Book Recommendation: Whatever Happened to Interracial Love?
Grace Xu, 2T3 MAM
Why would you recommend this book? What did you like about it?
Honestly, probably one of the most beautifully written pieces I have ever read. Kathleen Collins has such a distinct style of writing - simple and rhythmic. Though she is ferociously adventurous with the form of her short stories, her tone consistently grounds this group together as a collection. In that sweet spot between prose and poetry, Collins is able to swing wildly between mundane details of reality and abstract tensions of life. Some of her pieces are deliciously short, near unfinished, humming with a sort of raw energy that would have been erased with polishing. This fearlessness rings true in the content and characters of her stories too (often only formed as vignettes, but fully complete in their own right). She never shies away from explicit subject matter; her stories are full of a sensuality that is surprisingly delicate yet almost audibly buzzing with electricity. She not only explores the complex nuances of race (as promised in the title), but also deftly weaves in commentary on culture, ritual, and class. My favourite stories: Exteriors, Only Once, and of course, the namesake itself.
What is your favourite quote?
“His white face floats in a sea of black protest. It is a time that calls forth the most picturesque of metaphors, for we are swimming along in the mythical underbelly of America... there where it is soft and prickly, where you may rub your nose against the grainy sands of illusion and come up bleeding.”
Anything else you’d like us to know?
Bell Hooks is another amazing black female author whose writing pairs well with the book I recommended!!
