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A review by battybookworm
Ceremonies by Essex Hemphill
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Both the essays and poetry in this collection were deeply moving. I don’t think I’ve fully engaged with a work that was written and discussing the aids crisis as it occurred. This should likely be something all people are educated in because some of the points and meaning in Hemphill’s works has thoroughly changed my perspective and outlook.
Discussion of death and illness persists throughout the book as well as homophobia. There are also frequent references to sex and male sex organs whether euphemistically or not.