How to Go Mad Without Losing Your Mind (pg. 11-22)

reading the first chapter for the constituency (installment two)

ismatu gwendolyn

Mar 29, 2024

111

cover of How To Go Mad Without Losing Your Mind, which those words in all capital, block white text imposed over a stretched afro style that almost mimics a church hat in terms of grandness. The subject of the photo looks directly into the camera with other writing in their face— again, in all caps and painted on. Every inch of their face is painted with the writing, line by line. The subtitle, Madness and Black Radical Creativity, is in all capital letter black text on the bottom left, across from the author’s name.

Author: La Marr Jurelle Bruce

Hyperlinked above is their academia.edu page, which has a lovely biography and two more brilliant articles available to read. Remember that orienting oneself with the author (who wrote it? for what reason?) aids in understanding their arguments. There is no one viewpoint of objectivity.

Presented in audio is a reading of pages 1-11 of How to Go Mad Without Losing Your Mind. The full chapter has been made available by Duke University Press right here, so you can listen and read along! I highlyrecommend this method of learning for maximum absorption.

Dr. Bruce also gave this illuminating talk with Farah Jasmine Griffin at the Barnard Center of Research on Women. Author talks are also phenomenal resources for digesting academic prose (or in this case, prose poetry).

Remember the questions we ask when we consider a set of claims critically:

(1) who wrote it?

(2) for what reason?

(3) for what audience?

(4) what’s missing?

Additionally, while not provided here, this book has one of the most stunning acknowledgement sections I have ever read. And I do own this book in physical copy. Just saying. We’ve been chatting in the discord, which I am apparently bad at hyperlinking but I will ask someone to share the right link in the comments :)

post script: i did not have to ask, someone did post a link in the discord! thank you!

happy reading <3

This reading is only available for a limited time, as per the wishes of Dr. Bruce!! Don’t hesitate don’t procrastinate!

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Threadings.

The pieces of my world-making I stitch together into a quilt: love studies. Black feminism. Other things binding me together at the seams. Cozy up and pour some tea.

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