The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl

I was listening to her audio, enjoying her stories like I was catching up with a friend, until the needle scratch moment where she described a friend as having “chinky eyes.” REALLY, Issa? I am surprised and saddened that this description made it through editors.

I listened to this on audio. I'm a huge fan of Issa Rae's HBO show, Insecure, so I thought it might be good to check out her book. It was nice to hear this on audiobook, especially for pronunciation and emphasis, though I felt her reading was a bit stilted (compared to how you'd imagine it flowing). The stories were okay - interesting, but not compelling the way other memoirs or essay collections might capture your attention.

“Online content and new media are changing our communities and changing the demand for and accessibility of that content. The discussion of representation is one that has been repeated over and over again, and the solution has always been that it's up to us to support, promote, and create the images that we want to see. Ten years ago, making that suggestion would have required way more work than it does now, and my love of taking shortcuts probably wouldn't allow me to make any dents on that front. But with ever-evolving, new accessible technologies, there are so many opportunities to reclaim our images. There's no excuse not to, and I've never felt more purposeful in my quest to change the landscape of television.”

This was a solid, enjoyable memoir. I love Issa Rea, she's smart and funny and her presence in TV is like a breath of fresh air, so I'm glad I had the chance to find out more about her. I listened to it in audiobook form as this is how I take my memoirs.