Notes from No Man's Land

[Katie]

Eula Biss discusses racial issues and the effect that they had in forming her identity. She dissects the various areas she has lived in and experiences she had. She observes the behavior of others in these environments and how she was treated. To better understand these situations she researches past cultural conflicts and injustices. It was informative and interesting learning about the injustices against particular ethnic groups. While it was informative it was frustrating to read at times. She discusses personal information but it never feels complete. I would have liked more information on why she choose to live the places she lived and the jobs she choose.

[Bryna]

I agree. I would have liked to learn more about Eula Biss that wasn't tied down by race and guilt. I think it could have added something to the book to make it less frustrating to read. It's as if her goal for this book was to make people squirm.