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Whatever Happened to Interracial Love?
Whatever Happened to Interracial Love?: Stories | Kathleen Collins
Now available in Eccos Art of the Story series: a never-before-published collection of stories from a brilliant yet little known African American artist and filmmakera contemporary of revered writers including Toni Cade Bambara, Laurie Colwin, Ann Beattie, Amy Hempel, and Grace Paleywhose prescient work has recently resurfaced to wide acclaim Humorous, poignant, perceptive, and full of grace, Kathleen Collinss stories masterfully blend the quotidian and the profound in a personal, intimate way, exploring deep, far-reaching issuesrace, gender, family, and sexualitythat shape the ordinary moments in our lives. In The Uncle, a young girl who idolizes her handsome uncle and his beautiful wife makes a haunting discovery about their lives. In Only Once, a woman reminisces about her charming daredevil of a lover and his ultimateand finalact of foolishness. Collinss work seamlessly integrates the African-American experience in her characters lives, creating rich, devastatingly familiar, full-bodied men, women, and children who transcend the symbolic, penetrating both the readers head and heart. Both contemporary and timeless, Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? is a major addition to the literary canon, and is sure to earn Kathleen Collins the widespread recognition she is long overdue.
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charl08
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Pickpick

I'd heard a lot about this slim collection of short stories, published posthumously (the author was also a filmmaker). Infused with the author's own experiences of protest and politics. There's a strong theme of the failure of youthful hope, whether in relationships or in terms of social change. Recommended.

TheBookHippie I enjoyed this book a lot. I like your cover better though! 1y
57 likes1 stack add3 comments
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charl08
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Charlotte found she didn't like working. Even for poetry.

🤣🤣

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charl08
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One of those covers I want to frame.

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andrew61
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Pickpick

A random pick from library , a set of short stories abt the civil rights movement of the 60s, the force of feminism, + an exploration of inter racial couples. I'd never heard of Kathleen Collins until I read this, such an interesting life. A shout out, I stood in the library, curious, searched on litsy + saw the last review was @ReadingEnvy so had to pick it up. I love finding books, writers + stories that are new to me, plus a film to find.

batsy I enjoyed this a lot, too. Really understated writing; loved the style. 2y
Centique Awww. It is a bit heart breaking every time I stumble onto her reviews - but it‘s also lovely to have her thoughts still there. I have this on my TBR from her review 🙂 2y
38 likes2 comments
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ReadingEnvy
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Pickpick

I'd always meant to read this and the years went by, and finally it came up in Hoopla and I downloaded the audio version, narrated by multiple voices. This comes in handy since several of these stories have multiple points of view, often the male and female in a relationship with both of their perspectives. (I specify male and female since the stories only have heterosexual relationships.)

Kathleen Collins is a strong voice ... ↘️

ReadingEnvy and we are lucky her daughter pulled together this collection of stories. (Since I'm reading this 6 years after publication, I also note that there is a book with her diaries and more stories that has come out since - Notes from a Black Woman's Diary.) According to her daughter, who writes the forward to the collection, the stories are highly autobiographical, to the extent that she the daughter recognized the people in the stories. ↘️ 2y
ReadingEnvy
I liked how these stories are very much about black women and the people in their immediate periphery, with their own lives and cultural queues and internal dialogues between expectations they feel placed on them and what they actually desire. Most are set in the 1960s in fairly urban/city type settings, with characters who are intelligent and not overly religious. ↘️
2y
ReadingEnvy I would read more of these stories, I would watch the film adaptation, and I also want to go watch the only film she ever made - Losing Ground. 2y
batsy Nice review. I loved this one a lot. I've been meaning to read this 2y
ReadingEnvy @batsy I bet it's good! 2y
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vlwelser
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Pickpick

This book is beautifully written. I'm blaming this on Well-Read Black Girl. And how pretty is this cover? I blasted through it because it's short but it's also really absorbing. I don't normally plow through story collections. I was totally engaged.

kspenmoll This book was wonderful!❤️💜💙 3y
batsy I loved this 💜 3y
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Brewychock48
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Pickpick

I loved this book. The stories were well written,touching,beautiful.
I highly recommend it

batsy I loved it, too. So well done. 3y
Brewychock48 @batsy ,such a shame she died at age 46 of breast cancer. She was so talented 3y
47 likes2 comments
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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This collection of thoughtful, quiet stories is excellent. They‘re an unvarnished picture of life in the 1960s. I read the stories at the same time as John Lewis's March Trilogy, and they are a wonderful complement to each other.

Collins offers the perspective of a black woman, yet never letting race be the entire story. The stories are also about friendship, love, family, and making your way in a changing world.

