*IGNORE REVIEWS FROM PEOPLE WHO DID NOT READ THE BOOK*
Will doesn't become a significant player until midway into chapter eight. By then, readers have *IGNORE REVIEWS FROM PEOPLE WHO DID NOT READ THE BOOK*
Will doesn't become a significant player until midway into chapter eight. By then, readers have walked through Jada's rough upbringing in Baltimore and her climb to steady work in Hollywood.
This book is about Jada's life. The love that her grandmother poured into her, her challenges with her mother, who spent a significant amount of Jada's childhood addicted to heroin, surviving on the rough streets of Baltimore, and of course, her experiences with acting and Hollywood. There was an episode on Red Table Talk where Jada's mother, Gammy, shared her previous addiction to heroin, so that wasn't a surprise. However, the depths of poverty and dysfunction Jada grew up in were a surprise that came with an ache as she talked, in detail, about how her young mind processed what protection and womanhood would mean for her. In one section of Chapter 2 (maybe Chapter 2), she tells a story of being violated by a man and how that moment provoked her to come across as hard so she wouldn't get played with.
There are so many layers of defensiveness and edge that she was cloaked in, and the way she describes it is similar to many Black girls and women whose space and body haven't been respected and protected. For many of us, the pressure to be the lone protector of ourselves requires a steady had and bitch face to deter those who want to test us. While it's often an effective protective measure, it's also consequential to our overall demeanor. Having to stay hard and clenched is exhausting. Still, for Jada, who would eventually become one few Black actors in Hollywood getting steady, decent work, it would be a requirement.
What was also interesting was the time she spent selling drugs. She wasn't just nickel and diming it either; sis was moving weight. Her experiences selling drugs in one of the country's most dangerous cities are told so candidly that it's easy to forget that she made it out of the hood.
Chapters are introduced and concluded with intimate dialogue with the reader, expanding on the chapter's theme and providing book recommendations and advice on navigating challenges related to the chapter.
I've been a Tupac fan since I was nine, so I cherish stories about him, especially ones that don't center east coast-west coast beef and his murder. Before anything else, he was an artist, a son, and a good friend to many, including Jada. The stories she tells about her friendship with Tupac reveal the young, vulnerable boy who's come up lacking care and resources, like Jada's. I knew they were close in Baltimore, but I was intrigued to learn how their friendship strengthened as they matured and made ways for themselves in Hollywood. That transition from Baltimore to Los Angeles ushers "Worthy" into the next chapter, Jada's adulthood.
Challenges with her mental health were at the core of Jada's journey of self-discovery. As she stumbled through chaos and vices throughout her youth, it seemed that maybe success would be the fill that would suppress her void. But, not even obscene wealth and A-list accolades could subside her depression. At this moment, the revelation is clear: there is no fix for mental health. Depression isn't impressed by our cars or our Emmys. This is a much-needed message, especially for Black women.
The Will chapters are sad in the sense that, while his inclusion in her life brought joy, wealth, and children, it also further complicated her relationship with herself, forcing her to disengage even more from her healing and self-discovery to "present" as half of a world-recognized power couple.
Spiritually speaking, sis was on a different wave, but I was here for it. I took notes when she talked about that special drink where she ran through the forest with the panther.
Ultimately, Worthy holds space for every marginalized gender, sharing some of the jewels she's learned in her fifty-plus years on earth while providing insight and resources on how we, too can get out of our way and lead with love.
I want to say that this was my favorite memoir of 2023, but I haven't read "Britney" yet. Regardless, this was beautifully written and deeply engaging. I'ma read it again.
I could tell by the time I got midway through this book that reviewing it was going to be tricky.
The premise of white Americans in Vietnam during the I could tell by the time I got midway through this book that reviewing it was going to be tricky.
The premise of white Americans in Vietnam during the war gave serious "Real (White) Housewives of Vietnam." At times, it's fun, even brow-raising, to glimpse into the lives of privileged women having to reimagine what luxury and fashion translate to in a third-world country. That angle alone intrigued me, eager to learn more about the protagonist, Tricia, and her completely opposite counterpart, Charlene. Tricia's passiveness with her husband and friends was exhausting but also relatable. Being forced to balance infertility and social standing during an era when respectability politics was the law of the land was pretty heartbreaking. It was through these challenges that Tricia was most captivating.
The expected cringe of white American women bobbling through a third-world country was a pity. Midway through the book, it felt as though the premise had gotten the best of itself and got stuck telling a reduced story of white women fighting boredom and keeping up with the Joneses in wartime Vietnam.
McDermott is masterful in her storytelling, able to string scenes and cultures together, delivering textured experiences that readers can feel. I'm convinced that I would be captivated by Alice McDermott's hand-written grocery list because of her way of dancing with words throughout "Absolution." Love or hate Tricia, she becomes a living, breathing human in the novel, one that offers an emotional testimony of infertility and belonging.
As the story unfolds, The contrast between Tricia, who's passive, and Charlene, a type-A leader, becomes central to the story. Even in the extreme tension of 1960s Vietnam, the lives of both women reflect the patriarchal domestic expectations along with do-gooder housewife attitudes of that time. While well-written and interesting, it's also a testament to the detachment of white people and the Indigenous lives they profit from.
