Reviews

Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde

dedakated5's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective

5.0

I embodied a variety of emotions while reading this book. I'm sad that many of the topics discussed in Audre Lorde's work remain a concern today. Her work continues to important today.

maddisonsimmons's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

3.5

took me nearly two months to finish because it took me so long to get into/to keep up the motivation to read. since it's a compilation of essays, some held my interest more than others, but i could tell that they were all important. this was my first time finishing a book of essays/more academic writing since undergrad and sometimes the essays went over my head, but overall, i'm glad i pushed myself to finish this book

nanduh's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

mrsloudlibrarian's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

shona22's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a book to share with the women in your life. I've fallen in love with Audre and find myself mourning her all over again. She gave us so much

anacatnascimento's review against another edition

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4.0

Na minha demanda por ler mais own voices e mais autores BAME e queer, o nome Audre Lorde aparecia vezes e vezes sem conta, sendo Sister Outsider um dos livros mais recomendados, para além das obras de poesia da autora. Ora, eu como de poesia não sou grande fã, fiquei-me por um dos poucos exemplos de prosa de Lorde, escritos na década de 70 e 80.

Dizer que este livro é um abre-olhos é pouco. É, provavelmente, o livro que mais sublinhei nos últimos tempos, e que mais passagens me fizeram parar, pensar e ligar os pontos da minha própria vida. Lorde mostra-nos facetas do feminismo, da cultura queer e negra e do racismo que nos chocam mas educam, faz reflexões sobre o eu e a razão de ser dignas de deixar até o filósofo mais cético espantado, dissecta o que é a poesia, o erótico, as palavras e tantas outras coisas sobre as quais eu nunca tinha sequer pensado - tudo isto ancorado numa premissa que parece uma coisa banal, mas não é: ser negro nos EUA.

Apesar de estar fragmentado ora em ensaios, ora em discursos, Sister Outsider é (ou deveria ser) uma bíblia para pessoas de todas as cores. A dor, ressentimento e medo, mas também a resiliência, espírito de sobrevivência e criatividade, são palpáveis a cada página que voltamos, e dão-nos uma ideia do que é nascer, crescer e viver rodeados de ódio, preconceito e uma adaptação constante às circunstâncias. Durante toda a leitura, senti que Lorde me contava que a sua vida, e a vida de tantas outras pessoas de cor, foi (e é) uma corrente interminável de situações atrás de situações em que só haviam duas opções: nadar ou morrer - ou, no caso da poeta, escrever ou morrer. Aquela sensação de impending doom nunca me deixou durante toda a leitura, porque aquilo que Lorde escrevia nos anos 70 ainda é verdade hoje. As suas palavras ainda são relevantes e, no entanto, pouco ou nada mudou.

Uma leitura essencial para quem quer aprender mais e, acima de tudo, compreender o racismo sistémico e institucionalizado e como o combater e gerar mudança - primeiro em si mesmo, e depois no mundo.

"Not to believe that revolution is a one-time event, or something that happens around us rather than inside of us"

meilanon's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.75


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rejena's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

yikesbmg's review against another edition

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5.0

LOVED LOVED LOVED. Reading this book felt like homecoming. A philosophy professor introduced me to Lorde in two and a half years ago. I bought this book back in March but avoided reading it, expecting it to be difficult to read because everyone has said such great things about Audre Lorde. This wasn't a hard read at all and the book was more revelatory than I expected it to be.

The sequence/progression of texts within the book was really key to helping me understand Lorde's messaging about difference, fears silence, the erotic/joy, self actualization, and mothering oneself. I slowly found answers to my initial margin notes that asked "but how do I do this? what is the process?" The amount of introspection Lorde invokes in the read is unlike anything I've ever experienced from a book before. The last few essays on American and Grenadian political events were so insightful.

I'd recommend this book to everyone. Literally everyone. If you want to learn about feminism, solidarity, about yourself or about how to take your critical thinking a step further, read this. This book got me to write again which I'm so thankful for. It has given me guidance and encouragement that I didn't know I needed, which I'm also so grateful for. Read! this! book!

leticiaanadias's review against another edition

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slow-paced

4.0