Experiments in Joy

by Gabrielle Civil

What can people do together that we can’t do alone?
What can we discover in ourselves only by way of other people?
Gabrielle Civil’s Experiments in Joy celebrates black feminist collaborations and solos in essays, letters, performance texts, scores, images, and more. Following her explosive debut Swallow the Fish, Civil now documents her work with From the Hive, No. 1 Gold, and Call & Response—whose collaborative Call inspired the title. The book also features her solo encounters with artists and writers, ancestors and audiences. Here you will find black girlhood, grief, ghosts, girls in their bedrooms, lots of books, dancing, reading, falling in love, fighting back, and flying. With lots of heart and the help of her friends, Civil keeps reckoning with performance, art and life.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Art

274 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2019

Reviews

[Ilana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant, brilliant book. I felt so much reading this: awe, tenderness, recognition, love, anger, sadness, grief, hope, excitement, elation, inspiration inspiration inspiration.

[Cru · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this woman and I love her work, especially taking in consideration that what we see archived in this book is taking place in a totally different era (like 2000-2010). It was different back then to talk about certain things and DO certain things. They became sort of pillars for performance-making and for any text-based practice and maybe we take them for granted. This book shows you you shouldn't take them for granted
I just had a bit of a hard time reading it -- so as a reading experience it was challenging and a lot I skimmed. It's hard for me in general to read things that are meant to be performed, but I still see the charm and importance of it all.
I would recommend it to someone who has writer's block and needs to witness someone writing freely and passionately.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book of performance texts, and I’m floored by how affected I am by the experience of reading it. I think more than anything else I’ve seen lately, seeing how Civil engages with performance, art, writing, dance, and music all simultaneously — and frequently within the same project — makes me want to push my own boundaries as an artist and writer. One of my favorite aspects of my book is how she and her collaborators revisit the texts, years after they originally created a performance together. They all comment on the experience, creating an almost concentric-circle effect... there are so many layers of creation here.

[Traci Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mix of memoir, letters, criticism, performance notes, and poetry this book is unlike anything I’ve read. I felt a strong connection to Civil though I didn’t always “get it”. Some parts were amazing and some didn’t resonate with me. Overall very unique and thought provoking. It’s a total artist book for artists who believe in making space for others and of course, for joy.