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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
A marvelous, progressive set of essays by novelists, poets and other dreamers of our age. Written in response to the Trump election, the essays offer hope in difficult times.
I did not realize how hungry I was for these words. I devoured these pages in less than 24 hours. That I had read this when it first came out. Thank you Catherine for putting this "tome" on my radar <3
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
the hopefulness of this would probably have resonated with me more if i read it in 2017 when tr*mp was president the first time, but there was still a lot of good for me to take away from this read.
3.5 stars. Some of the essays were a little too doom & gloom, some made me feel more hopeful. Favorites were Kate Schatz, Celeste Ng, and Peter Orner.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Editor Carolina De Robertis has compiled a collection of letters and essays from some of today's best writers, resulting in a book with an astonishing breadth of keen perspectives on the 2016 election. Divided into parts according to temporality - "Roots" which considers the past, "Branches" the present, and "Seeds" the future - Radical Hope reminds us of the sweeping arc of history, and that the pendulum of morality, though it has swung us backwards, can be pushed forward if we lean on each other and fight for progressive change. I found "Roots," with its reminders of the struggles for freedom which shaped our nation, and "Seeds," with its promise for hope found even in the words of children, to be the most hopeful. While letters contained in "Branches" made salient points about our current, sometimes nightmarish political situation, I found the former and the latter to be sources of particularly memorable inspiration. Overall, though, I deeply appreciated the book's intersectionality, and rallying cry to "stay open," as Celeste Ng puts so well in her essay, and to keep pushing for a better world.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
I was disappointed by this collection. With a title like "Radical Hope," I was looking for inspiration and a sense of optimism. Instead, I got a lot of anxiety. Like, a lot. Almost every letter laid out the reasons (some, in excruciating detail) why we're currently in the darkest timeline, and I just did not need to be reminded over and over that fear and hatred are the engines driving the country right now.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Honestly I can’t handle the fact that this is all about Trump. It puts me in a dark place again for this 2024 election cycle and even though I agree to my core with the important feelings and thoughts this book has, I can’t handle an artsy fartsy poetry slam style interpretation of some of the shittiest times in our recent history. DNF for my mental health