Straight White Man Blogs about Akwaeke Emezi

Howdy yall!  I know that this type of blog may be different than the regular spiel you come here for.  At a time, my usual post would center around the struggles of being a straight white man in today's society.  Over time, it has evolved into atheistic rants and pictures of my food.  But, as a straight white man, I feel it is also my duty to broaden my horizons and see what other perspectives could possibly be out there (if there are any). You would not believe what I have found: there are, apparently, countries other than America!  Even more than that, there are sexual identities other than being straight! I know, dear reader, this truth could be difficult to believe, but I bring you empirical evidence of this fact in the form of...

Awaeke Emezi (1)

    

    Awaeke Emezi is a Nigerian-born LGBTQ+ writer who has experience in literature, film, music, and visual art (1).  Emezi has had a love for literature since early childhood, reading their parents' books since they were around five years old.  As for their own writing, much of it centers around the Igbo culture of Nigeria that they were raised in.  Personally, I believe that being able to see aspects of other cultures is something one could miss living a privileged life in rural America, and having the skill to weave their cultural identity into their work draws me into the reading. This, coupled with the fact that Emezi identifies as agender, creates a fuller picture of how Emezi's experiences influence their writing.  Emezi states that, "As I became more public about not having a gender and being queer...it really changed my relationship with being able to go back home.  I can't live in Niger anymore because it's not safe" (2).  

    Being straight myself, I could never imagine living through this kind of persecution in your own country just because of your gender identity.  However, through reading Emezi's work, there lies an opportunity for people like me to begin to understand the perspective of minority groups and the struggles they face by exercising the rights I can take for granted every day.  They go on to explain that queer Nigerians are typically exiled from their culture, not having access to the same aspects of culture, such as traditional weddings, that straight Nigerians do.  In a review for the New York Times, R.O. Kwon discusses You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty as an "ode to living with, and despite, pain and mortality" (3).  He states that Feyi's true conflict comes in both honoring her grief, as well as continuing her life.  This take on Emezi's work calls me to delve into the novel.  While Emezi's work pulls inspiration from her own identity, it seems it is also based in intrinsic human truths, such as grief and the struggle of moving on.  Through this complicated relationship with love, loss, and culture, we can begin to see how Awaeke connects with her work, specifically You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty.

    In this work, protagonist Feyi Adekola is an artist who is encouraged by her roommate, Joy, to get back on the dating scene after the tragic loss of her significant other five years prior.  Feyi gets an unexpected wrapped in a whirlwind summer, going to exotic places, decadent parties, and career opportunities that look to launch her career.  She even has begun dating the perfect guy.  However, the conflict comes through her infatuation with the one person who she shouldn't fall for, her boyfriend's father.  Just as Emezi deals with balancing her love and her culture, Feyi must do the same to decide if love can conquer cultural boundaries. (1) 

    In the previously mentioned review, R.O. Kwon summarizes an important aspect of the novel.  Feyi's love with her boyfriend's father, who is grieving his own loss, gives her someone that both understands her loss and gives her hope for her romantic future.  While grief as an emotional connection is nothing new in writing, it is one I take a keen interest in.  Kwon also praises the amount of LGBTQ+ representation, stating "It is also riotously, delightfully queer, featuring, hallelujah, so many characters who weren't straight that I had trouble remembering if anyone even was heterosexual" (3).  This especially draws me in, as it is an opportunity for me to expand on my knowledge of LBTQ+ characters in writing.  Being able to see this representation coming from someone more experienced in this aspect of life will most definitely serve as a learning opportunity.  However, not all readers share Kwon's sentiments.  In a review for the Decorah Library, Erin Larson states that, "although beautifully written, [You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty] features a frustrating lack of conflict, and it glamorizes unhealthy relationships under the guise of true love.  It made me feel gross" (4).  Larson later clarifies that, though he believes fiction should be able to mimic the poor decisions made in real life, the way the text seems to endorse these actions in an uninteresting way is what truly makes him uncomfortable.  Personally, while I believe that writing can serve to teach lessons and inspire, I do not believe every protagonist needs to be a paragon for us to look up to.  I also do not believe every character needs to get what they deserve, as different people have different opinions on appropriate punishments or rewards all the time.  So, despite Larson's criticism, I am interested in seeing how Emezi has approached this strange relationship dynamic.

    Overall, dear reader, I believe it is time to look beyond the scope of my sheltered world and read from a different point of view.  Even with criticisms, my interest in Emezi's work has been sparked, and I look forward to seeing how she grapples with the many themes and topics that reviewers praise and reticule in her writing.  You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty is definitely on my reading list for this upcoming summer.  Thus, I beg you to read...

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty (1)

Works Cited

(1) “Akwaeke.” Akwaeke Emezi, 2024, www.akwaeke.com/home. 

(2) Adebajo, Arenike. “‘I’ve Never Known a Life Without Stories’: An Interview with Nigerian Author Akwaeke Emezi.” Colors X Studios, 2023, colorsxstudios.com/editorials/akwaeke-emezi.

(3) Kwon, R. O. “An Ode to Living with, and Despite, Pain and Mortality.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 May 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/books/you-made-a-fool-of-death-with-your-beauty-akwaeke-emezi.html.

(4) Larson, Erin. “‘You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty’ by Akwaeke Emezi.” Decorah Public Library, 21 July 2022, www.decorahlibrary.org/erin-larson-book-reviews-essays/2022/you-made-a-fool-of-death-with-your-beauty-by-akwaeke-emezi.