Their eyes were watching God: What does soulful mean?"As a reader, I want to claim fellowship with "good writing" without limits; to be able to say that Hurston is my sister and Baldwin is my brother, and so is Kafka my brother, and Nabokov, and Woolf my sister, and Eliot and Ozick. Like all readers, I want my limits to be drawn by my own sensibilities, not by my melanin count.""One can be no more removed from it that from one's arm, but it is no more the measure of one's being than an arm." [on "Blackness"] Here Smith often uses that Victorian-style omniscient, generalising narrative voice (as in her fiction) which makes her seem wonderfully wise when I agree with her, and pompous and annoying when I don't. When younger contemporary authors persist in this style (dead people and pensioners I give a pass to), it makes me want to tell them to go and do a several-months long counselling skills course and have to learn "speaking from the 'I' position" - I would love to know how it would affect their thinking, narration and portrayal of people and the world. And see them start to understand those generalisations about human nature simply as reflections of what they've read, who they've met etc and not necessarily applicable to all.
What do You think about Cambiar De Idea (2009)?
Generally enjoyable, relaxing, and well-written essays but some were more compelling than others.
—rmcg
She's so smart it's scary. She's also charming as well. This essays are magnificent.
—badblake
