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lottie1803's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
ericfheiman's review against another edition
5.0
Every white person should read “Color Coded,” every creative person should read “The Writing Class,” and, really, everybody should read this entire book.
How to Be an Antiracist, So You Want to Talk about Race, White Fragility and on down are getting all the press, but Of Color teaches more about race and class in its slim 112 pages than any of those still formidable books. Bolina is a poet, and this work is proof positive that we need more of his ilk writing about these topics.
How to Be an Antiracist, So You Want to Talk about Race, White Fragility and on down are getting all the press, but Of Color teaches more about race and class in its slim 112 pages than any of those still formidable books. Bolina is a poet, and this work is proof positive that we need more of his ilk writing about these topics.
amontan's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, drop everything and go read this book. These essays perfectly capture the sentiment that two warring things/feelings/thoughts/philosophies can exist in the same space/body at the same time. These essays perfectly capture the hypocrisies of our (read: white and American) existence. This collection is one that made me think often: "yes, that's it; that's exactly what I haven't been able to articulate."
starnosedmole's review against another edition
5.0
Bolina, a poet, shares his experiences with race in America in this collection of autobiographical essays. He describes his frustrations as an artist who wants to write about things other than race but that acclaim might be easier if he centered his identity as a POC in his work. He describes striving to pass as tanned rather than Indian in Miami, wrestling with urges to assimilate and shame for having these desires.
Bolina is a gifted essayist, no word goes wasted. I will definitely be looking into his poetry.
Bolina is a gifted essayist, no word goes wasted. I will definitely be looking into his poetry.
jessferg's review against another edition
4.0
It's easy to tell from these essays that Bolina is a poet (and not just because he tells you he is.) The language of these essays is beautiful. It also, interestingly, illustrates some of Bolina's points by engaging the reader in a "non-threatening" way: ie: using "academic" English, as does his use of self-reflection to point out our own hypocrisies and prejudices.
I don't know that either of these things were intentional, but after reading Bolina's insights on assimilation, it's hard not to see it.
Of Color is a small book but like all writing about difficult topics it demands to be read slowly and allowed to percolate.
Definitely a book to share and recommend.
I don't know that either of these things were intentional, but after reading Bolina's insights on assimilation, it's hard not to see it.
Of Color is a small book but like all writing about difficult topics it demands to be read slowly and allowed to percolate.
Definitely a book to share and recommend.
yoliesbookdates's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
giovannigf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0