Scan barcode
A review by marcella
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race by Jesmyn Ward
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
My favorite pieces in this collection were Lonely in America, Composite Pops, and Black and Blue (centered around walking).
Something sad about reading these is the way the authors talk about mobilizing and realizing and convincing the world that blm, etc. There's definitely more awareness around police brutality issues now (see: me), but there's also a huge faction of people who think a heavily armed, trigger happy police force is worth it for "safety", even when they recognize the disparate effects it has on poc, and will actively work against efforts to reduce said effects. These essays are a mix of hopeful and fearful and forward looking. I guess it's out of scope to write about media portrayals and reactionary movements and how people will turn against a movement because they literally interpret a slogan that represents a nuanced concept.
I had a bit of a hard time staying engaged with this, but I think it was a consequence of trying to read short essays during election week.
Black and Blue was my favorite; it's centered around the narrator's experiences walking through cities. He and I wander different places for different reasons, but I found it compelling to compare his experiences to mine.
Something sad about reading these is the way the authors talk about mobilizing and realizing and convincing the world that blm, etc. There's definitely more awareness around police brutality issues now (see: me), but there's also a huge faction of people who think a heavily armed, trigger happy police force is worth it for "safety", even when they recognize the disparate effects it has on poc, and will actively work against efforts to reduce said effects. These essays are a mix of hopeful and fearful and forward looking. I guess it's out of scope to write about media portrayals and reactionary movements and how people will turn against a movement because they literally interpret a slogan that represents a nuanced concept.
I had a bit of a hard time staying engaged with this, but I think it was a consequence of trying to read short essays during election week.
Black and Blue was my favorite; it's centered around the narrator's experiences walking through cities. He and I wander different places for different reasons, but I found it compelling to compare his experiences to mine.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality