Whatever, Mom, by Ariel Gore & Maia Swift…What a great book. I read it in 2023, and while the times have changed a lot for all of us since this book was published—it’s still extremely relevant. The love and wisdom in these pages still apply, maybe more than ever. So grateful for this book as a guide through the brambles of raising a teen. Check it out!
I’m savoring the latest from Ariel Gore: her school-in-a-book called The Wayward Writer: Summon Your Power to Take Back Your Story, Liberate Yourself from Capitalism, and Publish Like a Superstar.
I’ll post about this book and what it helps manifest at intervals. Here’s a sliver of wisdom and heat for today.
On p. 31, Ariel Gore is interviewing Audre Lorde biographer Alexis Pauline Gumbs.
Ariel Gore: “What else should aspiring lit stars know about their lit star life?”
Alexis Pauine Gumbs: “Audre Lorde wrote a poem for her children where she said:
‘Remember our sun
is not the most noteworthy star
only nearest.’
As ‘lit stars’ it matters where we are, it matters who we impact. It is not so much about our brilliance, or being the brightest and out shining other stars. It is about being close. Close to a shareable heat. It is about whether or not our communities can utilize the solar power in our writing to grow something that nourishes them for real.”
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(I adore this notion of shareable heat. Here’s some shareable heat in sonic form, manifested by Damon Locks/Black Monument Ensemble, which you can enjoy here.)
Rebecca Kuder 