Scan barcode
thechanelmuse's review
5.0
"You think your pain and heartbreak are unprecedented in this world, but then you read." Those are the words of the late great James Baldwin.
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race is a raw, thought-provoking anthology of writings by historians, essayists, novelists, and poets that take you on personal journeys through the modern-day Black American experience, and uncovers chilling, historic findings from the past that carry into the present. It's the commitment to remain unapologetic and hopeful despite generational pain. Like Jesmyn Ward says, "What Baldwin understood is that to be black in America is to have the demand for dignity be at absolute odds with the national anthem."
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race is a raw, thought-provoking anthology of writings by historians, essayists, novelists, and poets that take you on personal journeys through the modern-day Black American experience, and uncovers chilling, historic findings from the past that carry into the present. It's the commitment to remain unapologetic and hopeful despite generational pain. Like Jesmyn Ward says, "What Baldwin understood is that to be black in America is to have the demand for dignity be at absolute odds with the national anthem."
bibliobrandie's review against another edition
5.0
Read this a second time for a staff book club and it was just as amazing as I had remembered. Every essay gave us so much to discuss.
mnqmariah's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
alittlebird's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
4.0
Highlights:
The Weight
White Rage
Black & Blue
Blacker Than Thou
Know Your Rights
Message to My Daughters
I'm not really sure how the bioessentialist "Composite Pops" slipped into the collection, but it had me return to previous essays in the collection with far more scrutiny than was ultimately fair. It definitely pumped my brakes on what was otherwise a masterful collection. I feel like I need to reread hook's "The Will to Change" to get the taste out of my mouth.
With the ways masculinity often shutters the emotional side of men and the ways fathers often withhold showing their love towards their sons and how that creates distrust and devalues the mothers’ love (which is easier to obtain), maybe our message should be one of loving as political action and living authentically.
The Weight
White Rage
Black & Blue
Blacker Than Thou
Know Your Rights
Message to My Daughters
I'm not really sure how the bioessentialist "Composite Pops" slipped into the collection, but it had me return to previous essays in the collection with far more scrutiny than was ultimately fair. It definitely pumped my brakes on what was otherwise a masterful collection. I feel like I need to reread hook's "The Will to Change" to get the taste out of my mouth.
With the ways masculinity often shutters the emotional side of men and the ways fathers often withhold showing their love towards their sons and how that creates distrust and devalues the mothers’ love (which is easier to obtain), maybe our message should be one of loving as political action and living authentically.
heidipolkissa82's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
jwest87's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
whatcandicereads's review against another edition
5.0
“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but you read.”
It’s a story of trials, loss, pain, and suffering. It’s a story of strength, redemption, and revolution. Wow, this book is definitely a must read for young adults or anyone really, those of us who find ourselves attempting to navigate this political world. I very rarely write book reviews, but this one warranted something. It is a great reminder of the power of individual narratives and seemed to chronicle my thoughts, experiences, and opinions, as I navigated the killings of our unarmed black boys and girls, the rise of our first Black President and more. As we move forward, this book is an empowering reminder of where we have been, where we are going, and where we can be.
It’s a story of trials, loss, pain, and suffering. It’s a story of strength, redemption, and revolution. Wow, this book is definitely a must read for young adults or anyone really, those of us who find ourselves attempting to navigate this political world. I very rarely write book reviews, but this one warranted something. It is a great reminder of the power of individual narratives and seemed to chronicle my thoughts, experiences, and opinions, as I navigated the killings of our unarmed black boys and girls, the rise of our first Black President and more. As we move forward, this book is an empowering reminder of where we have been, where we are going, and where we can be.
searobin's review against another edition
4.0
As with all anthologies, some were amazing, some were less than stellar. It was definitely good on the whole.