Beyond the Veil Essays in the Dialectical Style of Socrates

by Washington, Ellis

• ISBN13: 9780761827283
• ISBN10: 0761827285
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-09-01
• Publisher: Hamilton Books

Summary

This book contains a group of 90 original dramatic essays, short plays, and letters--mostly written in the dialectical or dialogue style attributed to the great Greek philosopher, Socrates (470-399 B.C.). Each essay seeks to take the reader to the uncharted territory of their own mind in order to break the shackles of hypocrisy--to develop individual virtue, character and to encourage morality, discipline, and perseverance in the face of obstacles.

Author Biography

Ellis Washington is adjunct faculty at Davenport University in Business law and Contracts.

Table of Contents

Prologue	xiii
Acknowledgments	xvii
Introduction	1	(6)
Part I
On Aesthetics
Prelude: Birth of a Young Philosopher	7	(1)
Music: You Are What You Listen To	8	(4)
On Philosophy
Students Should Maintain Beliefs	12	(4)
Student Reply-Letter to the Editor: Ready for the Inquisitions?	16	(1)
Part II
The Epiphany
On Autobiography
Confessions To Nine Strangers and a Preacher	17	(4)
On Love
Caroline My Valentine	21	(1)
Joyce or Joy?	22	(3)
On Worship
Caroline & Ms. Prissy	25	(1)
On Attempted Suicide
Monique Missed!!!	26	(4)
On Attempted Insanity
On the Edge: Letter To A Young Mother with Five Children	30	(2)
On the Virtuous Woman
To The Noble First Lady of Antioch Church of God In Christ	32	(2)
On Womanhood
Lunch At Gauguin's	34	(2)
The Paintings of a 19th Century Playboy	36	(1)
Barbara in the Fields {Lessons My Grandmother Lucille Washington Taught Me}	37	(5)
Pookee & Mee	42	(3)
On Manhood
Percy's Invisible Prison	45	(4)
Introduction to my Surrogate Father, Dr. Jones	49	(1)
Grandfather Ellis Washington: A Tale of Two Fathers	50	(3)
No More Hammers Ringing In My Life	53	(3)
My Brother Eugene Has No Bottom Teeth	56	(4)
Mama'ed To Death: Black Sports Stars and the Deification Mama	60	(6)
On Science
Darwin's Holy Ghost Revival! {Part 1}	66	(2)
On Authority
Do You Have a Badge to Do What You're Doing?	68	(1)
On Epistemology and the Nature of Judgment
A Y2K Affair	69	(5)
The Forgotten Genius	74	(3)
Dialogue Between, Billy Graham, Ronald Reagan, Ellis & God	77	(5)
On Law
The Case Of Harris vs. Laura	82	(3)
How Long Must I Wait For Justice?	85	(3)
Reply To Mr. Meier On The Race Capitalization Rule	88	(3)
Reverend Green: A Preacher That Can't Preach?	91	(3)
On Encouragement
Letter to Kathy	94	(1)
Letter to Cee Cee	95	(1)
Hope's Hope!	96	(2)
Letter to Suzanne	98	(1)
Letter to an Angel(a)	99	(2)
Gail the Fax Girl Encounter No. 1	101	(1)
Gail the Fax Girl Encounter No. 2	102	(1)
Gail the Fax Girl Encounter No. 3	102	(1)
Gail the Fax Girl, Encounter No. 4	103	(1)
Gail the Fax Girl, Encounter No. 5 (The Betrayal)	104	(1)
Gail the Fax Girl, Encounter No. 6 (The Reconciliation)	105	(1)
Letter To Rick The Bum of Atlanta, GA	106	(2)
Rick the Bum, Where Are You?	108	(2)
Deborah's Beautiful Blue Eyes	110	(1)
Memorandum of Encouragement to the Encourager	111	(1)
On Idleness
People Who Live Inside a Tomb (The Sin of Idleness and Enablers)	112	(1)
On Gratitude
Letter to a Most Beautiful African Woman	113	(2)
Letter to my Favorite Chef	115	(2)
Letter to Ms. Dale of Marriott Cafeteria	117	(1)
Letter to the Manager of Marriott Cafeteria	118	(1)
On Ingratitude
Postlude in Solitude (Farewell to a Dead-end Job)	119	(1)
On Friendship
How Gail Got Dale Out of Jail	120	(2)
How Dale Got Gail Out of Jail	122	(1)
Roland ... My Friend	123	(3)
Finishing For Anonymous	126	(2)
Why Won't You Speak To Me?	128	(2)
Letter to Leon Betchett (The Harvard Period: 1988-89)	130	(2)
Letter To My Anonymous Friend	132	(1)
On Betrayal
A Friend Must Depart	133	(2)
On the Academy
Letter to a Busy Black Conservative	135	(1)
Letter to Professor Layman Allen of the University of Michigan Law School	136	(6)
Remedial Writing Class At Harvard	142	(9)
On Human Nature
Clifford The Lionhearted: The Naked Lady Card	151	(3)
God's Resume: A Conversation With Tyrone Jones	154	(5)
Big Bossman Sell Your Boy Toy Today!	159	(2)
On Race/Racism
Oprah! Did you know that President George Washington was my Father?	161	(3)
Letter to a Young Intellectual No. 2	164	(2)
Letter to a Young Intellectual No. 3 (Justice Clarence Thomas-Prometheus in our Midst)	166	(4)
Lynching Me {Strange Fruit}	170	(1)
Letters to a Newspaper Editor on Print Racism in the Media	171	(3)
Letter and Reply(s) to a Disgusted White Girl	174	(4)
On Courage
Mr. Ronald Davis: A Caged Lion In Our Midst	178	(4)
Richie The Lionhearted Died of AIDS	182	(2)
The Tears Counted	184	(2)
On Economics
An Anti-Ghetto Strategy	186	(2)
On Politics
Machiavelli in the House!	188	(3)
It Takes a Village Idiot?	191	(4)
Letter and Proposals to Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich	195	(4)
Letter to Speaker of the Senate, Trent Lott	199	(1)
On Jealously
The Silence of the Lambs	200	(6)
On Procrastination
Redeeming the Time	206	(4)
Letter to Tonya Way	210	(1)
Note To Clifford The Lionhearted--Part I	211	(2)
On Intellectualism
Posner's Dilemma	213	(2)
Reply of Judge Richard A. Posner	215	(1)
Letter of Recommendation for Ellis Washington by Dr. Cloyzelle Jones	216	(2)
Letter of Recommendation for Demetrius Freeman	218	(1)
Letter of Recommendation for Clifford Leach	219	(1)
On Youth
Letter to my Nephew Bakari on Manhood	220	(5)
Part III
Epilogue
On the Elements of Good Civilization
Dialogues with my Sister Yemoja Part I-- Invitation to a Dialogue	225	(3)
Part II--Dialogue after Socrates Dialectical Style	228	(14)
Endnotes	242	(5)
Author Biographical Sketch	247