END HUNGER!
BOOK REVIEW: End Hunger!
A book length poem about the relationship between war and hunger written by MacCanon Brown
End Hunger! is an ambitious prose poem exploring the history of the twin evils: hunger and war. The reader is called to listen to the farmers, peasants and food gatherers who have gone before us and who “cannot rest.” We are compelled to look at the array of food packages in every American grocery store and see through them to the faces of individuals who have been broken by war, greed, hunger, homelessness. The poem is an indictment of both our national and our individual disregard for “the cry of hunger in America, never before so piercing a cry, so loud and long.” Deborah Fink, Ames, Iowa, says of End Hunger!: “This is a very powerful poem. It makes a good connection between the military establishment and hunger.”
For 18 years MacCanon Brown lived in the role of a traditional Iowa farm woman. Her poetry has appeared in numerous literary anthologies and magazines. In previous years, as a literary artist, she performed, taught and lectured. Since 1992 she has served as a homeless advocate, social activist and community leader in MIlwaukee, Wisconsin. She is co-founder and Executive Director of the organization “Repairers of the Breach” there, an agency focused on developing people in poverty. — (Carole Winkleblack, Library Director, Marshalltown, Iowa)
“Brown paints a wall that separates the farmer from the hungry; a wall constructed by indifference and political and social policy. War is the villain, with many notorious accomplices. Brown leaves us little respite and much to ponder.” — (Aisha Motlani, Shepherd Express, 2006-12-07)
“Brown’s graphic poem, End Hunger!, points out all kinds of interconnections within the web of obscenities that lead to both war and hunger (or perhaps that might be hunger and war?). It is as though every person who ever suffered from these related evils at any time or place on the planet speaks in the present moment - shouting to the reader an indictment for the way things are now. To one who has ears to hear, Brown’s work is a wake-up call!” — (Irene Senn)
Hunger, Warfare and Class Struggle:
A Review by Dave Schall
Recently, I received a request to review a book-length poem on the topics of war and hunger from a fellow Socialist, good friend and social activist, MacCanon Brown. Brown is Executive Director and one of the founders of Repairers of the Breach, a homeless advocacy group that works to empower each individual to not only find shelter, but also to become advocated for themselves and for social change.
The poem was written in the early 1990’s before Brown’s involvement with ‘Repairers’ and coincided with her arrival in Milwaukee from the farmlands of Iowa. Brown wrote the poem expressing her repulsion to the 1991 Gulf War. The poem sat in storage for almost a decade and a half. With the current Bush-family inspired tragedy in Iraq, Brown dusted it off and realized like any valuable work of art, her message was more relevant today.
One of the things that make Brown’s work special is that it comes from a farm/rural perspective. Brown begins looking at history from a farmer’s perspective. “Four hundred generations of crop growers answer the cry of the alienated American” represents the pride of farmers in their task of feeding the world. She looks beyond the European takeover of America’s land and refers also to the Native American’s contributions to crop cultivation.
Brown quickly moves toward the injustices of warfare by pointing to troubles created by patriarchal societies, portraying as women are pragmatic workers and sufferers, while men work but are also dreamers. Her description of men as dreamers describes the descent of human society into valuing avarice, competition and ultimately war.
Brown describes the shift toward industrialization as one in which only a few men could realize their dreams, but they used their dreams to exploit most of society. The dream of an easy life becomes sustenance during hard times for the masses, while the privileged realize their dreams by living the ‘good life’.
Farms have become mechanized, but rather than life becoming easier, most farmers lost both their dignity and their land. The earth is now opened, rather than tended. Corporate entities have been created to organize and dehumanize society. The continued search for domination has led to more and more technology in both farming an in warfare. Brown describes “abominable snowmen” sitting in the corporate boardrooms. The technology of warfare consumes an inordinate amount of resources. It takes from the poor and gives to the privileged.
