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A review by nunnabunny
The Empathy Exams: Essays by Leslie Jamison
2.75
Some of the essays, especially those that were closer to the author’s own experience, were thought provoking and interestingly said. I particularly liked the first and last essays. I would have given those alone 5 stars.
Like other reviews have mentioned, it is a bit jarring to see empathy for people from a different racial and economic background amount to little more than her guilt about having things they did not. I think I especially picked up on this reading Creep by Myriam Gurba at the same time. Comparing the way the two authors spoke about Didion is helpful. Gurba gives us a nuanced understanding of the racism in Didion’s work, while Jamison seems to quote her to show us how she came to see Bolivia. I think for the collection to truly explore empathy, Jamison would need to try to perceive the numerous Latin American countries she mentions outside of her narrow lens. She seems aware of the issues with her framing but unwilling to do the work to frame things another way.
Like other reviews have mentioned, it is a bit jarring to see empathy for people from a different racial and economic background amount to little more than her guilt about having things they did not. I think I especially picked up on this reading Creep by Myriam Gurba at the same time. Comparing the way the two authors spoke about Didion is helpful. Gurba gives us a nuanced understanding of the racism in Didion’s work, while Jamison seems to quote her to show us how she came to see Bolivia. I think for the collection to truly explore empathy, Jamison would need to try to perceive the numerous Latin American countries she mentions outside of her narrow lens. She seems aware of the issues with her framing but unwilling to do the work to frame things another way.