Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery

by Shay Youngblood

Book by Youngblood, Shay

45 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Georgia born writer Shay Youngblood is author of the novels Black Girl in Paris and Soul Kiss (Riverhead Books) and a collection of short fiction, The Big Mama Stories (Firebrand Books). Her plays Amazing Grace, Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery and Talking Bones, (Dramatic Publishing Company), have been widely produced. Her other plays include Black Power Barbie and Communism Killed My Dog. She completed a radio play, Explain Me the Blues for WBGO Public Radio's Jazz Play Series, featuring Odetta and the music of Olu Dara. The recipient of numerous grants and awards including a Pushcart Prize for fiction, a Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, an Edward Albee honoree, several NAACP Theater Awards, an Astraea Writers' Award for fiction and a 2004 New York Foundation for the Arts Sustained Achievement Award.

Ms. Youngblood graduated from Clark-Atlanta University and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Brown University. Her fiction, articles and essays have been published in Oprah magazine, Good Housekeeping, Black Book and Essence magazines among others. She has worked as a Peace Corp Volunteer in the Eastern Caribbean, an Au Pair, Artist's Model, and Poet's Helper in Paris and Creative Writing instructor in a Rhode Island Women's Prison. She is a board member of both Yaddo artists' colony and the Author's Guild. She has taught Creative Writing at NYU and was the 2002-03 John and Renee Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi. She is
currently Writer in Residence at Texas A&M University.

Reviews

[Martin Denton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery is a joyous, exuberant play about a young woman's coming of age. It tells the story of an African-American girl and the amazing wise women who raised her. It's structured as a series of reminiscences by Daughter (as she is called), now herself grown up into a smart, self-sufficient young woman; returning from the funeral of the last of her surrogate "mamas," she recalls moments from her childhood, especially the sage advice passed down to her by this remarkable circle of ladies who helped shape her. First and foremost is Big Mama, tough, pious, and pragmatic, guided by faith and common sense to lead a good and proper life. Daughter lives with Big Mama and with her sister Mae Frances, a spirited purveyor of homemade liquor who dallies with local gentlemen at her "factory" every Sunday afternoon.

The other, equally colorful characters remembered with affection by Daughter include Miss Lamama, a loving mountain of a woman with a gift for storytelling; Miss Corrine, a hard-working, lusty lady who runs a beauty shop in her kitchen; Miss Mary, an exotic woman of Caribbean origin who sees the future in her dreams; Miss Tom, a carpenter who lives with another woman named Miss Lily and teaches Daughter about different kinds of love; and Miss Rosa, the dour local undertaker. All provide Daughter with a family unit of love, encouragement, comfort, and advice: whatever their own differences (and they have these aplenty), they are united in their commitment to bring Daughter up right.

The anecdotes that comprise the play are alternately funny, sad, magical, and touching, revealing the hearts and souls of a generation of women whose lives, though difficult, were led with dignity, pride, and courage.

[Aaron Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is sweet. I liked it.

[Gabie (OwlEyesReviews) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love stories that follow people over the years of their life :)