#blackvoices

batsy I loved this book a lot. Good pick 👍🏽 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @batsy I think she‘s so under appreciated. 4y
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CaliforniaCay
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Pickpick

Finally got around to reading this book I was gifted last year by @Shvonne Thanks again! Book of short stories. They didn't all click with me but I did find comfort in the few I did relate to. Really quick read, perfect palette cleanser in between 2 pretty big books.

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jenniferw88
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@Mitch thank you so much for the surprise #bookmail - it was very kind of you!

Mitch My pleasure... hope its good! 4y
readordierachel I loved this collection! 4y
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Leftcoastzen
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Pickpick

Before the end of the year ,I wanted to read something that had been on my TBR for awhile.This has been on my radar since an NPR interview w/ her daughter.Dec. 2016. What an exceptional collection of short stories!Ms. Collins was also a filmmaker.Losing Ground made the art house rounds in the 1980s, sold out Lincoln Center film series in 2015.Ms.Collins died at the age of 46 in 1988. That makes these short stories even more precious, try them!

vivastory This has been on my TBR too. Think it's time to remedy this! 4y
Leftcoastzen @vivastory It was stunning! Strong and witty, sometimes funny.Loved it. 4y
Nute I was awed by her writing. I don‘t remember how I found out about this book, but I know that I almost missed it and knowing about her accomplishments in her short lifetime and that would have been a tragedy on my part. 4y
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Leftcoastzen @Nute Her writing so deep and nuanced.I think there is a book of her journals.Hers are among the finest short stories I have ever read. 4y
batsy What @Nute said! I love this book so much. So glad you loved it, too. 💜 4y
Leftcoastzen @batsy just incredible writing! I am still amazed and delighted. 4y
44 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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CaliforniaCay
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Thanks @Shvonne for the #blitsyhistorymonth package! The tagged book has been on my TBR for a while, I can't wait to tear into the chocolate and I love love love love the library scarf! Thanks @Chelleo for organizing this swap!

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Love it! 📚💖 5y
Chelleo Ok, adding that scarf to my shopping list! 😍 Happy #BlitsyHistoryMonth! 5y
Shvonne Glad you like it. 5y
riversong153 😻😻😻 5y
51 likes4 comments
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Weaponxgirl
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Pickpick

In some books the writing cuts like a knife, this isn‘t one. This book is a series of small paper cuts that you finally notice and realise it hurts but you can‘t quite remember when it happened or how. There is so much underneath these stories bubbling away. The people feel real and it‘s not all darkness but when it hits an emotional nerve it strums it. A character danced to billie holiday in one story so that‘s my #booksandvinyl choice.

Stephaniereads1 I love Billie Holiday. Im adding this. 5y
Weaponxgirl @Stephaniereads1 she is a classic for a reason! I hope you enjoy the book too. 5y
Leftcoastzen I need to get to this book,it sounds so good. (edited) 5y
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Weaponxgirl @Leftcoastzen it‘s quite small and quick. Just my kind of book, as with any collection some stories are better than others but quite a few moments just snuck up on me with the feelings. 5y
Weaponxgirl Forgot to say was part of #readblackwomen 5y
BibliOphelia Great review! 5y
Weaponxgirl @BibliOphelia thankyou 😊 5y
Stephaniereads1 Im excited to read. 5y
CarolynM I started reading this a while ago. I enjoyed the first couple of stories and then got side tracked. Must get back to it. 5y
Weaponxgirl @CarolynM it happens to us all! 5y
batsy I love this one. Lovely review to describe its effect! 5y
Weaponxgirl @batsy thanks! That means a lot coming from you as you always do great reviews. 5y
batsy @Weaponxgirl That's so kind, thank you! 5y
Megabooks I‘m reading this book for the second time now! Great review!! 5y
Weaponxgirl @Megabooks thankyou! I imagine it‘s just as good the second time around. 5y
65 likes3 stack adds15 comments
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derr.liz
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❤️ A beautiful, astounding collection of stories.

#valentinesday #blackhistorymonth #readblackauthors

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Angitron
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this collection of stories. I think Collins‘ writing is beautifully nuanced - there‘s a lot under the surface. It was interesting to read about middle class, highly educated Black women in the 1960s and 1970s, when the US was in the midst of so much upheaval re: civil and women‘s rights. A few of the stories didn‘t *quite* work for me, but the ones that did blew my mind. My favorites: The Uncle, Lifelines, and the title story.

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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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If you loved Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? (tagged) like I did, here‘s a great review of the latest posthumous collection of Kathleen Collins‘ work. It‘s a combination of short stories, letters, and more. I can‘t wait to get my grubby little hands on it!

