Book No. 58 of 2020
This is one of those books I describe as “funny but real”—an entertaining collection of essays that are unapologetically direct about privilege and identity and life. I’d recommend even if we weren’t in a cultural moment where people are scrambling to read more Black authors, but since we are, I’m officially telling you that this is worth the read, especially if you’re intimidated by the types of books that come with worksheets.
I laughed at loud at Young’s quips, and I was also really struck by his pieces reflecting on being (quite understandably) the target of internet outrage, on the specific anxieties that came with seeing the first Black president elected, and the things he plans on teaching his infant daughter. As with all writing by Black authors I read, there were passages about whiteness and being an “other” that, for me, NAILED the things I feel, as well as passages specifically about being Black that I had zero experience with, thus proving, as always, that racial identity and privilege in America is not a binary system. I also found Young’s writing on masculinity, and how it gets wrapped up with racial identity, really insightful.
Similar Reads
The “funny but real” memoir vibe reminded me strongly of Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime.
Aspects of the humor and structure reminded me of Ali Wong’s Dear Girls.
The funny-relatable energy reminded me of Samantha Irby’s Wow, No Thank You.
Some of the topics, and the directness with which Young writes, reminded me of Lindy West’s The Witches Are Coming.