I enjoyed reading love conjure/blues. This book is unlike anything I have ever read. Bridgforth definitely takes on a unique approach with her style of writing. The point of her unique style is "to transcend form/ to tell [her] stories". She goes beyond the typical boundaries of expression allowing herself to achieve freedom in her writing as well as spiritually.
I definitely agree with Peri. It was such a great mix of styles that it ended up being a weird mix of making sense and at least a little nonsensical.
Can I just point out how much I loved the passage about "change"? It literally made the whole book for me. The personification of change as a woman walking into the joint and just singing was masterfully done, and the after effects of change belting out that song really added to the overarching theme of transformation through these temples. I guess it was sort of an "enlightenment" experience I suppose for all of the women in the joint whenever "change" walked in a blew everyone away. Seemingly right after, Lushy and Bettye had their moment, and a true "change" took place in their relationship. Did this woman even exist at all? Was she just personification? Or was she a former one night stand of Lushy? I guess we'll never know, but it's in that unknown where I think Bridgforth is able to work her magic.
I almost feel that, of all the texts, though this might have been the most confusing, if best represents the LGBT experience. The chaos that is so embodied by the text, not only through diction but also through raw font choice and stanza construction. The book blends together both the "queer" experience, but the human experience, including race relations. It was, for me, the most realistic text, and brought into light a kind of grounded LGBT culture that I had, until reading this book, never seen before.
This book was so much. It held stories and poems and songs and life lessons. It was admirable in the sense that it transcended so many literary qualities that are hard pressed to find in multiple books, much less all thrown into one. After listening to Laura's idea to come at the book from a conversational approach, I felt very...almost giddy at the thought of gossiping with one of "the regulars" and it came at me almost in a "The Help" kind of way. With the narrator going back and forth telling us her story.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. The different style in the book is one I feel as though I can appreciate. Especially enjoying performance and theatre so much. Love Conjure/Blues would be a wonderful to see live!
As I said in the beginning I loved the style in which the story was written in. I appreciated the theatricality of it. However, I will not go so far as to say that this was my favorite piece we've read thus far. I did like it, don't get me wrong, I guess it just didn't resonate with me on the same level as everyone else. (Perhaps it's just my bias against poetry holding me back?) When it's all said and done, I really like how the text made me think and made me not have to think at the same time. I felt that the way it is presented that it is truly just stories not intended to make you over analyze the situation but enjoy the stories for their gossip, lessons, and entertainment.
I have a funny thought that I got while reading and I wanted to throw it out there for everyone, just for fun. The setting. It feels very fantasy-like, where the dead and the living and the supernatural intertwine, spin in and out through the story in odd tangents. It also has this feeling of otherness, like it doesn't really belong in a solid place, but seems to exist outside of everything. It was almost like picturing a dance hall painted against a white backdrop, or maybe you are approaching the building through a fog and there isn't even a ground to lead you there. Or, if we want to stick with theatre, it's a prop on a stage with a spotlit. Every time I came across a 'place' in the book, it's like it hung there with no background or surroundings. After all, we are only given little clues that basically say...it's a small town, it's in the south, it's a bar, it's a house. Bettye's was the only place which had any solidarity, from knowing the rules to being told it had a back porch. Which made me connect it to the idea of how people are rejected from their cultures, families, and places, often forced to create their own sanctuaries, their own communities. Minority communities are forced to exist within and yet outside of the over-arching dominant American culture (whatever that may be), just as LGBTQAA... folks are often forced to exist outside and within their identified cultures, too.
Anyways, I thought it was an interesting stance on the idea of "Setting" in conjuncture with "community" and "culture".
Also, I love this book, probably because I adore poetry and writing styles that deviate from the norm.
Poetry, in my opinion, is largely under represented in the literary world. It's rare to see a text that is written entirely in the poetic form. Love Conjure/Blues is a refreshing change to that norm. The style of the reading, with it's carefully crafted lines and stanza construction, breaks the text into different stories, different voices. I will say that the colloquialisms, while adding to the realism of the work, did make the reading a little difficult for me to understand, but all in all, I enjoyed a sort of quaint confusion page after page.
Placing the reading in a queer context, I noticed the almost uplifting, and certainly non-judgemental, tones to the tale of the "queer" women about which the book is written, and was refreshed once again. At this point in the semester, I'd been feeling burnt out by the negativity that remains so pervasive in "queer" literature. Obviously, the LGBT experience is fraught with negative realities, but I'd just gotten tired of reading and dissecting such morose texts. I was relieved with Love Conjure/Blues, because though the book contains negative events, the overall tone is one of personal acceptance and a willingness to love and protect in the face of adversity.
Initially I had doubted that I would gain any sort of wisdom from or even make sense of such a bizarre form of literature. Bridgeforth's 'Smoke, Lillies and Jade'-esque novel is in a sense playing hard to get, reserving understanding of itself for those who truly want it. As readers, we took on the role of performers and through our own interpretations of the text, brought the world of Red, Big Bill, Bettye, Cat and Peaches a new life. By collaborating with the text and developing an system to decode it's cryptic code, I can now become more involved in the conflicts and more receptive of the wisdom contained in 'Love Conjure/Blues' than previously. The idea that gender does not affect how we perceive the interactions of the central characters is very fascinating and inspires an entirely new lens with which to closely read other texts, as well as life.
