Yes, Metaphors Should Actually Make Sense

A little rant against metaphors as mere vehicle for vibes

Recently I taught James Baldwin’s classic “Sonny’s Blues,” which is a story I hadn’t reread since I was in college about twenty years ago. Despite not rereading it (until now), I’ve always remembered the opening of the story in which the narrator reads about his brother—whom he’s fallen out of touch with—being arrested in the newspaper and walks around …