Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
There’s maybe a little too much repetition in this collection of essays, and some of them haven’t aged as well as others. But it’s still fascinating to follow the development of Wallave’s thinking about black feminism, pop culture and theory over the years, and she’s such a dynamic and fiery writer that every one of these pieces is a thrill to read.
Felt simultaneously repetitive and disjointed. An important work in this field but wasn’t quite what I expected.
Compelling and idiosyncratic, in this collection of essays, Michele Wallace writes of her personal experiences in Harlem and in rural America, in academia and in grassroots organising, placing these within a larger context of Black diasporic culture and the tension of white supremacist systems. The personal notes are engaging and her cultural observations astute. Reading this book expanded my understanding of the challenges faced by Black women activists, artists, and academics seeking to live within and challenge institutions that would sooner exclude them and of the necessity for nuance, clarity, empathy in our methods to create the fresh, grounded communities that are as much required today as thirty years ago.
"The key mistake lies in viewing racism as a simple and straightforward matter of conscious and clearly mistaken believes about race, which are then acted upon in a violent and primitive way. [...] racism's work takes place first in the unconscious, collective process of the family and the culture" (p. 159-160).
I loved the book. Or at least most of it. Not that I disliked the other part, but it touched subjects less of my interest. The book is a compilation of essays about race, black feminism and culture critic. That last bit was the one I liked less, since it is also very US centred. For people interested in pop culture criticism, the book is a full treat. For me, who was looking less for research material and more for feminist political philosophy, I admit I got bored some times. The editing could have been better to avoid repetitions (again, this is a compilation of essays). What I did like a lot in the book was its meta-analysis of writing and being a black feminist writer.
I loved the book. Or at least most of it. Not that I disliked the other part, but it touched subjects less of my interest. The book is a compilation of essays about race, black feminism and culture critic. That last bit was the one I liked less, since it is also very US centred. For people interested in pop culture criticism, the book is a full treat. For me, who was looking less for research material and more for feminist political philosophy, I admit I got bored some times. The editing could have been better to avoid repetitions (again, this is a compilation of essays). What I did like a lot in the book was its meta-analysis of writing and being a black feminist writer.
informative
reflective
fast-paced
A book I enjoyed much more than expected which was gifted to me. So much in the book resonates with our lives now and collective struggles reflected through culture and everyday life.