In 1966 a Gallup poll indicated that 72% of Americans had an unfavourable view of Martin Luther King Jr, unsurprising considering the mainstream media including the New York Times were vilifying him for his position over Vietnam (p.3). Jeanne Theorharis seeks to remind us of this history in her book ‘A More Beautiful and Terrible…
Liberalism
Deport, Deprive, Extradite: 21st century state extremism
Deport, Deprive, Extradite blew me away with how much Nisha Kapoor managed to say in such little space. I found myself constantly stopping to copy out her succinct quotes which articulated connections I have previously attempted to make, but had difficulty mapping out. A writer who can make such links so lucidly is one I…
The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage
After the wondrous world of ‘His Dark Materials’ was completed in the year 2000, additions to the world of Lyra were slim with ‘Once Upon a Time in the North’ being the a major (albeit short) contribution in 2008. What that addition gave us was a glimpse of Philip Pullman being increasingly political. The demagogue…
Radical Skin/Moderate Mask: Islamic de-Radicalisation and Racism in Post-Racial Societies
‘Radical Skin, Moderate Masks’ was a difficult book to read, not because of the way it is written, which I happen to like very much, but more because of the way it confronts me, writes Asim Qureshi. The author, Yassir Morsi, leaves very little room for comfort in any space or position. There is a rare honesty, as…
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race
This book is important for many reasons, and while it is written very much from the perspective of Reni Eddo-Lodge’s experience as a black woman growing up in the UK, there is much about it that I recognise. Particularly pertinent in the book is her presentation of white privilege and the way in which discussions…
The Good Immigrant
When I learnt that the Audible version of ‘The Good Immigrant’ was spoken by the author of each essay, I immediately took the decision to listen to it rather than read the book version I had already purchased. I was not disappointed at all by paying the extra money. There was something profound and layered…