By the way, I think we all agree that virtue signaling is a dated objective in the age of Trump. As Trump is trying to punish people and institutions who have any virtue–even if it’s only pretend virtue. So now you have white people MAGA signaling by saying we’ve just gone too far with this DEI and trans rights stuff. I see you Mayor Rahm and Bill Maher.

By the end of the book, Senna concludes–or at least her main character concludes–that all people are full of shit. Not just politically correct white people. Or Mayor Rahm. Or Bill Maher.

But I’ll say no more cause I don’t want to give anything away. 

When you're done with Colored Television, read Caucasia--also by Senna...

On a completely unrelated tangent...

The main character in Colored Television is a writer named Jane who’s spent ten years writing an epic novel. 

You have no idea how hard it is to write a long book–unless, of course, you’ve done it. It’s so painful.  So unnatural to try to take those voices you hear in your head and put them on paper. 

As I get older, I find myself needing to go on long walks in order to loosen up my brain and hear in my head exactly what it is that I want to put on that page. But so often when I get around to putting it on the page, I discover it’s disappeared. And I cry out…

Where have you gone, thing I heard in my head? And why have you deserted me when I need you the most? 

In Jane’s case, she has—again—spent ten years writing one novel. Thats ten years as in—ten years!  Think about that. Ten years of hearing those voices in your head. My goodness, that’s torture. Please, people, please—do not let your children grow up to be writers!

Happy to say Colored Television has a happy ending. Which I won’t reveal as that would be a textbook example of giving something away. Though I realize saying it’s happy sorta gives it away. My bad. As the kids used to say.

All in all, great job, Danzy Senna.  

In conclusion: Hurry up and read Colored Television—so we can talk about that ending.