“War is the bloody-eyed agent of hunger” vividly depicts the tragedy of nation after nation spending more on their militaries than on helping their citizens. Brown invokes the memories of Norman Thomas, many times the Socialist Party presidential candidate. Brown sees Thomas as a person who saw human history as long struggle against scarcity. Thomas spoke for the farmers to F.D.R. criticizing F.D.R.’s farm policy as one that subsidized scarcity.
While Brown sees her work relating mostly to the relationship of hunger and warfare, it inevitably and most emphatically describes a capitalist class structure that allows a few to thrive using warfare at the expense of the rest of society. The class structure is destroying our earth’s ability to provide, it creates walls separating people, causing competition instead of cooperation, causing street violence as too many people are left to suffer while witnessing others good fortunes. Brown, the poet and social activist, sees the masses organizing and demanding justice and an equitable share of the earth’s resources as the solution to the earth’s misery! We must all demand a society based on cooperation, sharing and sustaining the earth’s resources. This is the only way to real peace, both between nations and on our nation’s streets.
The strength of Brown’s work is in its ability to illustrate the evils of a capitalist social structure that allows a few to enjoy a very comfortable life at the expense of the rest of us. The medium of poetry allows MacCanon Brown to convey very livid images and very important messages in only 61 pages. I highly recommend that all concerned citizens experience this work.
“End Hunger! presents the reader with a powerful challenge to the un-necessity of worldwide hunger. In rare and moving poetry, the author describes the deep pain and gross injustice suffered by the millions of hungry people all over the world, and the failure of governments, corporations—and most of the rest of us. The book details the breadth of this inhuman situation. As an example of the source of hunger, MacCanon Brown cites former U.S. President Herbert Hoover: ‘No government rests securely while its population starves.’
“MacCanon Brown is the founder of Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s “Repairers of the Breach.” She has devoted herself to assisting and developing people in poverty. They come to ‘Repairers’ homeless and/or hungry. Beyond providing food, clothes, a place to stay, and job leads, Repairers brings homeless people into active leadership roles in this community organization devoted to justice, peace and mutual caring.” — (Paul Bloyd, Trainer & mentor of community activists; leadership school director)
Beyond the words so deliberately placed on the page, images surface that cannot escape the mind.
Images so potent and so filled with despair, sharing space and priority with words of possibility.
Both are embedded into the reality set before the reader. MacCanon’s words unfold TRUTH.
A truth of the past continues to silently move into the present devouring along its ways with no respect for anything in its path.
Line by line
Thought by thought
A clearly defined picture forms in the reader’s mind. These images sequence rapidly
Flashing by like an antique filmstrip projector…
Transmitting that familiar flickering of light and sound. An alert of non functioning alarm!
Now we must pay attention or it will all jam up and rip the “story” apart…destroying it forever!
MacCanon’s telling of the TRUTH, bids us to pay attention now or the damage will be non repairable!.
The result of this knowledge leaves one jolted by guilt and face to face with urgent responsibility.
The reader can either embrace it or ignore it!
How do you ignore hunger?
It is a deep hunger that consumes the spirit and the soul.
In this book, Brown masterfully reminds us that we are a part of the cycle
And that too cannot be ignored. We can not step aside by position of privilege or ignorance.
It belongs to each one equally!
S. DeVenuta, OSF
March, 2007
“MacCanon Brown’s book, End Hunger!, is an extraordinary and profound piece of work. She speaks as someone whose knowledge is intimate, real and uncompromising. She does so with her heart and soul completely engaged. She is a first rate poet, a brilliant writer, and an effective social activist; her epic poem is brimming with heart, wisdom and reality. It is my honor to recommend this book to anyone who cares about the world in which we live.” — (Lynne Twist)
MacCanon Brown’s work is illuminated by the warmth and delicacy of her poetry.
Confirms the depth and breadth of (MacCanon’s) talent.
Captivating, Brown writes superbly, she has an expressive imagination and considerable talent.
For all the complexity of this poem, it has the simplicity of pure emotion and is a delight because of it.
Donna Neubauer, Wisconsin Mensa member
June, 2007