Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name: A Biomythography by Audre Lorde

8 reviews

savvylit's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

Zami offers a captivating look at several unique and specific settings. The first is Lorde's experience growing up in Harlem as the child of strict immigrants during the 1940s. The second is a foray into an enclave of expats who fled the U.S. during the McCarthy/Red Scare era. The third is the lesbian social scene in New York City in the 1950s. All three of those settings and perspectives are endlessly fascinating on their own. But told in Lorde's characteristic sharp and lyrical voice, they are made even more engrossing.

In this memoir, Audre Lorde doesn't hold back. Rather, she shares all the details - good and bad. Lorde frankly discusses traumatic physical events sexual assaults and a brutal illegal abortion. She also beautifully and achingly describes the emotional aspects of her life: her difficult relationship with her mother, the loss of a close childhood friend, and, later, the crumbling of her first long-term relationship.

Overall, I really enjoyed learning about the early development of Audre Lorde's brilliant mind. After reading Zami, it became clear to me how Lorde's trifold outsider status (Black, lesbian, leftist) shaped her life and her writing. I am now very eagerly anticipating reading her essay collection, Sister Outsider, at some point in the near future!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Lesbophobia, and Toxic relationship

michaelion's review against another edition

emotional informative tense medium-paced

4.25

she, and i cannot stress this enough, just like me. fr. minus the dating white women. but the circumstances surrounding that and explanations? wow! she just like me! fr!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Ableism, Racial slurs, Child death, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Drug use, Abortion, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Self harm

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pedophilia, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Fatphobia, Outing, Infidelity, and Animal death

waytoomanybooks's review

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

I’m so grateful that I was assigned this book in my Contemporary Queer Literature class. I have been meaning to read the works of Audre Lorde for a while, and I’m so glad I finally read Zami. It contains some of the most beautiful, thoughtful, challenging, descriptive prose I’ve ever read. It’s both deeply personal and deeply relatable in many aspects. Lorde leaves no stone unturned as she looks back at her life in the 30s, 40s, and 50s. We learn lessons right alongside her, and she is an excellent teacher and storyteller. This is an absolute must-read for anyone who wants to know more about queer history, Black history, feminism, and so much more. Her deep-dives into intersectionality are invaluable. You won’t be able to put this book down.

Please heed all the many, many content warnings I and others have tagged. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, Abortion, Death, Fatphobia, Bullying, Classism, Infidelity, Grief, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Animal death, Child death, Homophobia, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Self harm, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, and Suicide attempt

lynnloveshobi's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Abandonment, Classism, Grief, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Death, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Self harm, Homophobia, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Animal death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Abortion, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Addiction

mmirjamm's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Rape

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, and Misogyny

zombiezami's review

adventurous emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Racism, Sexual content, Self harm, Sexism, Animal death, Death, Child abuse, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Grief, Classism, Blood, Alcoholism, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Misogyny

Moderate: Bullying, Ableism, Drug use, Mental illness, Cursing, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Infidelity, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Vomit, War, Trafficking, Cancer, and Slavery

Colorism

mandolevie's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Homophobia, Racism, Misogyny, Abortion, and Animal death

skudiklier's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Absolutely beautiful. I can't think of any nonfiction book I've highlighted/underlined so much in before. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time, and definitely want to read more of her work as soon as possible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness