cbr16bingo Disco
Disco is a very loose connection but one I can make fit. You see, the category mentions gay Americans and the 1960s and 1970s. And the one thing I have learned in my reading the last few years, shows that first, this is not “ancient history” but less than 50 years ago in some areas. And the fact that we might think we’ve come a long way with equality and “political correctness” we still have a long way to go. As this book shows. Even well meaning people can make a slip, say a microaggression. Their hearts are in the right places, but the fact we still have books like this shows we still have work to do. Not to mention, I danced around actually requesting this book and then reading it
I had every good intention when I asked for a copy of Why Are You So Sensitive?: Navigating Everyday, Unintended Microaggressions by Billie Lee and Gina Torino. I know I am guilty of microaggressions, so why not learn about them? Maybe I could find ways to educate myself. When I got my online reader, then my physical copy, I started reading with an open mind. But then I saw the words Vanderpump Rules. This is Billie Lee from that show. This colored my feelings afterwards. Perhaps ironically, this is probably a microaggression. I am judging the book by a reality show I do not like, but that does not mean it would not be a good read. Therefore, I just told myself to pretend that I didn’t know the background of this author and went for it.
It would take me many weeks to read (due to reading at lunch, losing my first copy of the book, unable to read online, then the subject is not easy). If you like Lee, then this is a must have. If you are interested in microaggressions it works as well. However, there were several repetitive situations from different people making things oversaturated. And for me, I felt it odd that Lee has a story for every microaggression addressed in the book. Even when they were talking about plus sized people, men, and people of color. Her story/anecdote comes first, we then have several examples, then at the end of each one the expert roundup. They give advice on how the reader should act and/or how the person could have acted differently in some cases. They do not assume you are a “microaggression doer” nor are you someone who has had to deal with them (but it does lean towards you having been on the receiving end of them). This allows the book to be for multiple types of readers.
It’s not a sit and read all at once, but a slow digestion, even within the chapter/subject itself, read. The stories are presented in a couple of lines to a few pages, but if the print and formatting stays the same, they will all be short reads. There is a lot of white space on the pages. There are resources given and a few extras, including a section that gives mini author biographies. I read Lee’s book mostly via an online reader copy and occasionally a physical copy; the final edition is due mid-September 2024. 