James McBride, author of this year's common reading, "The Color of Water," talked about his book and played a set with his jazz band Thursday, Oct. 3 in Alumni Gym. Details...
A renowned musician and bestselling author, McBride was relaxed and humorous as he discussed “The Color of Water,” his most recent book and a New York Times bestseller. The book is a tribute to his parents and a recollection of growing up with an African-American father and Hasidic Jewish mother.
His mother frequently worked multiple jobs and odd hours to support their large family, a fact not lost on McBride and his siblings as they grew older. “My mother was concerned about her children respecting her. Yet through her example, we came to respect her more than we could have ever imagined.”
He told students to treat college as a chance to experience failure, make their own decisions and follow their passion. “You have already demonstrated that you know how to succeed by being (in college),” McBride said. “So don’t be afraid to fail, to try new things. This is a place where you learn to do and study what you really like. To be happy, at some point, you have to ignore the advice of other people and do what you think is right.”
McBride also said his generation has done a poor job of laying a foundation for today’s students to build upon. “My generation has lowered the bar collectively. I’m asking you to ignore a lot of the messages my generation is giving you and create your own.”
Following his talk, McBride grabbed his saxophone and joined his jazz band for a lively 30 minute show. His appearance was sponsored by the Liberal Arts Forum.