You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by readbyryan
This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America by Morgan Jerkins
5.0
This book made me uncomfortable. Jerkins, a young black woman, wrote this collection of frank essays about “living at the intersection of black, female, and feminist in (white) America.” These are not easy conversations to have, and certainly the author doesn’t shy from these conversations and welcomes them. This book made me uncomfortable because I was forced to confront my ignorance and challenge some assumptions I had. This book confronted me with the truth about how difficult it is to be a black woman in the United States. Readers are not placed in this uncomfortable zone alone. Through this book, Jerkins challenges herself about what it means to be a black woman and examines her role as a cis-gender, able-bodied woman. She challenges here femininity and feminism with candor about her body and sexuality.
•
From the beginning, this book challenged what I thought and what I thought I knew. I learned of the difference between the hair of black and white women. I never thought of the chemicals, pain, and time that went into smoothing and straightening the hair of a black woman. Never have I been confronted with the sensitivity of hair, the resistance to allow even lovers to touch it.
•
I would not tell people they should read this book. Instead, I would take a physical copy and shove it in their hands and force them to read the second essay in the book, “How to be Docile,” written in list form, speaking directly to the reader. I would hand this book to another and make an appointment to follow up to talk about “A Hunger for Men’s Eyes” and what it takes to be a woman in this culture.
•
I saw the author speak at Kepler’s books and the seriousness of her essays was made more striking by her youth and poise. This honesty was not undercut but enhanced by her confidence and sense of humor when talking about serious topics. I believe Jerkins will have many poignant books in her future and as quoted by Roxane Gay on the front of her book she is “a writer to be reckoned with.”
•
Russell and I saw Ms. Jerkins in conversation at Kepler’s books yesterday at a wonderful event. I think this is a book everyone should read. I hope people are picking this up, and it seems like many are based on the attendance yesterday and that this book went immediately on best seller lists. • Trade Paperback & Audiobook • Nonfiction - Essays • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Recommended by Russell. • Purchased at Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park.▪️
•
From the beginning, this book challenged what I thought and what I thought I knew. I learned of the difference between the hair of black and white women. I never thought of the chemicals, pain, and time that went into smoothing and straightening the hair of a black woman. Never have I been confronted with the sensitivity of hair, the resistance to allow even lovers to touch it.
•
I would not tell people they should read this book. Instead, I would take a physical copy and shove it in their hands and force them to read the second essay in the book, “How to be Docile,” written in list form, speaking directly to the reader. I would hand this book to another and make an appointment to follow up to talk about “A Hunger for Men’s Eyes” and what it takes to be a woman in this culture.
•
I saw the author speak at Kepler’s books and the seriousness of her essays was made more striking by her youth and poise. This honesty was not undercut but enhanced by her confidence and sense of humor when talking about serious topics. I believe Jerkins will have many poignant books in her future and as quoted by Roxane Gay on the front of her book she is “a writer to be reckoned with.”
•
Russell and I saw Ms. Jerkins in conversation at Kepler’s books yesterday at a wonderful event. I think this is a book everyone should read. I hope people are picking this up, and it seems like many are based on the attendance yesterday and that this book went immediately on best seller lists. • Trade Paperback & Audiobook • Nonfiction - Essays • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Recommended by Russell. • Purchased at Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park.▪️