A review by tensy
This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America by Morgan Jerkins

3.0

My feelings are mixed about this essay collection by Morgan Jerkins, a 25-year-old, black, female writer. As in most essay collections some chapters are stronger than others. Jerkins is an accomplished young woman with a degree from Princeton, an MFA in creative writing from Bennington, and she's a polyglot, speaking several languages fluently. In these essays, she tries to explore the intersection of being black and female. I'm not sure she succeeds in her goal. I think this book is an honest and brave memoir which depicts her experiences growing up and navigating life after college. Some of her views about men and marriage do not equate to a feminist point of view and are very unique to her religious background and disposition. However, she regularly makes leaps and generalizations connecting her experiences to that of all black women. There are plenty of interesting observations in this book, and I admire her willingness to describe painful moments in her life, but I must have missed what all the buzz is about in this collection. She certainly has potential, so I look forward to her growth as a writer. [Trigger warning: certain chapters are quite sexually explicit which some may find difficult to read.]