the blind pig - aziza barnes
I think this book has changed me. I would not call this an easy read, in fact, it's far from it. This book touches on a lot of hard topics like sex, race, and gender, but it has resonated with me. It's darkly beautiful but has been possibly one of the best things I've ever read related to how I experience my gender and the world occasionally, albeit with very different experiences.
So, would I recommend this? Yes.
5/5 ⭐️
"you're not alone in this. I can't stay human all the time too."
barnes' book captures a lot within it. I was recommended this book at a conference by some workers from Not A Cult after saying I liked work by Savannah Brown and Rhiannon McGavin. They gave me a couple others, but this was the book I knew I needed to jump into right away.
To put it simply, this book is...odd. I would call it hybrid, in the formatting of it. There are pages written in prose, others more resembling poetry, large chunks written in second person as well as writing dialogue more often in a classic script format instead of the traditional dialogue often seen in novels.
The writing is also very abstract but in a cool and fantastical way. Its grammar descriptions break from conventional, "standard" to AAVE and word salad in something that feels like exactly what a breakdown feels like. There are long metaphors that comeback similar to how a comedian might circle back on a joke from the begining of the show towards the end. It makes the reading pay off and the story of finding yourself in the world hit so much harder.
The story does go into some more graphic descriptions of abuse, racism, and sex, something to be aware of, but I think if you're in a place and position to be able to read it, you absolutely should.
