“Unfiltered and Unapologetic: Discover the Provocative Journey of a Queer Black Voice in Brathwaite’s ‘Rage’!”
The essay I returned to the most, delighted with the humor and self-awareness, not to mention the identity I shared with the author, was the fourth one: “Memoir of a Blouse.” Within the queer lexicon, a blouse is a feminine top (and a top is the insertive partner in a sexual relationship). “Memoirs of a Blouse” is an exploration of being seen, the moments when other people in your life, be they friends, family, or strangers, not only recognize your authentic self, they also signal that they share in that aspect of authenticity. In a capitalist society that seeks to divide us, one from the next (and therefore extract more money from our isolation), those moments of shared identity, shared intersectionality, are balms for our souls, and Mr. Brathwaite celebrates that experience with rich prose and his exquisite wit.
