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A review by jburkespraker
Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin
5.0
Every year, I choose a word as my intention for the year. This year‘s word is imagination. That’s why I chose Professor Benjamin’s Imagination as my bridge book for the year, the book I started in 2024 and finished in 2025.
Just over four hours and under 200 pages, imagination is a thoughtful exploration of not only our own imaginations, but how we as a society create imaginaries.
Benjamin‘s view of imagination is not inherently positive.
She examines the ways in which we’ve used our imaginations to harm, punish, incarcerate, and kill each other.
Yet ultimately her focus is getting us to society with abolition, equity, and
liberation at its core.
The book includes an appendix with questions that you can answer either individually or as a group. Not surprisingly one activity focuses on the concept of acorn that Octavia Butler uses parable of the sower.
Just over four hours and under 200 pages, imagination is a thoughtful exploration of not only our own imaginations, but how we as a society create imaginaries.
Benjamin‘s view of imagination is not inherently positive.
She examines the ways in which we’ve used our imaginations to harm, punish, incarcerate, and kill each other.
Yet ultimately her focus is getting us to society with abolition, equity, and
liberation at its core.
The book includes an appendix with questions that you can answer either individually or as a group. Not surprisingly one activity focuses on the concept of acorn that Octavia Butler uses parable of the sower.