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The Conversation USA

In 'The Good Lord Bird,' a new version of John Brown rides in at a crucial moment in US history

  • Written by William Nash, Professor of American Studies and English and American Literatures, Middlebury

Was abolitionist John Brown a psychopath, a sinner or a saint?

The answer depends on whom you ask, and when.

The long-awaited premiere of Showtime’s “The Good Lord Bird,” based on James McBride’snovel of the same name, comes at a time when evolving popular perceptions of Brown have once again gotten people thinking and...

Read more: In 'The Good Lord Bird,' a new version of John Brown rides in at a crucial moment in US history

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