I listened to the audiobook through Libby narrated by JD Jackson. I listened to it ahead of Kevin's Rhythm & Books bookclub, so I don't want to give too many details. Each essay on different types of black performance (not necessarily related to music) is deeply felt. The author's prose are sometimes a rap of his reflections and feelings. Abdurraqib intricately examines American culture and the Black experience.
In this dishy memoir, the late Vogue fashion editor Andre Leon Talley discusses his days rising through the ranks of fashion journalism, from his early days working with Andy Warhol at Interview through stints with Women's Wear Daily into the pinnacle of his career as Anna Wintour's right-hand man at Vogue. Through it all, Talley's vast fashion knowledge and respect for creativity allowed him to befriend the biggest names in fashion (Karl Lagerfeld was once one of his closest friends, as was Oscar de la Renta).
Yes, a lot of names are dropped in this book, but that does nothing but underscore the importance of Talley's trailblazing career as the first Black man in the upper echelons of high fashion. Even though the closest I've ever gotten to high fashion is looking at red carpet photos online and walking past the Louis Vuitton store at Plaza Frontenac, I still found this a fascinating story, and I'd love to learn more about Talley (who read the audiobook, which I listened to, himself). Thankfully, he produced a documentary and wrote an earlier memoir that I'll be putting on hold as soon as I click "publish" on this post.
As a Black cop in the LAPD, Trevor Finnegan is used to being an outsider at work and in society. Just four years after starting with the department, he's now a homicide detective, and when he's given the case of a murdered Black police academy recruit, he knows that his role is partially to find the killer, but mostly to be the Black face of the LAPD in a particularly tricky and highly public case. But as he follows the clues and gets pushback from his superiors, Finn is having increasing trouble balancing his career ambitions and his moral code.
Wow, this is an incredible mystery novel. It faces the complexities of being a Black cop in today's world head-on, without preaching or judging, while still providing an intriguing and innately readable plot. I was thoroughly impressed by this book, and I will be recommending it to everyone I meet.
