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228 books
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“An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way.”
―
―
“Like any artist without an art form, she became dangerous.”
― Sula
― Sula
“Sadly, the signals that allow men and women to find the partners who most please them are scrambled by the sexual insecurity initiated by beauty thinking. A woman who is self-conscious can't relax to let her sensuality come into play. If she is hungry she will be tense. If she is "done up" she will be on the alert for her reflection in his eyes. If she is ashamed of her body, its movement will be stilled. If she does not feel entitled to claim attention, she will not demand that airspace to shine in. If his field of vision has been boxed in by "beauty"--a box continually shrinking--he simply will not see her, his real love, standing right before him.”
― The Beauty Myth
― The Beauty Myth
“Right. I look fine. Except I don't,' said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki had dreaded having girls: she knew she wouldn't be able to protect them from self-disgust. To that end she had tried banning television in the early years, and never had a lipstick or a woman's magazine crossed the threshold of the Belsey home to Kiki's knowledge, but these and other precautionary measures had made no difference. It was in the air, or so it seemed to Kiki, this hatred of women and their bodies-- it seeped in with every draught in the house; people brought it home on their shoes, they breathed it in off their newspapers. There was no way to control it.”
― On Beauty
― On Beauty
“If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery--isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you'll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you're going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It's the only good fight there is.”
― What Matters Most is How Well You Walk Through the Fire
― What Matters Most is How Well You Walk Through the Fire
Caribbean Readers
— 645 members
— last activity Jan 03, 2026 04:27AM
This group is for readers who enjoy (or would like to learn more about) works by writers from the Caribbean and its diaspora... All languages welcome. ...more
Afro Literature
— 134 members
— last activity Sep 15, 2014 09:36AM
A forum for discussion of Literary Fiction by African Americans. The Aim is to spread the word about new and old authors of African or African America ...more
Literary Fiction by People of Color
— 13224 members
— last activity Feb 23, 2026 10:44PM
This can include genre fiction that is literary (e.g. speculative fiction, historical fiction, etc.), as long as it's written by a person of color (Af ...more
Ask Holly Grigg-Spall about Sweetening the Pill
— 10 members
— last activity Aug 20, 2013 03:06PM
'Sweetening the Pill or How We Got Hooked on Hormonal Birth Control' is out Sept 7 with Zero Books. Here I welcome any questions or queries readers ma ...more
Izzy’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Izzy’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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