History Shapes How We Move Through the World: Reading Jesmyn Ward
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Jesmyn Ward — two-time winner of the National Book Award and 2017 MacArthur Fellow (the “Genius Grant”) — is one of the most indelible American voices working today. Drawing on a wide range of global influences running from Greek mythology and The Inferno by Dante Alighieri, to Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Eudora Welty, and Nobel Laureates William Faulkner and Toni Morrison, Ward captures the lives of the often overlooked with love, care and compassion, and in doing so, shows us who we are and where we should aspire to be.
Jesmyn Ward is always brilliant, and this is no exception. Equally devastating and uplifting, this is the story of both slavery and Black American reclamation of the South. Told with gorgeous, lyrical prose, it will satiate any literary appetite.
Part-family drama, part-ghost story, and completely mesmerizing, Sing, Unburied, Sing is a lyrical and honest meditation on family, race, the ties that bind, and the walls that separate us
Salvage the Bones is efficiently written, with a plot that never missteps and a narrative voice that’s endearing from the start. With all to do with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, this is an effecting novel that captures a specific place and time.
Jesmyn Ward’s powerful debut, lyrically written with layers ripe for pulling back and examining. With a rich setting providing a lush stage set for a dynamic cast of characters, it’s no wonder this launched the career Ward has now.
Told in Jesmyn Ward’s singular voice, this is a deeply emotional memoir that manages to turn the pain of loss into hope for what’s to come. Detailing specific instances and extracting a deeper cultural magnitute, this is a layered story with so much to offer readers.
A collection of poems and essays that dissect the ongoing racial discourse in America, all gathered by Jesmyn Ward. This is a powerhouse anthology with perspectives and voices that are essential to the conversation.
Inspiring and enlightening, Jesmyn Ward delivers a heartfelt exploration on the merits of perseverance and the rewards of sticking to it. Meant for students, this is no-less inspiring to anyone who needs a dose of reassurance.