Emma Dabiri’s part memoir part scholarly investigation of African hair culture in and outside of African countries is close to my research heart. I have always been fascinated by female hair and beauty and the culture around it. So much so, that I wrote my master’s thesis on Black hair. You can read my journal … Continue reading
After living in Switzerland for six years, I have been thinking a lot about loneliness and what it means for us humans. I have been thinking about whether loneliness is ever good for us? Are their ways that we could harness our lonely moments to learn more about ourselves? I have wondered about the difference … Continue reading
When I saw Gina Martin’s activism guide, I was intrigued. I spent most of my early life and teenage years volunteering, raising money for charities, and working with different NGOs to spread awareness and help raise funds. It was an extremely rewarding time in my life, and I was able to raise over 40,000 AUD … Continue reading
“Be consistent. Be fair and honest.” p161 Clare Balding’s memoir My Animals and Other Family was first published in 2012. At the heart of it, Balding’s memoir is an exploration of the importance animals can have on our childhoods and our lives in general. Each chapter is a different animal that left a mark on … Continue reading
When my father died in 2011, my whole world was flipped on its head. I have spent most of my 20s coming to terms with death, loss, and grief, and this is also evidenced in the types of books I have read throughout this time. This can be seen in my reviews of fiction works … Continue reading
I am a lover of Japanese literature. I studied Japanese in primary school (but it sadly is not one of the languages that stuck in my head), and I have had an affinity for Japanese culture, art, and food. When I came across Sayaka Murata’s work, Convenience Store Woman, I knew I had to get … Continue reading
Finding this book has been 2019 gold for me. It has also been exceptionally fortuitous to read this book at the beginning of summer, a time for many people that singles stress and anxiety around their bodies. This book was my first deep-dive into fat activism and the fat positivity movement, and I feel like … Continue reading
The Cactus is the debut novel from Sarah Haywood which is about letting go of who people want you to be and who you have made yourself become because of your past experiences. It is about family conflict, death, grief, secrets, and forgiveness. It is not your typical contemporary fiction novel for all the right … Continue reading
Roxane Gay’s work has been seminal for feminist and fat liberation movements around the world. She draws on her own experiences about trauma, body image, feminist ideals, and Haitian and Black identity. Seeing her talk about her two most popular books Bad Feminist and Hunger: A memoir of (My) Body. I used Gay’s feminist text … Continue reading
Most people know Amy Poehler as the hilarious comedy queen and beloved friend of Tina Fey. Her career achievements are too long to add here, but let’s just be clear that she had made some of the funniest stuff on television. I have always felt that comedy is a great way to have hard conversations … Continue reading
