Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib

2 reviews

30something_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Truly a perfect collection of essays. Is this better than They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us? Possibly. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism, Misogyny, Cursing, Violence, Hate crime, Death, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Grief, Colonisation, Classism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Gun violence, Self harm, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Sexism, Islamophobia, Cultural appropriation, Xenophobia, Transphobia, and Homophobia

savvylit's review

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

A Little Devil in America is a spectacular blend of memoir and historical deep-dive. Discussing Black artists that range from magicians to singers & dancers to pro boxers, Abdurraqib's poetic prose is evocative and precise. This is indeed, as the title notes, a collection in praise of Black performance. However, A Little Devil in America is also about so much more. It's about mortality & grief on personal and communal levels. It's about the transformative power of artwork. It's about loneliness and connection. It's about the immense impact of Black performance on the world -- and how often that is improperly acknowledged.

Overall, Abdurraqib has a unique and heart-wrenching approach to the topics featured in these essays. I have genuinely never devoured a historically-focused collection quite so quickly. Needless to say, I'm quite eager to read more of his work ASAP!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Violence, Police brutality, Racism, Xenophobia, Death, Grief, and Gun violence

Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy