This is a brutal, visceral, powerful collection of essays about rape culture. It was hard to read--not only because of the subject matter--but because of the way it lays bare how prevalent rape, sexual assault, and misogyny are in every facet of American (and global) life. The #metoo movement has already made this abundantly clear, but... Continue Reading →
In the past few years, I've been reading a lot of books about race, and something I've noticed is that, for me, it's usually the books that aren't aimed at white audiences that are the most powerful. I enjoyed So You Want to Talk About Race (which isn't necessarily written for white people, but certainly... Continue Reading →
These essays, for me, were a mixed bag--mostly excellent, occasionally uninspiring. I loved Irby's unapologetic and no-bullshit attitude. I loved her directness, her dry wit, and her honesty. I loved the way she refused to glorify or romanticize her life and her experiences, while at the same time affirming that her life matters, that she... Continue Reading →
I love Marilynne Robinson's fiction, but I probably should have bothered to find out more about this book before picking it up, because, while there were moments of illumination, a lot of this book was over my head. Or, more accurately, I didn't care enough about the subject matter to do the work it would... Continue Reading →
Scaachi Koul's debut essay collection, One Day We'll All Be Dead And None Of This Will Matter, is funny, biting, warm, insightful, and curious. It was an utter delight to listen to on audio, a perfect blend of humor and depth. Despite dealing with serious issues, the overall tone is mostly light and jubilant. And though... Continue Reading →
In this short essay-in-parts (you can read it in one sitting!), Lahiri explores the relationship between books and their covers. It's utterly fascinating. I'd not given much thought to the nature of book covers beyond "sometimes I like them and sometimes I don't." But with insight and grace, Lahiri proves there's a lot more to... Continue Reading →
I have never been much of a reader of essays, and yet in 2018 I have already read eight essay collections and anthologies. Most recently, I finished Zadie Smith's Feel Free, which collects a wide variety of previously published and unpublished essays from the last decade or so. The range of subjects she explores is... Continue Reading →
Radical Hope is a collection of letters--to ancestors, children, strangers, and friends--written in the wake of the 2016 election. The collection includes work from 31 diverse writers, and their voices represent the best of America. The book is divided into three sections. "Roots" addresses the past, and includes letters mostly written to ancestors, grandparents, and... Continue Reading →
This Will Be My Undoing is a powerful blend of memoir, cultural critique, self-reflection, and celebration. Jerkins explores the experience of black girlhood and womanhood through a kaleidoscope of lenses. She writes frankly about sex, relationships, and dating, and the intersection of blackness and womanhood and sexuality. She writes eloquently about the various spaces she's... Continue Reading →
Smart, fierce, scathing, and revelatory, Bad Feminist is one of those rare books that manages to be fun, funny and serious all at the same time. What I loved most was Gay's examination of contradictions--in herself and what she loves, and in the world at large. She gives herself permission to be a complicated, contradictory, whole,... Continue Reading →