It's a well-told story that aches for a deeper purpose to be told. Though all plots are reconciled by the end of the book, there's a feeling of longing in regard to the impact that Vietnamese life and culture had on the people who centered themselves on it for their own profit. It was interesting....more
My expectations were so high and Roxane exceeded them! It was a pleasure having access to all the New York Times and New Yorker articles that were hidMy expectations were so high and Roxane exceeded them! It was a pleasure having access to all the New York Times and New Yorker articles that were hidden behind paywalls ...more
• Correction: Parole and American Justice by Ben Austen The entire American judicial system is trash and needs to be thrown out. We know this. Yet, we • Correction: Parole and American Justice by Ben Austen The entire American judicial system is trash and needs to be thrown out. We know this. Yet, we rarely hear the voices that are most impacted. With “Correction,” victims are central to his literary dismantling of the American judicial system. Ben Austen intensely examines everything from the capitalist politics of “making bail” to the discriminatory to unfair parole procedures. I expected to have to process a lot of dense stats and historical references, but Austen’s writing style in “Correction” relied heavily on storytelling and state and federal procedures. It was easy to read and hard to put down....more
I'm a big Lucille Ball fan who's used to being disappointed. The three aspects that the media often focuses on tend to be the least interesting about I'm a big Lucille Ball fan who's used to being disappointed. The three aspects that the media often focuses on tend to be the least interesting about the Hollywood icon: her marriage to Desi Arnaz, "I Love Lucy," and being an older actress in the industry. "Lucille Ball Treasures" avoids the pitfalls in past Ball bios by centering on Lucille Ball, the tenacious talent, not just the star of the namesake sitcom.
I knew her beginnings were humble, but I didn't realize she was her family's breadwinner. It was inspiring to learn that, even while taking in the industry and failing to capitalize off a "big break," she was successful enough to provide for herself and her family. As an actor gearing up to get back into "the business," I loved reading about Ball's climb up the A-list ladder. There's a lot of valuable information covered about Hollywood standards and politics.
By the time "I Love Lucy" hit the silver screen, Lucille Ball was already forty years old and had been performing for more than two decades!
The book is filled with breathtaking photos, many of which I'd never seen before. Paired with the timeline of the biography, it sometimes felt as though the words and images aligned to tell a deeper, more textured story. "Lucille Ball Treasures" illuminates the impact that Lucille Ball left on the industry, as well as the ways that she and Desi Arnaz innovated thirty-minute situation comedy.
This book doesn't come out until 10/21/2023, but I've already pre-ordered my copy. It's a great coffee table book and you don't have to be a diehard fan to appreciate the writing and photographs....more
How does we hold space for people who aren’t willing to forgive? What does forgiveness look like for communities that were not offered restorative resHow does we hold space for people who aren’t willing to forgive? What does forgiveness look like for communities that were not offered restorative resolution? When does it become toxic to expect forgiveness? Real questions that are interrogated in “Failures for Forgiveness.”
Well-cited work that’s academic worthy, but readable enough to be accessible for the round-the-way girls. Examples cover pop culture, politics, and legal rulings, all which reflect a nuance in forgiveness that often goes overlooked and invalidated.
The South African apartheid, Joanne the Scammer, and “The Office” are among the spectrum of examples that examines what forgiveness looks like in communities that range workplace, family, and general societal relations.
A must read for social justice spaces and anyone who identifies as an ally for a group of marginalized people....more
This book is candid in its storytelling and accurate in how it captures Black women's experience. It’s well-cited without being too heavy, intimate wiThis book is candid in its storytelling and accurate in how it captures Black women's experience. It’s well-cited without being too heavy, intimate without exploiting our collective experience, and bold in it's calling out of everyone and every space that doesn’t honor our vulnerability and humanity.
“Corner” was an essay that cut deep, examining our experiences with street harassment and adultification.
The concept of the "Ride or Die" companion romanticizes selfless - often ill-advised loyalty. There's nothing romantic about unconditional dedication and servitude. And the ideology haunts Black women's well-being, finding its way into the workplace, places of worship, and our households. Hubbard illuminates how ride-or-die mentality appears in our lives and relationships and how we can dismantle the racial trope and divest from it.
Hubbard may be a professor, but she delivers truth like a true round the way girl, making “Ride or Die” as accessible to scholars as it is to the target audience, us. Have a highlighter and box of tissues on deck because parts demand meditation and pull at the heartstrings. Easily one of my new favorite Black feminist theory books....more
This is the BEST book out there that defined the fourth wave of womanism. EbonyJanice eloquently proves that ease, joy, and rest is liberation for BlaThis is the BEST book out there that defined the fourth wave of womanism. EbonyJanice eloquently proves that ease, joy, and rest is liberation for Black women and other Black marginalized genders. She does this effortlessly with compassion, wit, and humor. By combining personal storytelling with the occasional pop culture reference and reflections of Black culture, All the Black Girls are Activists takes what could have been a complex framework and makes it a relateable resource for every reader....more
Loading...
