LRRC Week 14
I didn't intentionally pick two books this week by Black authors, it just kind of happened that way, but whatever! If you haven't figured it out yet, I don't exactly plan out this schedule; it's based entirely around whether or not something I had at the library has come due or not (and if I've had a book sitting around for too long).
#27: A PHOENIX FIRST MUST BURN ed. Patrice Caldwell
Reviewing anthologies like this is always a little bit tricky, because there's always going to be stories you like more than others. However, on the whole, I thought that this anthology was really strong and really well-done; a mix of authors that I already knew and enjoyed, and authors I'd never heard of before (and now want to read more of, which is always the best part of these short story anthologies!)
Plus, of course, it's always really cool to see an anthology made up almost entirely of women of colour (I believe one of the contributors is non-binary), and clearly with so many of them pulling from their heritage to craft these stories. This anthology is pervaded with raw emotion, from anger and pain to joy and love, even though all the stories took a different approach.
My favourite short stories were Letting the Right One In by Patrice Caldwell, When Life Hands You A Lemon Fruitbomb by Amerie, and Melie by Justina Ireland.
#28: HOOD FEMINISM by Mikki Kendall
Is this the first non-fiction book I've done for this challenge? I think so. Anyway, I've followed and been a fan of Mikki Kendall on twitter for years, and I was pretty excited when she announced this book. And it didn't disappoint!
I'm not sure that anything in this book was like, a revelation, but I don't think it has to be. It's been a few years since my bachelor's, when I was reading a lot more feminist work for school, but I think that gave me a really solid foundation, and following lots of good thinkers/writers on twitter only helps that. Still, it's nice to see things all laid out like this, with a clear throughline, and distinct recent examples.
In particular, I think Kendall does a really great job of tying together multiple different intersectionalities, and examining the complex ways different marginalizations interact. She makes really good justifications for why things like poverty and housing need to be considered feminist issues, and how we as feminists should be doing a better job to radically transform society, rather than just slightly improve it for a few people (mainly white cis middle/upper class women). I was already on this train, so I didn't really need convincing, but it's still good to have the reminder.
NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA:
#29: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
#30: Jade War by Fonda Lee