Status Updates From On Witness and Respair

respair (noun, obsolete): fresh hope after despair

I can tell this is gonna be a good one already ❤️‍🩹

THAT SAID, so far I very much dislike how every other essay is some previously published magazine article or speech or eulogy. I love her writing so so much, but I just want to read her thoughts on witness and respair. NOT on Regina King. Sorry! If I wanted to read an article that was published in a magazine about an actress, I would do that. I would get the magazine! I only want to read Jesmyn's words about stuff!

I dislike collections of shorts because it takes me forever to read them. It feels like a bunch of mini books that I have to get into each time a new one starts, like instead of 1 book it's 10. BUT, at the same time, each one isn't long enough for me to really get into, or I really get into it and then it's over way too soon. In this case, this is my first book of essays, so it's not like I have to think about plot.

You may look at this book and go "only 256 pages? Piece of cake." But believe me when I say that this is a hard book to read, and made even more essential to the average American reader because of that. You come away from OW&R with not only a deeper grasp on who Jesmyn Ward is, but who you are and your place as a modern-day American.

pg. 4/8 "my true south"

am I gonna read this all in one day? it seems so