This one cut so deep. As a woman of color, and now as a woman of color who is stepping into the stigma called 'aging', I feel closer to violence and death than ever before. I walk everyday with the gnawing sense that love is a fight and that there is nothing fortuitous about it. And yet Kundera's book is a favorite of mine, which makes me wonder - after reading your letter - whether it is precisely because it feels like such a beautifully written piece of fantasy to me.
a deep cut, dr. j. we've been fed the "tragic, star-crossed lovers" myths so much, that falling in love can seem like an invitation or preamble to disaster and broken dreams beyond personal romantic dumbness. i.e. the hollywood tropes of nice couple just being happy, guy gets arrested on a humble, or slave catchers get them, or they get redlined for their house, lose all their money, etc. the opposite of 'fortuities' over and f-ing over. we supposed to fall in love and then lock and load?
So deep and moving. And now I’ve got With a Rebel yell, she cried More, More, More looping in my head.
Damn this messed up colonized world and thank you for sharing your truth. Every time you do that, it decolonizes it a bit.
This one cut so deep. As a woman of color, and now as a woman of color who is stepping into the stigma called 'aging', I feel closer to violence and death than ever before. I walk everyday with the gnawing sense that love is a fight and that there is nothing fortuitous about it. And yet Kundera's book is a favorite of mine, which makes me wonder - after reading your letter - whether it is precisely because it feels like such a beautifully written piece of fantasy to me.
This should be a whole book. I guess it was, but another one.
alice you are always so encouraging, thank you!
Loved this poetic post that provokes me to ponder my own past.
very kind of you, josé.
a deep cut, dr. j. we've been fed the "tragic, star-crossed lovers" myths so much, that falling in love can seem like an invitation or preamble to disaster and broken dreams beyond personal romantic dumbness. i.e. the hollywood tropes of nice couple just being happy, guy gets arrested on a humble, or slave catchers get them, or they get redlined for their house, lose all their money, etc. the opposite of 'fortuities' over and f-ing over. we supposed to fall in love and then lock and load?
beautiful
A post I've been waiting for! I've been going back to your BR interview every now and then for these reminders. Thank you!
thank you, S. hoping youre doing swell.