I am caucasian--or as my daughter says "peach".
I have privilege, and I am very much aware of it.
I did not rage like people with black skin at the death of Treyvon Martin, but I did indeed rage.
I did not weep the way my friends with black skin wept at the deaths of Eric Garner and people too numerous to name, but I did indeed rage.
So when a friend suggested I read Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, I bought it on Audible and waited.
Today I listened to it.
It blew my mind.
I felt so very many emotions.
Shame.
Discomfort.
Awe-struck.
This is a brilliant piece of work. It won numerous awards last year and deserved every one of them. It is not an easy read. It is not comfortable. But it is important.
I highly recommend it.
Now I ask--what books have you read that made you uncomfortable? Do you recommend them or not?
Josh just read this, so we own it. I will have to give it a read. I'm trying to think of a book that made me uncomfortable. It's usually something like American Psycho that I would never recommend to another human being. I get more uncomfortable when, as the reader, I don't feel as if the author actually wants me as their audience.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading "Waking Up White" and it's very uncomfortable to read a book that turns the mirror on yourself.
ReplyDeleteI totally recommend it.