Take a photo of a barcode or cover
.jpg)
livsliterarynook 's review for:
How We Fight For Our Lives
by Saeed Jones
18 March 2020
09:51
How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones was another audible memoir, as you may have gathered by now, I am a huge fan of listening to memoirs narrated by the author in an audible version. Saeed Jones is a gay, black man in America who is also a poet. I'd actually never heard of him until he wrote this memoir, but he's also a poet and I really don't do poetry. His memoir focuses on themes of race, sexuality, body image and power as he details a coming-of-age memoir.
For me, one the most powerful aspects of How We Fight For Our Lives was Saeed's interrogation of body image and what it meant to be black and gay. How he saw his own body, how those he was intimate with saw his body and whether that was about his race, his gender, the way he looked. He offered insight into how we often reduce people to a way they look and judge them based on the way they look. We have certain expectations of a person based on their race (especially) and there are many connotations particularly about black men that circulate. These preconceptions are only heightened by things like porn, the media etc.
He also spoke at length about his relationship with his mother and their life growing up. He spoke about his mum's religion, their relationship, his exploration of his sexuality by going to drag shows with his mum's friends, her health, his coming out as gay. Many aspects of their relationship which were interesting, but he also showed a clear love, affection and happy relationship that he had with his mum. He also spoke about their financial struggles and how they impacted upon his college applications and where he was able to go, their worries about health care and being able to afford an ambulance to hospital for his mum, being afford to pay bills and whether her card would be rejected at the shops. It was very poignant how he spoke about the real struggles in his life and upbringing and how only when he mum died did he get money from her death.
The audible version I thought was really accessible, really easy to listen to and very well narrated. I really enjoy listening to audible memoirs that are narrated by the author as it makes it a more personable story.
Overall, I thought Saeed Jones touched on a lot of interesting topics, he was insightful, well-articulated and interesting. If you enjoy memoirs and/or are interested in discussions about race/sexuality then I would recommend this memoir!
09:51
How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones was another audible memoir, as you may have gathered by now, I am a huge fan of listening to memoirs narrated by the author in an audible version. Saeed Jones is a gay, black man in America who is also a poet. I'd actually never heard of him until he wrote this memoir, but he's also a poet and I really don't do poetry. His memoir focuses on themes of race, sexuality, body image and power as he details a coming-of-age memoir.
For me, one the most powerful aspects of How We Fight For Our Lives was Saeed's interrogation of body image and what it meant to be black and gay. How he saw his own body, how those he was intimate with saw his body and whether that was about his race, his gender, the way he looked. He offered insight into how we often reduce people to a way they look and judge them based on the way they look. We have certain expectations of a person based on their race (especially) and there are many connotations particularly about black men that circulate. These preconceptions are only heightened by things like porn, the media etc.
He also spoke at length about his relationship with his mother and their life growing up. He spoke about his mum's religion, their relationship, his exploration of his sexuality by going to drag shows with his mum's friends, her health, his coming out as gay. Many aspects of their relationship which were interesting, but he also showed a clear love, affection and happy relationship that he had with his mum. He also spoke about their financial struggles and how they impacted upon his college applications and where he was able to go, their worries about health care and being able to afford an ambulance to hospital for his mum, being afford to pay bills and whether her card would be rejected at the shops. It was very poignant how he spoke about the real struggles in his life and upbringing and how only when he mum died did he get money from her death.
The audible version I thought was really accessible, really easy to listen to and very well narrated. I really enjoy listening to audible memoirs that are narrated by the author as it makes it a more personable story.
Overall, I thought Saeed Jones touched on a lot of interesting topics, he was insightful, well-articulated and interesting. If you enjoy memoirs and/or are interested in discussions about race/sexuality then I would recommend this memoir!