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4.4 AVERAGE
4.4 AVERAGE
Usually when I read an essay collection, there's a couple that have me wondering why they were included. Not with this one: all the essays felt cohesive and important. I was able to devour this relatively quickly despite its status as nonfiction. I told myself I was going to read one per day but found myself reading more. Now I need to read James Baldwin's collection (The Fire Next Time)!
[Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2018]
*Read an anthology of essays*
*Read an anthology of essays*
I don’t think I was the right audience for this. It was sometimes interesting and mostly informative, but it didn’t touch me the way I think it was suppose to.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Inspired by a James Baldwin essay and current events (and some not so current) about the murders of unarmed black men and women, this collection of essays and poems is a must-read because we have so much work and healing to do, and we can't begin to do the work or heal if we don't understand what it feels like or means to be black in america.
This is a collection of essays about the current black experience in the US, which I cannot personnally speak to. Most were touching in their honesty about the individual authors opinions on the matter. Some referenced James Baldwin's book The Fire Next Time sending thoughts that this is The Fire Next Time. Recommended reading, as is the James Baldwin book.
This is a powerful collection of beautifully written essays. Some are better than others, but I think that because many of the contributors are poets, the essays wowed me as much for their language as the ideas.
I'm white. So my review will be based on my experiences as a marginalized white person. This book focuses on black people & people targeted for police harassment. The people especially focuses on kids & inner child therapy.
This book has insights for white people because white people can be family with black people.
For me, the insights were especially powerful with the person who says they prefer to walk with a white person when possible. The antiblackface one was powerful for me too (I'm TGNC & disabled, those 2 demographics too have minstrel show problems & dynamics with the dictatorship).
There's a lot more notes I need to write down, but my brain ain't cooperating as of 2022-0615-1250
---
Venting
The sad thing for me is there's a major gap between having someone to walk with & being told to line proudly. Yeah the book helps with that & there's an emphasis that you can get killed in your own home or church with that too. Yeah there the discussion of walking with a bunch of mourners & resistors.
Even without the pandemic it feels like I as a disabled queer woman an in some weird (like not specifically Muslim, because the people around me ain't, but closer to Greco-Roman) purdah right now... I've lost iconicness to keep me safe & a ton more people want my people dead now.
This book has insights for white people because white people can be family with black people.
For me, the insights were especially powerful with the person who says they prefer to walk with a white person when possible. The antiblackface one was powerful for me too (I'm TGNC & disabled, those 2 demographics too have minstrel show problems & dynamics with the dictatorship).
There's a lot more notes I need to write down, but my brain ain't cooperating as of 2022-0615-1250
---
Venting
The sad thing for me is there's a major gap between having someone to walk with & being told to line proudly. Yeah the book helps with that & there's an emphasis that you can get killed in your own home or church with that too. Yeah there the discussion of walking with a bunch of mourners & resistors.
Even without the pandemic it feels like I as a disabled queer woman an in some weird (like not specifically Muslim, because the people around me ain't, but closer to Greco-Roman) purdah right now... I've lost iconicness to keep me safe & a ton more people want my people dead now.
Favorite essays:
Introduction by Jesmyn Ward.
The Weight by Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah
White Rage by Carol Anderson
Queries of Unrest by Clint Smith
Black and Blue by Garnette Cadogan
Message to My Daughters by Edwidge Danticat
Introduction by Jesmyn Ward.
The Weight by Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah
White Rage by Carol Anderson
Queries of Unrest by Clint Smith
Black and Blue by Garnette Cadogan
Message to My Daughters by Edwidge Danticat
"Completely, solidly, entirely blew me away," said the Mid-Western White girl.