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/29/books/review-notes-from-black-womans-diary-ka...

My review of the tagged collection: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1924266922

WhatDeeReads I think I might read this one for Pop Sugar. I think there‘s a posthumous category. 5y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @WhatDeeReads I think there is too! I‘m not doing PopSugar this year, but I‘ve seen people post about the prompt. Collins is a gem! 5y
batsy I can't wait, either 💕 Loved Interracial Love. 5y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @batsy 👊🏻 I just suggested my library get the ebook. Hoping they do!! 5y
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UnabridgedPod
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Pickpick

Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? was different than I expected. The foreword, by Collins's daughter, was a revelation, explaining how she came to discover her mother's work, including these short stories, after her death and what they meant to her as she came to understand her mother's talent. The stories, despite their age, feel modern, and the 6 narrators of the text (I listened on Scribd) brought them to life and gave each a unique style.

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MirrorMask
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HOTPock3tt I married him 🤣 #badhumor I know. But I‘m in an interracial marriage so this title made me lol ☺️ 5y
Chelsea.Poole @HOTPock3tt same here 👋 5y
HOTPock3tt @Chelsea.Poole Kindred Spirits! ♥️🤗 5y
Leftcoastzen This book still on my TBR.I have seen so many positive reviews. 5y
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PixieDust
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Pickpick

I can‘t believe these stories were lost for so long. This is an incredible collection. It makes me so sad that Kathleen Collins died before she could do more. It‘s a super fast read and I wish there were more stories. Please see this and watch the only film she ever made called Losing Ground

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ElleSkel
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Thank you so much @TheBookHippie for this super cozy blanket! And this book!!!!!! You have no idea what a perfect pick it is. Thank you thank you thank you!! #blanketandabookswap
🙌🏼📚🎁📚🙌🏼

@Tiffy_Reads @JoeStalksBeck this was great fun! You rock for hosting such an awesome swap!

BibliophileMomma So cuddly. 6y
TheBookHippie Yay!!!!!! Enjoy! 6y
monalyisha Love the fluff! What a great swap result! 💖 6y
ElleSkel Right @monalyisha !! It‘s so cozy. Thank you so much for sharing Litsy with me! 6y
66 likes4 comments
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Carolyn11215
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Interesting set of short stories about what it was like to live and love during the civil rights movement in the 60s. That being said, the overall arc of the stories is pretty depressing.

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batsy
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Poetic, evocative stories about African-American women as artists & thinkers dealing with systemic injustice. Title story is a tour de force. Quote above is by Elizabeth Alexander in her introduction to the book, about Collins' film Losing Ground, one of the earliest films directed by a black woman. I really want to watch it. Collins died of cancer in her 40s.

#ToBeYoungGiftedandBlack #FierceFeb @Cinfhen

batsy As for Nina Simone, all the 💜 https://youtu.be/PEMOxRxcJpo 6y
Cinfhen Nice choice 6y
Cathythoughts 👍🏻✨👍🏻❤️ 6y
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Leftcoastzen This has been on my TBR for a long time, I heard her daughter interviewed on NPR.Sad and inspiring story.And the pick of Simone,she was a fighter for truth and justice,sometimes to the detriment of her career.Amazing. 6y
batsy @Leftcoastzen Yeah, I read about the daughter's story in finding her mother's writing... sad and inspiring captures it. And Simone, what a brilliant person and also a sad, complicated life 💜💔 6y
readordierachel This book was amazing. I had no idea she'd died so young! Excellent choice. 6y
batsy @ReadOrDieRachel Yeah, it's sad that she didn't get the recognition for her writing while alive. So glad to hear that you liked it too! 6y
104 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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mdemanatee
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Pickpick

Even amidst all the exciting new books I have waiting, I‘m trying to go back and read some of the books that I‘ve been wanting to read and just haven‘t gotten to for whatever reason.

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silentrequiem
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This is what happens when I try deciding on my TBR pile for #LitsyPartyOfOne...

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Kathrin
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Pickpick

For me this collection is so special, because the stories are told with the voice of an African-American women in the 1960s. It's a rare witness of those times. The writing is low-key and yet powerful.

I listened to the audio narration and having different narrators actually enhanced the stories for me.

