Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir

Interesting author, Rebecca Solnit, I'm reading her for the first time. A writer and feminist who grew up in San Francisco, moving there in 80's after leaving a dysfunctional family. Has taken up a lot of causes she is passionate about and shares them in this memoir, along with her own story. I liked it overall.

I really enjoyed parts of this & solnit just has such a readable style so often poetic, but there were parts where relatability faded into thoughts and turns of phrase that were revealing of her age & belonging to a generation who cannot comprehend certain nuances and complexities I now take as given, especially in her understanding of sexuality, gender identity. A loose nostalgia replaced contemporary care with these. The commentary on gender & safety while potent in its personal testimony does not offer anything newly piercing or refreshing to the discourse. The vacillation between place, gender, fear, were not as beautifully or powerfully woven as they could have been. The latter half felt less qorked on and edited. While it didn't live up to the heights of my lofty expectations this was still worth reading and had moments of beauty.

I loved this book. She speaks of my experience, of the ways in which culture has worked to silence my voice, of my fears. I checked this out of the library but I ordered my own copy today because I cannot bear to let this go, I am not yet ready to let it go as I still have more to absorb from it, and I want to mark it up and highlight it and let it all fully soak in.