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pinesandpages's review against another edition
I’ll revisit this at a future date, but cannot bring myself to drag this reading out at this time.
ashley_wohner's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
I could feel the heart & soul poured into each of these essays. I especially loved Kiese Makeba Laymon's and Luvvie Ajayi Jones' pieces.
christie_esau's review
5.0
Necessary reading, especially for white folks who work in therapeutic contexts and would like to better support black folks. Highly recommend.
ninakeller's review
4.0
Enjoyable collection of stories under the umbrella themes of shame and vulnerability.
I read Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead a few years ago, and did not love it, but appreciated and connected to the idea of releasing the tough veneer ever-present in toxic work cultures in favor of modeling and normalizing expression of a range of healthy human emotions. This collection’s responses to these ideas is enlightening.
My favorites within this curation were:
The Wisdom of Process by Prentis Hemphill (on queer black experience)
Love Lifted Me: Subverting Shame Narratives and Legitimizing Vulnerability as a Mechanism for Healing Women in the Black Church by Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts (On feminism as an antidote to shame perpetuated in the church)
Never Too Much by Marc Lamont Hill (on toxic male masculinity’s bad effect on black boys)
Filling Every Page with Joy: Rewriting Trauma and Shame by Kaia Naadira (on overcoming internalized shame about sexual abuse)
Where the Truth Rests by Tarana Burke (on self talk as a healing tool in coping with anxiety associated with trauma)
I read Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead a few years ago, and did not love it, but appreciated and connected to the idea of releasing the tough veneer ever-present in toxic work cultures in favor of modeling and normalizing expression of a range of healthy human emotions. This collection’s responses to these ideas is enlightening.
My favorites within this curation were:
The Wisdom of Process by Prentis Hemphill (on queer black experience)
Love Lifted Me: Subverting Shame Narratives and Legitimizing Vulnerability as a Mechanism for Healing Women in the Black Church by Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts (On feminism as an antidote to shame perpetuated in the church)
Never Too Much by Marc Lamont Hill (on toxic male masculinity’s bad effect on black boys)
Filling Every Page with Joy: Rewriting Trauma and Shame by Kaia Naadira (on overcoming internalized shame about sexual abuse)
Where the Truth Rests by Tarana Burke (on self talk as a healing tool in coping with anxiety associated with trauma)
bookinitwithahtiya's review against another edition
4.5
I picked this up on a whim and briefly read the first few pages, which happen to be a conversation between Tarana Burke (the creator of the #MeToo movement) and Brené Brown. I appreciated the transcription of the conversation, as it sets clear intentions for the anthology. There is a wide range of professions represented, such as writers, entertainers, artists, activists, and more. There’s also mental health representation, specifically anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, as well as disability rep. Many of the contributors are also queer and/or trans. What I will say is that I would have liked more perspectives from men-identifying people, but that truly is my only critique. This anthology specifically deals with shame, and how shame is pushed upon Black people, especially those of intersecting identities, and the ways in which we process what we think should be shameful.
ndidier's review against another edition
5.0
I highly recommend taking your time with these stories. They are absolutely incredible. I also recommend looking each of these people’s social media profiles before or right after reading their excerpt!