In celebration of Black History Month, we’ll be highlighting a diverse range of books, all written by Black American authors, all of which celebrate and prioritize Black Joy. We’ll be featuring a title every day through the month of February.
Kleaver Cruz, creator of the Black Joy project, says that “Black joy is resistance. Amplifying Black joy is not about dismissing or creating an ‘alternative’ Black narrative that ignores the realities of our collective pain; rather, it is about holding the pain and injustices we experience as Black folks around the world in tension with the joy we experience in pain’s midst. It’s about using that joy as an entry into understanding the oppressive forces we navigate through as a means to imagine and create a world free of them.”
Today’s work is Samantha Irby’s Wow, No Thank You, a collection of essays that should not be read (or listened to) while eating, drinking, running or doing anything that might be impeded by constant laughter because, reader, I tried and almost choked. From advice on marriage, to why you were lucky if Portishead was on your ’90s mix tape, to how to get ready for a night out as you approach your 40s, Irby’s work is visceral, hilarious, self-deprecating and yet kind. Check out the audiobook (narrated by the author herself!), on Libby – just finish that snack first!
Stay tuned for a new book tomorrow!