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Ordinary Notes

Name: Ordinary Notes
Price: 23.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.7 (43 reviews)

4.7 of 5 Stars: History & Criticism - Ordinary Notes

$23.99

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Book Synopsis: A finalist for the National Book Award in Nonfiction. Critically acclaimed author of In the Wake, "Christina Sharpe is a brilliant thinker who attends unflinchingly to the brutality of our current arrangements . . . and yet always finds a way to beauty and possibility" (Saidiya Hartman).

A singular achievement, Ordinary Notes explores profound questions about loss and the shapes of Black life that emerge in the wake. In a series of 248 notes that gather meaning as we read them, Christina Sharpe skillfully weaves artifacts from the past—public ones alongside others that are poignantly personal—with present realities and possible futures, intricately constructing an immersive portrait of everyday Black existence. The themes and tones that echo through these pages—sometimes about language, beauty, memory; sometimes about history, art, photography, and literature—always attend, with exquisite care, to the ordinary-extraordinary dimensions of Black life.

At the heart of Ordinary Notes is the indelible presence of the author’s mother, Ida Wright Sharpe. “I learned to see in my mother’s house,” writes Sharpe. “I learned how not to see in my mother’s house . . . My mother gifted me a love of beauty, a love of words.” Using these gifts and other ways of seeing, Sharpe steadily summons a chorus of voices and experiences to the page. She practices an aesthetic of "beauty as a method,” collects entries from a community of thinkers toward a “Dictionary of Untranslatable Blackness,” and rigorously examines sites of memory and memorial. And in the process, she forges a brilliant new literary form, as multivalent as the ways of Black being it traces.

4-color art throughout

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Looking for a thought-provoking read that explores the complexity of Black existence? Look no further than Ordinary Notes. As a finalist for the National Book Award in Nonfiction, this critically acclaimed work by Christina Sharpe is a mesmerizing exploration of loss and the profound shapes of Black life that emerge in its wake.

With 248 skillfully crafted notes that accumulate deeper meaning as you dive into them, Ordinary Notes weaves together artifacts from the past and present realities, giving you an immersive portrait of everyday Black existence. Sharpe's poignant storytelling effortlessly combines public and personal narratives to create a tapestry that celebrates the ordinary-extraordinary aspects of Black life.

One of the driving forces behind Ordinary Notes is the indelible presence of the author's mother, Ida Wright Sharpe. Sharpe beautifully describes how her mother's house became a space for learning and understanding the world around her. This exploration of beauty, language, memory, and history is a testament to the profound influence our mothers have on our lives.

Throughout the book, Sharpe navigates an array of subjects, including art, literature, photography, and more. She even introduces a fascinating concept—an ever-evolving "Dictionary of Untranslatable Blackness," where a community of thinkers contribute their unique insights. These pages are adorned with captivating 4-color art, elevating your reading experience even further.

Don't miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in Christina Sharpe's groundbreaking narrative. Explore the ordinary and extraordinary dimensions of Black life in Ordinary Notes. Order your copy today and embrace beauty, possibility, and the power of words. Order now!

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