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A review by lit_laugh_luv
Coexistence: Stories by Billy-Ray Belcourt
4.0
This is my third read from Belcourt and potentially my favourite - a real solid collection of stories without any notable misses. Some of the concepts and delivery are abstract, but the writing is beautiful and profound.
Coexistence is a deeply personal collection about life for modern Indigenous people in Canada. Collective memory and grief underpin the experiences of these characters, and the titular theme of coexistence is central to each story. In some stories it takes a more literal interpretation, but the explorations of the insidious underbelly of generational trauma is where it truly shines. Belcourt notes that for Indigenous people, the past and present will always coexist - there is no way to ignore the long and ongoing violence of colonialism. My favourite line is “For whom is violence sad, and for whom is it a brutal inneritance?”.
I love everything Belcourt writes, but I think this might be my favourite yet. Every story is an act of rebellion, of reclamation, and truly a piece of art. Queer men in particular will definitely relate to several stories in this, but the intersection of Indigeneity and queerness highlight how stark and apparent injustice and racism still are in Canada.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for sending me an early copy - Coexistence releases May 21st, 2024 and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Coexistence is a deeply personal collection about life for modern Indigenous people in Canada. Collective memory and grief underpin the experiences of these characters, and the titular theme of coexistence is central to each story. In some stories it takes a more literal interpretation, but the explorations of the insidious underbelly of generational trauma is where it truly shines. Belcourt notes that for Indigenous people, the past and present will always coexist - there is no way to ignore the long and ongoing violence of colonialism. My favourite line is “For whom is violence sad, and for whom is it a brutal inneritance?”.
I love everything Belcourt writes, but I think this might be my favourite yet. Every story is an act of rebellion, of reclamation, and truly a piece of art. Queer men in particular will definitely relate to several stories in this, but the intersection of Indigeneity and queerness highlight how stark and apparent injustice and racism still are in Canada.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for sending me an early copy - Coexistence releases May 21st, 2024 and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.