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A review by nacirema
Queer and Trans Artists of Color: Stories of Some of Our Lives by Nia King
5.0
A fantastic series of interviews, this book is a stellar read for artists and academics.
Each essay is a transcript of an interview that lead-editor Nia King conducted for her podcast series with different queer and/or trans artists of color, and the selections have been curated masterfully. While certain themes continually appear throughout the book (the prevailing white supremacy of academia, the importance of making the transition to paid artist, etc.), each interview subject gives their own unique spin on the issues. Nia also skillfully conducts each interview, making the speaker feel comfortable divulging stories of their art life and experiences, including in many cases, several delightful tangents and anecdotes that serve to illustrate the themes of the collection.
Because each chapter is a different transcript, this also makes the book a very easy read, which is meant entirely as a compliment. The transcripts, by nature, take on a conversational tone, and as someone used to reading screenplays, any instance of, essentially, dialog simply reads faster for me. I was able to absorb and underline with exceptional clarity the entire way through book.
Many of the stories are powerful, and while I did not want to put the book down, I found myself needing a break after certain chapters simply because of the passionate subject matter. I would definitely recommend this book to other minority artists, as well as anyone who wants a better grasp on the experiences of QTPOCs who are striving to make their art seen and their voices heard.
Each essay is a transcript of an interview that lead-editor Nia King conducted for her podcast series with different queer and/or trans artists of color, and the selections have been curated masterfully. While certain themes continually appear throughout the book (the prevailing white supremacy of academia, the importance of making the transition to paid artist, etc.), each interview subject gives their own unique spin on the issues. Nia also skillfully conducts each interview, making the speaker feel comfortable divulging stories of their art life and experiences, including in many cases, several delightful tangents and anecdotes that serve to illustrate the themes of the collection.
Because each chapter is a different transcript, this also makes the book a very easy read, which is meant entirely as a compliment. The transcripts, by nature, take on a conversational tone, and as someone used to reading screenplays, any instance of, essentially, dialog simply reads faster for me. I was able to absorb and underline with exceptional clarity the entire way through book.
Many of the stories are powerful, and while I did not want to put the book down, I found myself needing a break after certain chapters simply because of the passionate subject matter. I would definitely recommend this book to other minority artists, as well as anyone who wants a better grasp on the experiences of QTPOCs who are striving to make their art seen and their voices heard.