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Heidi's Reviews > Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business
Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business
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I usually adore Roxane Gay’s essay collections and narrative nonfiction. Bad Feminist and Hunger are two of my all-time favorite nonfiction books. However, I struggled with this collection for a few reasons.
First, it feels like a lot of essays in this collection represent conversations that were happening a few years ago, but the discussion has moved on from that point. For example, there were a lot of essays about the 2016 and 2020 election cycles which, while relevant, feel locked in a perspective that is slightly dated now that we’re already turning toward the 2024 election cycle. Unfortunately, due to the frenetic nature of our news cycle, pieces that were published in The New York Times in 2020 may not be as timely. This is especially true in relationship to politics, as Biden has increasingly come under well-needed scrutiny for his actions in Palestine and more and more people are beginning to realize that the “pick the lesser of two evils” and “just vote” mentality is not sufficient to address the many pressing issues of our time.
Second, I felt like the analysis in these collections was only surface-level. I think that’s because many of these articles were published in newspapers with a specific word count. I much prefer the longer essays in other collections, like Bad Feminist, where Roxane Gay really delved into thoughtful analysis. It felt like I was barely getting into an essay before it ended and I was left wanting more.
Third, the final sections about TV and pop icons (particularly musicians) lost me because I just wasn’t that interested. I found her cultural criticism and social justice essays far more riveting, but that’s mostly because I personally don’t follow much TV or music. That’s definitely a me thing, and you might really enjoy those essays.
I will read more from Roxane Gay in the future—of course!—because she’s an excellent writer, but I hope to see her return to form in another essay collection where the pieces have room to breathe and the content is a bit more timely.
First, it feels like a lot of essays in this collection represent conversations that were happening a few years ago, but the discussion has moved on from that point. For example, there were a lot of essays about the 2016 and 2020 election cycles which, while relevant, feel locked in a perspective that is slightly dated now that we’re already turning toward the 2024 election cycle. Unfortunately, due to the frenetic nature of our news cycle, pieces that were published in The New York Times in 2020 may not be as timely. This is especially true in relationship to politics, as Biden has increasingly come under well-needed scrutiny for his actions in Palestine and more and more people are beginning to realize that the “pick the lesser of two evils” and “just vote” mentality is not sufficient to address the many pressing issues of our time.
Second, I felt like the analysis in these collections was only surface-level. I think that’s because many of these articles were published in newspapers with a specific word count. I much prefer the longer essays in other collections, like Bad Feminist, where Roxane Gay really delved into thoughtful analysis. It felt like I was barely getting into an essay before it ended and I was left wanting more.
Third, the final sections about TV and pop icons (particularly musicians) lost me because I just wasn’t that interested. I found her cultural criticism and social justice essays far more riveting, but that’s mostly because I personally don’t follow much TV or music. That’s definitely a me thing, and you might really enjoy those essays.
I will read more from Roxane Gay in the future—of course!—because she’s an excellent writer, but I hope to see her return to form in another essay collection where the pieces have room to breathe and the content is a bit more timely.
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