![]() In war, we have called it, "Stolen Valor," claiming an undeserved heroism. The fact that the National Book Award was given to a novel both mediocre and patronzing belies the reality that too often a talent for self-promotion transcends any talent to honestly reflect reality. ![]() ![]() If ever there was such a thing as cultural appropriation by an author who extracted fame and money and awards (unbelieveably, the National Book Award given to this novel) from a subculture she had almost no meaningful contact with, we have it here. Those of us who worked on the track for decades are not novelties. The folks who populated her novel came across like carny side-show novelties. Those from the track I know who read her novel concur. I found Jaimy Gordon's novel, based on her one summer working on a racetrack as teenage groom decades previously, patronizing and insulting. Exercise riders and agents included those I served. I serviced horsemen and horsewomen ranging from trainers, assistant trainers to undocumented hotwalkers and grooms. ![]() I worked as a bi-lingual clinical social worker on the backstretch of the Chicago-area racetracks for 25 years. My sister-in-law exercised racehorses before leaving the track to teach. ![]()
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