Reviews

As part of my intermittent and slow-ish roll attempt to read from the Aspen Words Literary Prize longlist every year... I was actually on the waitlist at the library for Temple Folk when the shortlist announcement was made, and it was on it! So I was, of course, that much more excited to pick it up. And let me just say, this is exactly the reason I follow/love this award. First, I would likely never have picked this collection up otherwise (at least in part because I really only do limited short story collections). And second, this is the first time that I have ever read anything about the Nation of Islam - definitely fictionally, but honestly even in nonfiction (other than small amounts in high school history, which is hard to count, really, because I mean, whose perspective on that were we getting? ...not this one, I can assure you) - and I do love that exposure to new topics/populations. Reading is the best!

At risk of repeating myself unnecessarily from review to review, as with all short story collections, I'll give a little of my thoughts to each, and then finish with a little overall blurb of my reactions to the collection as a whole.

Blue - This was really a full character build in such a short space. I always wonder what draws people to religious sects/any cult-like group (I loved reading cultish Cultish for the breadth of discussion on that topic) and this gave a really great, but also approachably "normal," answer to that. I enjoyed the little bonus “twist” at the end for literary intrigue.

New Mexico - Interesting look at the competing/at odds expectations and demands of being Black in America, depending on the environment/who is influencing the expectations. Also, the contradictions of fighting to survive and fit in and pass vs also fighting for pride and success for one’s individuality and culture was a highlight theme here. “He was someone with an essentially good nature, who could be moved by fanciful notions of a glorious past to compel his sense of virtue.” and “... [She] was a passing woman; soldiering for a cursory kind of freedom, wrought in the lie of white superiority we thought they all opposed.”

The Spider - Ohhhh fascinating: this look at the splintering that happens when a movement loses a founder/leader. How each new generation can envision a future with renewed hope and passion, and get caught up in it to an extreme (or, be sold said vision by a charismatic voice), that previous generations have given up on or been disillusioned to or learned from. Yea. This was just a great study of humanity and the ebb and flow of movements through generations.

Candy for Hanif - What a commentary on the contradictory juxtaposition of what religious texts say about helping those who need it and the way followers of the faith follow through on that. Always love when that's pointed out. Also, a great look at the confines of a life and the ways people deal (or not) with that...and what finally pushes them to break from it. “She felt the weight of her soul’s exhaustion…” (pretty much sums up this story, it’s heavy);

Janaza - Getting caught up in a movement and the moorlessness/directionlessness that comes from losing that kind of leader/touchpoint (whether from death or when that someone renegs on the principles you followed them for) was the focus here. Also, honestly, I find end of life rituals across cultures are so interesting, and I wish we had gotten a little more of that here. A solid story, but overall not my favorite.

Woman in Niqab - A short interrogation of the mythology of covering - that it is for the protection of a woman (and no man would unwanted-touch a veiled woman without their consent). If only). Also, the moral assumptions and implications of being veiled or not, literally and figuratively, are discussed, in the context of asking: but what really does that choice have to do with what type of person you actually are? And should that (be allowed to) define how others see you? This was woven into a really lovely coming of age exploration, of boundary setting and identity testing and re-connection with a parent in an adult way. I really liked this one.

Who’s Down - A highlighting of how long Gaza has been in the news for the Exact. Same. Genocide. This is outside the direct context of this story, but as it is salient to the current international reality, let me clearly and openly say at this time: FREE PALESTINE ALREADY. Also, phew, what a look at how the dangers of indoctrination are universal; they know no bounds. More specifically, in a religious/faith context, do we only believe when it’s convenient/easy and stop when we’re sick of the effort? “No loving God, I reckoned, would allow a recounting of his miracles to render some human beings more worthy of home than others.”

Nikkah - Ahhhh the hypocrisy of faith leaders and what their intensity/extremism covers…what a horribly common tale. I mean, this line though: “the stark incoherence of their faith and their actions.” And, in this case, how a child will react and rebel and trial other systems after finding out and becoming fully disillusioned. For that same child, how growing up in that kind of extremity makes one more susceptible to it in other variations, even as one rails against the original experience. Plus, a really interesting look at how, once you leave one place/belief, does it then become easier to abandon the next? Damn. This was a subtle, but strong, hit. “But what we’re not going to do [...] is go to the extreme. When we are extreme with anything - extremely godly, extremely generous - it usually means that something else in life is suffering.” and “…but just because the leader is without morals doesn't mean that morality ceases to matter or that our cause is unworthy.”

Sister Rose - Oh this was short, but tough. The weight of shame that comes with most faith systems cannot be ignored, especially how deep it can cut and how long that can last and how wide it can affect (in this case, and in most cases, women especially). So then, of course, we see the uneven expectations on men vs women - across worlds and religions - and how that suppresses potential and how the attempt to escape it (it being those expectations and shame) can cause one to lose connection(s) and relationships that could have been vital, powerful. Tragic.

Due North - To bring it home, the classic conflict of religion and sexuality (or the false conflict or the internal/self shut down that comes from assumptions due to religious beliefs). You can't really do a collection on a religious group, at least not fully, without this theme. But the way our characters come to terms with that for themselves and loved ones here - it's really done well, so bittersweet. Inner lives are so complex. Oooooof this one broke my heart, and then sibling love patched it. What a final piece. Definitely my favorite of the collection. “And even if they failed and had to go back, they tried to make a difference in their lives - in our lives - by doing something new. That's how you get perspective; it's the venturing out that grows you…”

So, like I said, I have never really read anything about the Nation of Islam before, so I was very interested in these stories from that perspective, as learning and insight into something new-to-me. Bilal really breaks down the complexities of race “loyalty.” The verbosity and the follow-through, what is actually beneficial versus what is superficial and, importantly, who gets to judge. She tackles some of the supportive and wonderful things about strict and close-knit faith-based communities, as well as the negative and constrictive and even dangerous aspects, from internal perspectives. She does mention, clearly, the CIA involvement in suspicious deaths of Black rights leaders/supremacists that is historically purposefully buried by white-controlled history telling/teaching. And she does a beautiful job giving voice and nuance and insight and perspective into this highly judged but minimally known (at least at a larger societal level) population. There is tenderness and humanity in these pages, in all the small moments of life (the ones oft overlooked because they don't register as important enough to remember, even to those experiencing them directly), and the life-changing moments/decisions, and even in the not-so-good moments, which is something that we all want/deserve when our stories are told.

A lovely collection, whose strengths are in the quality of the writing, the subtleness of the power in the stories it tells, and, of course, the discerning gaze into a community that many know very little about.

Content Warnings

sarah_logan8's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

katiemack's review against another edition

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3.0

I'm torn on this one because I love the exploration of religious performativity vs. actual belief and learned a lot about the Nation of Islam, but the writing makes me feel like I'm missing something--there's an incompleteness about the way Aaliyah Bilal writes her characters and settings, and the attempts at shifts in perspective don't always work. Regardless, I enjoyed reading this; the standout stories for me are "Woman in Niqab" and "Due North."

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