BarbaraTheBibliophage Couldn't agree more - loved these stories! 6y
batsy "Low-key yet powerful"--yes! I'm so glad I read this. 6y
25 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Natasha.C.Barnes
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Am I the only one who pastes the BOTM #bookmarks (with judge comment) in the front of the books when I'm done reading them? Is that weird? I'll definitely lose it otherwise...😐 #fallintobooks

MinDea I don't paste them but I do put them back into the books! 7y
Cinfhen Nice idea! 7y
Natasha.C.Barnes @MinDea Yeah, I mean they have to stay with the book, right? It feels wrong to use them in a different one... It all started bc the first BOTM book I got had the quote on a separate card, not the bookmark, so it was more like a book plate. 7y
AndreaReads I like that idea! 7y
TrishB Nothing bookish is weird on Litsy 😀 7y
34 likes5 comments
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leslieisreading
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CiViiLy
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed the short stories in this book. It covered so many different aspects of life, from love and family, breakups, makeups, to finding yourself in the face of obstacles. I really enjoyed it.

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CiViiLy
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My morning read and giant cup of coffee!

9 likes1 stack add
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Bookbeez
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Pickpick

I love discovering new short story collections. Good, quick read from #botm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lauren_reading I loved this one 7y
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RebeccasReading
Pickpick

I'd say this is somewhere between 3.5 and 4 ⭐️. I can't say I liked or got something out of every story, but I enjoyed about half of them, and the ones I liked, I really liked. Beautifully written.

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intothehallofbooks
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Pickpick

• Pretty good collection! I love that womanhood and race are prevalent. I appreciate the author's strong, sure voice.
• Reviewers before me have noted the timeless quality of these stories and I agree-if I didn't know when these were written, I could almost be convinced they were written recently.
• I read this in small doses, a story at a time over the past week or two. I think the stories in the first half of the book are by far the best.

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readordierachel
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Highly recommend this collection if you like short stories.

#readingwomenmonth #womenofcolor
@thereadingwomen

batsy Loved this! 7y
59 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Mimi28
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My new glasses are finally ready!! YAHOO!! I am going to go pick them up Monday. Even though the glasses 👓 I have now are really scratched up and it's hard to concentrate, I am determined to finish this book this weekend gosh darnitt!! I am on my second round of antibiotics for this pesky tonsillitis which I am praying isn't mono. Here's Mogwai with her favorite toy!! #catsoflitsy #petsoflitsy Have a great weekend Littens!! ❤️❤️❤️📚📚😻😻

TbrandBeyond 😍😍😍 7y
55 likes1 comment
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Mimi28
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Loving this book so far!! It got me through a painful medical procedure and tedious rides to and from the doctor's office. I am on the title story and it is the best one yet. All of my friends are depressed today for some reason, but you guys are a bright spot. Thank You All for the bright spots you put in my days ❤️❤️❤️❤️Concentrating on books and not IRL people and problems adds much needed escape and structure at the same time. ❤️❤️📚

BarbaraTheBibliophage I loved this book! Hoping you continue to see improvement. 💕💕 7y
Mimi28 @BarbaraTheBibliophage Thanks!!! ❤️❤️❤️ 7y
55 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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amma-keep-reading
Pickpick

And just like that it's over. I kept tapping my kindle, hoping the next page would bring another story.

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Megabooks
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Well y'all, I'm feeling over emotional today, so I'm picking up a short story collection to read in the car at lunch. God I hate being a woman! I think that's why I don't want to finish Since We Fell. #overit #botm

8little_paws Ooohhh this collection rocks 7y
Cinfhen Just sending you 💜💙💜wishing u a good day 7y
meltedsquirrel Reading in my car on lunch is always my first instinct. I've even driven to a different parking lot to do it to avoid questions. 7y
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Hobbinol I eat in my car at lunch whenever it's cool enough. Sometimes you just need your own space!👍🏻 7y
Megabooks @8little_paws it's great! I'm so glad it was published! 7y
Megabooks @Cinfhen Thanks! It was okay. 7y
Megabooks @meltedsquirrel Same here! I have my parking lot and love it! 7y
Megabooks @Hobbinol Exactly! Sometimes I just have to get away. 7y
81 likes8 comments
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OffTheBeatenShelf.com
Pickpick

This little book definitely packs a punch. The earlier stories were my favorite, though it was interesting to see characters and traits reappear later on. Whoever arranged this collection did an excellent job, as did Elizabeth Alexander in her introduction. Reading this made me want to learn more about Kathleen Collins.

