Nalo Hopkinson

Nalo Hopkinson

Nalo Hopkinson (8)

Many of Nalo Hopkinson's works are incredibly interesting and engaging from start to finish. Her writing is incredibly imaginative and transports the reader to a variety of fascinating worlds that many would never dream of. She was born in Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica. (1) Having moved around a lot as a young child, she saw firsthand how different American cultures are from those of Toronto and Jamaica. fairy and folk stories, Western literature like "Gulliver's Travels, lliad, and Odyssey" (7), and early exposure to Shakespearean literature all had an impact on her writing. Her father was an actor, poet, and writer, and her mother worked as a library technician, so she grew up surrounded by literature. Her experiences as a child growing up in an Afro-Caribbean environment have influenced her literary ideas. Her travels and observations of many cultures, social concerns, and lifestyles have motivated her to write about social and cultural issues and the responses of various locations to various circumstances. Her early readings, her moves, her upbringing, and her feelings have all had a significant impact on the topics of race, cultural backgrounds, society, and social concerns that she writes about frequently in her writings. (7) Having grown up in Caribbean communities, she uses her historical knowledge to integrate feminist ideas, Afro-Caribbean lifestyle, and Caribbean customs into her works. She also includes her heritage from Caribbean countries like Trinidad and the Jamacia region. Through these extra qualities in her writings, the reader is exposed to aspects of many cultures, communities, ethnic groups, gender inequality, and societal issues. Hopkinson is an award- winning Science fiction writer who incorporates traditional Caribbean and Creole influences into her writing. Her areas of expertise are fantasy, science fiction and crafting enchanted mysteries. (1) She has been a part-time professor at the University of California in Riverside as a creative writing professor since 2011. (2)

Brown Girl in the Ring

Cover of Brown Girl in the Ring (10)

Brown Girl in the Ring is Nalo Hopkinson’s first Novel portrays a city in which the wealthy have all moved out and those who remain must learn to live again by farming and trading. The young black woman in the narrative must be willing to learning about her enduring abilities, traditional secrets, and the terrible mysteries around her grandmother and mother. She makes a deal with the gods and introduces fresh tales. To help her lover escape the situation he got himself into with a gang, the main character acquires new skills and powers. “You will hear people from Haiti and Cuba and Brazil and so call them different names. You will even hear some names I ain’t tell you, but we all mean the same thing,” is a quote from this book which indicates about the ancestors, spirits and the powers throughout this whole story. Which helps show how the story flips viewpoints representing African and Caribbean cultural origins. (3) 

The Chaos

The Chaos book cover (9)

In the book The Chaos, a teenage girl finds it difficult to blend in and believes that she is different from white people, black people, or people from the Caribbean. Then a sticky black material that will not go away begins to cover her body. An unusual glowing sphere begins to cause havoc. Her brother is taken by the bubble when she needs him, and as it spreads over the city, people start to become insane individuals. The little girl must make an effort to save all she has ever encountered from being destroyed by this bubble. There is a dark, ghostly force that follows her everywhere while she attempts to solve this problem and put a stop to it. A quote that stuck with me from this novel is “in the chaos of life, find your own rhythm and dance fearlessly,” because it reminded me that even when life is tough, it is good to step out of your comfort zone                                                                                                                                               and embrace the tough situation with a positive                                                                                          mindset. 

 

A Review of Brown Girl in the Ring

A critic of Brown Girl in the Ring claims that because the fantasy element of the novel is more substantial than science fiction, it is more of a "science-fantasy" work. (5) It took some time for them to fully comprehend the main character, but as the story progressed, they were able to grow to know and even appreciate her. This work was particularly unique since it was nostalgic, culturally rich, and had language that resonated with its audience. They also loved how this book depicted a frightening, depressing, and abandoned civilization while yet managing to give the impoverished neighborhood such real, colorful individuals who are only trying to get by in a harsh society. (5)

A Review of The Chaos

According to critics, the book The Chaos is excellent, embracing variety and sending forth beneficial messages. Despite their distaste for the way these issues were interwoven into the narrative. Because the story's narrative flow is broken and there is so much going on that nobody has time to think about problems, it seems as though there is a separation from the larger picture. This is an intriguing tale; the protagonist understood racism and saw how her sibling was treated by the community. It was refreshing to read something distinct, and this novel was excellent and unlike anything they had ever read. (6)

Personal Reflection

Nalo Hopkinson is not just a writer, she is a leader, and inspires readers to chase their dreams and no matter what, disabilities, and through all struggles, anyone can do anything if they have the right motivation. Nalo Hopkinson has shared that she has a learning disability Master of Arts degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. All her stories are so unique and interesting, I find them all so imaginative, and creative. Many of Nalo Hopkinson’s novels have such an inspiring aspect, full of culture and help you connect to the characters in her works. The engaging aspect of all her works is something I like the most, and having many diverse and interesting characters which makes the novels interesting from beginning to end. I learned so many interesting things about this author which makes me want to read more of her works.

Nalo Hopkinson and her works. (11)

Works Cited

(6) Ana. “Book Review: The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson.” The Book Smugglers, 2 May 2012, www.thebooksmugglers.com/2012/05/book-review-the-chaos-by-nalo-hopkinson.html. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.


(8) “Award-Winning Speculative Fiction Author Nalo Hopkinson Joins UBC.” Creative Writing, creativewriting.ubc.ca/news/author-nalo-hopkinson-joins-ubc/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.


(5) “Book Review: Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson.” The BiblioSanctum, 24 June 2014, bibliosanctum.com/2014/06/24/book-review-brown-girl-in-the-ring-by-nalo-hopkinson-2/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.


(10) “Brown Girl in the Ring.” Www.hachettebookgroup.com, 27 June 2017, www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/nalo-hopkinson/brown-girl-in-the-ring/9780446674331/?lens=grand-central-publishing. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.


(3) “Brown Girl in the Ring Summary.” Www.bookrags.com, www.bookrags.com/studyguide-brown-girl-in-the-ring/#gsc.tab=0. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.


(1) “Hopkinson, Nalo 1960- | Encyclopedia.com.” Www.encyclopedia.com, www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/hopkinson-nalo-1960.


(11) Mary. “Author Nalo Hopkinson Discusses Her Creative Process and the Imagination.” San Francisco Bay View, 20 Aug. 2016, sfbayview.com/2016/08/author-nalo-hopkinson-discusses-her-creative-process-and-the-imagination/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.


(7) “Nalo Hopkinson.” Wikipedia, 13 Feb. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nalo_Hopkinson#:~:text=Hopkinson. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.


(4) “The Chaos.” Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/book/show/11831627-the-chaos. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.


(9) “The Chaos (Paperback).” Walmart.com, 2018, www.walmart.com/ip/The-Chaos-Paperback-9781442459267/21086648. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.


(2) “Women’s History Month – Nalo Hopkinson.” Nellies, 15 Mar. 2015, www.nellies.org/2015/03/15/womens-history-month-nalo-hopkinson/#:~:text=As%20an%20author%2C%20Hopkinson%20often. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.