Literary Fiction by People of Color discussion
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Buddy Read: No Ashes in the Fire
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Wiki:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darne...
Unbound:
W/Brittney Cooper, Marc Lamont Hill and others...
https://youtu.be/UevEZle7rFk
NY Journal of Books review:
https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book...
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Passage June 22nd
Camden’s flames
Ripples June 24th
Boo Boo’s flames (of another sort)
Hi y'all! Flipped back through to remember my reactions to the Prologue, and I think one thing that struck me was the great desire Moore has to share and uplift the people around him through his narrative—his family, his Camden community, disenfranchised QTPOC, etc. Moore is telling his specific story, but also recognizing that "this story is not new. And my story is not unique."
I've read a handful of memoirs this year, both by white and (Q)POC authors, and I think this desire to speak for more than yourself is very specific to the latter group. While reading When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, I noticed that Patrice Khan-Cullors, another author/activist, exhibited the same urge to share the life experiences more than just herself.
This was STRIKINGLY different than Ariel Levy's navel-gazing in The Rules Do Not Apply, or even Leslie Jamison's mostly failed attempts at universality in The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath.
Has anyone else found this phenomenon (memoirs from queer and/or POC folks seeming to put the whole team on their backs), or am I overreacting?
I'm picking this up from the library tomorrow, and plan to start reading it soon so I can participate in this conversation!
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Great! It’s very readable if you know what I mean, Ifeyinwa. You start reading and it just flows. Even though some of the material is difficult.
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“I knew writing an honest memoir would require me to tell the truth about my life, which has been full of hostility and splendor. Discovering the difference between what’s true and all the lies one comes to believe requires a direct confrontation with the past.”
I liked that statement a lot.
What I like about this book and is quite different from many memoirs I’ve read, is that he doesn’t use “imagined” dialogue in the scenes. Some authors will neglect to use a disclaimer that full scenes described in the book may not be as they really are. I think it’s why many people dislike reading memoirs. It just comes off inauthentic. The fact that you can recall a full five page conversation at the tender age of four. I might call it the James Frey effect.
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Flipped back through to remember my reactions to the Prologue, and I think one thing that struck me was the great desire Moore has to share and uplift the people around him through his ..."
I must read that Patrice Khan-Cullors book. I’ve heard some awesome things about it. I’ve also heard really good things about I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness. Particularly the first essay, White People Are Exhausting.
Oh, and wouldn’t you know, The TERRIBLE arrived in the mail yesterday.
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Mr. Moore introduces us to Camden, NJ and also his family in this chapter. Particularly, his maternal grandparents, Jean and George. Both the city and his family will play a vital role throughout this book. His grandfather most profoundly.
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There’s a lot of abuse in this chapter. Darnell’s father nicknamed Boo Boo is very abusive to his mother. This is really difficult to read.
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Happy Pride!🏳️🌈
Literary Fiction by People of Color
Books mentioned in this topic
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness (other topics)When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir (other topics)
The Rules Do Not Apply (other topics)
The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath (other topics)
No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America (other topics)
The book discussion will begin on Wednesday, June 20th.