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OffTheBeatenShelf.com
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Airport reading. And despite what it looks like, these pasty white legs are several shades darker than when I left for Playa del Carmen, if you can imagine. 😂🇲🇽

BookishMarginalia Hope you had fun! Safe travels 💜 (edited) 7y
CouronneDhiver Aw, I love that area... I hope it was amazing! 7y
OffTheBeatenShelf.com Thanks so much, @BookishMarginalia and @CouronneDhiver! I had a lovely time and definitely want to go back again soon. 💜💜 7y
35 likes3 comments
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batsy
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Pickpick

I loved it. Collins' background as a filmmaker is evident. The stories are cinematic, the essence distilled into a character or a certain mood and atmosphere. It's like a camera utilising time jumps and moving through space, fluidly going back and forth between time, the past existing alongside the present. The stories are short but contain a world of depth about racism and the inner lives of black women. And the humour is sly and delicious.

saresmoore I agree about the humor in these stories and I loved her filmmaking perspective filter. I gave this a so-so only because a couple of the stories almost bored me to tears. 😬 Short story collections are tough to review, I think! 7y
batsy @saresmoore I can understand that 🙂 It boils down to writing style and the individual reader's taste & preference, I think. 7y
23 likes2 comments
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kendrastephaniekaryn
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I haven't posted lately. I'm still here, just trying to make some big decisions. This is the first time I've been able to sit down and read since Monday.

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thereadingwomen
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Kathleen Collins's WHATEVER HAPPENED TO INTERRACIAL LOVE? is an immersive short story collection that poetically moves you from one story to the next. Originally written between 1970-80, these stories explore questions of race and identity in America. It's a short but powerful book that will stick with you for a long time. 🎧 Download Ep. 21 to hear our review. ⠀
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reading-women/id1118019442?mt=2&i=1000385044...

Djcjdbx I just finished it a few days ago and this quote stayed with me long after. 7y
batsy I'm reading it now and I love how fluid and delicate these stories are and then, whomp...out of nowhere comes the punch. And the humour is unexpected and delicious. 7y
thereadingwomen @HouseKitty it's soo good! 7y
thereadingwomen @batsy YES! It's almost like reading poetry. They just flow into one another. 7y
78 likes1 stack add4 comments
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kendrastephaniekaryn
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#TBRtuesday

Here's what I'm hoping to read this week. I've essentially abandoned my planned monthly TBR, because I'm ahead on most of my challenges and nothing is really calling out to me. Also, my #library and #netgalley stacks are out of control.

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thereadingwomen
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Pickpick

Our theme this month is short stores and we will have six recommendations for you tomorrow. One of the books we are featuring is WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO INTERRACIAL LOVE? by Kathleen Collins. Oh. My. Goodness. With each story, I fell more in love with Kathleen's perspective and style. It's a short book, so just plan on blocking off a few hours and reading it in one sitting. You won't regret it. ⠀

ReadingEnvy This is a theme in one of my groups too! Is it a thing? Cool. 7y
thereadingwomen @ReadingEnvy Short Stories? I don't know. 🤔 But I sure do love them! - A 7y
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batsy
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This is my #maymostanticipated. Will be reviewing it for a local paper and I'm so excited to read it! #maybookflowers @RealLifeReading

Cinfhen That's exciting! Make sure to post a link to your review 🙂 7y
batsy That's kind of you ☺️ Will do; hope to do the book justice. 7y
saresmoore Ooh, fun! I had the best kind of mixed feelings about this book. 7y
21 likes1 stack add3 comments
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readordierachel
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Pickpick

These stories were sharp and thought provoking, and Collins' writing is pure poetry.

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Megabooks
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A very good passage of her writing about the importance of light skin.

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Megabooks
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Pickpick

This is a very good, well written book! The prose is almost like a poem in some stories. That said, it isn't my favorite short story collection. I don't particularly like lyrical writing. But I love the way she examines race and how important it is to be lighter skinned, etc.

In fact, I was the recipient of some wonderful causal racism at work yesterday. This woman mentioned how horrible it is to be white and have partially black children. 👇🏻

Megabooks I called her out a bit on it, but I didn't want to make a scene. I guess she figured I'd agree because I'm white?!? 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡 7y
BookishFeminist 🙃 I love it when other white people think it's okay to say racist stuff to me because I'm also white. WRONG. 7y
Megabooks @BookishFeminist it's a wonderful view on how they actually think, which is upsetting! 7y
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BookishFeminist @Booksandcooks No kidding! The same people that do this often make a point to tell me they aren't racist. lolol 7y
Notafraidofwords Wow, that's so upsetting. 7y
Megabooks @Notafraidofwords Yeah, it was hard to believe how casually and forcefully she said it. I was shocked for a moment. 7y
ReadingEnvy Ugh I'm sorry that happened ... But I kind of like those opportunities to school people who assume I agree with their racism. I mean, they're just standing there asking for it!! 7y
Reviewsbylola People can say some really asinine things sometimes! 7y
97 likes4 stack adds8 comments