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Jen Bryant’s book Ringside, 1925 offers a resonant view into the Scopes Trial.

Ringside 1925 brings to life several Voices as they witness the Scopes Monkey Trial unfold.  Jen Bryant spins an intricate web of human interactions as several townspeople from Dayton, Tennessee scamper about to get a glimpse of the major players and collide with each other’s beliefs.  While I found the use of poetry a bit disconcerting ,at first, I quickly fell in with the pace and realized that such a large cast of main characters needed the distinction she could offer through poetry.  Certainly, she did the form justice, using incredibly beautiful and succinct language and vernacular. 

I did feel that she fell short of her goal to create a balanced ringside of characters for and against.  The only characters truly against evolution were a wired Bible Whomper and a teenaged boy who didn’t want to think about evolution for fear of breaking his mother’s heart.  Those who believe in creation actually do have more thought out beliefs than strict adherence to an ancient text and fear of disappointing loved ones.  In saying that I feel the lack of an intelligent person arguing for creation, however, I do not discount the two characters for creation that she did present.  Both attitudes were, I am sure, very much a part of the Scopes Monkey Trial and she did the Bible-Whomper poignant justice. 

The most mesmerizing ability of Ringside 1925 is its ability to teach, while showing you something beautiful about human nature and allowing you to examine your own beliefs.  I can barely remember what I learned about this trial in my high school history class, but I doubt I will ever forget how the trial nearly broke apart the friendship of two store clerks.  The details will all be remembered along with it. 

As I read, Jen Bryant’s recording of the trial, I thought through my own thoughts on evolution verses creation and how my thoughts have changed over the years, both from exploring faith outside of my fundamentalist background and because of the lessons life has sent my way.  I don’t believe that teaching evolution in the schools has caused the mental decline of our nation’s children.  That decline has more to do with autopilot parenting and the constant consumption of high fructose corn syrup. (If Darwin could see our little monkeys now!)  However, I still just consider evolution a viable theory of how God created the earth.  I have not stopped thinking of it as created, but not because the Bible tells me so.  Whether you believe in Yahweh’s seven days of Creation or the Nine Songs of China,  whether you believe in Abuk of the Dinka People of Africa, Ama-NoMinaka-Nushi of Japan, Bhavani, India’s “Bestower of Existence,”  Ixmacane of the Maya people, Kane and Kumu-honua who created in Eras of Time, Sussistinnako of the Sia People of North America, Ta’aroa of Polynesia, Vayu of Persia, Wakonda of the Souix, Witana of the Aboriginal People of Australia or Zipaltonal of Nicaragua, then you believe that early man looked at the world around him and his own human body and realized a purposeful craftsmanship of a higher being.  What is so amazing about this?  Early man had the powers of observation and the power of observation is the cornerstone for science.

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