I also grasped the text in a different way after we read the separate scenes aloud. After class I went home and watched a video of Bridgeforth reading the novel and began to enjoy it even more. I think it's beautiful how being able to actually hear the gritty passion of Bridgeforth's written words flow from her and our mouths helped us better comprehend and enjoy the text. Its interesting how presenting the same object or concept in different mediums can force you to contemplate and understand it in a whole new way.
I enjoyed reading love conjure/blues. This book is unlike anything I have ever read. Bridgforth definitely takes on a unique approach with her style of writing. The point of her unique style is "to transcend form/ to tell [her] stories". She goes beyond the typical boundaries of expression allowing herself to achieve freedom in her writing as well as spiritually.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Peri. It was such a great mix of styles that it ended up being a weird mix of making sense and at least a little nonsensical.
ReplyDeleteCan I just point out how much I loved the passage about "change"? It literally made the whole book for me. The personification of change as a woman walking into the joint and just singing was masterfully done, and the after effects of change belting out that song really added to the overarching theme of transformation through these temples. I guess it was sort of an "enlightenment" experience I suppose for all of the women in the joint whenever "change" walked in a blew everyone away. Seemingly right after, Lushy and Bettye had their moment, and a true "change" took place in their relationship. Did this woman even exist at all? Was she just personification? Or was she a former one night stand of Lushy? I guess we'll never know, but it's in that unknown where I think Bridgforth is able to work her magic.
I almost feel that, of all the texts, though this might have been the most confusing, if best represents the LGBT experience. The chaos that is so embodied by the text, not only through diction but also through raw font choice and stanza construction. The book blends together both the "queer" experience, but the human experience, including race relations. It was, for me, the most realistic text, and brought into light a kind of grounded LGBT culture that I had, until reading this book, never seen before.
DeleteThis book was so much. It held stories and poems and songs and life lessons. It was admirable in the sense that it transcended so many literary qualities that are hard pressed to find in multiple books, much less all thrown into one. After listening to Laura's idea to come at the book from a conversational approach, I felt very...almost giddy at the thought of gossiping with one of "the regulars" and it came at me almost in a "The Help" kind of way. With the narrator going back and forth telling us her story.
ReplyDeleteThis should be a mandatory read for people all over. It teaches us so many life lessons that are needed to live a relatively decent life. Not to say that we all don't do the same now but too often we question other people and the things that they say, instead of happily enjoying the sound of their voice. Call my last statement cliché if you like, but don't get it twisted. Emotions such as anger, lust and sadness are just as important of emotions as the more positive emotions in life. which again is shown in Love Conjure Blues by the excessive amount of cuss words in regards to two characters who have disagreed.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I enjoyed the book. The different style in the book is one I feel as though I can appreciate. Especially enjoying performance and theatre so much. Love Conjure/Blues would be a wonderful to see live!
As I said in the beginning I loved the style in which the story was written in. I appreciated the theatricality of it. However, I will not go so far as to say that this was my favorite piece we've read thus far. I did like it, don't get me wrong, I guess it just didn't resonate with me on the same level as everyone else. (Perhaps it's just my bias against poetry holding me back?)
ReplyDeleteWhen it's all said and done, I really like how the text made me think and made me not have to think at the same time. I felt that the way it is presented that it is truly just stories not intended to make you over analyze the situation but enjoy the stories for their gossip, lessons, and entertainment.
I have a funny thought that I got while reading and I wanted to throw it out there for everyone, just for fun.
ReplyDeleteThe setting. It feels very fantasy-like, where the dead and the living and the supernatural intertwine, spin in and out through the story in odd tangents. It also has this feeling of otherness, like it doesn't really belong in a solid place, but seems to exist outside of everything. It was almost like picturing a dance hall painted against a white backdrop, or maybe you are approaching the building through a fog and there isn't even a ground to lead you there. Or, if we want to stick with theatre, it's a prop on a stage with a spotlit. Every time I came across a 'place' in the book, it's like it hung there with no background or surroundings. After all, we are only given little clues that basically say...it's a small town, it's in the south, it's a bar, it's a house. Bettye's was the only place which had any solidarity, from knowing the rules to being told it had a back porch. Which made me connect it to the idea of how people are rejected from their cultures, families, and places, often forced to create their own sanctuaries, their own communities. Minority communities are forced to exist within and yet outside of the over-arching dominant American culture (whatever that may be), just as LGBTQAA... folks are often forced to exist outside and within their identified cultures, too.
Anyways, I thought it was an interesting stance on the idea of "Setting" in conjuncture with "community" and "culture".
Also, I love this book, probably because I adore poetry and writing styles that deviate from the norm.
Poetry, in my opinion, is largely under represented in the literary world. It's rare to see a text that is written entirely in the poetic form. Love Conjure/Blues is a refreshing change to that norm. The style of the reading, with it's carefully crafted lines and stanza construction, breaks the text into different stories, different voices. I will say that the colloquialisms, while adding to the realism of the work, did make the reading a little difficult for me to understand, but all in all, I enjoyed a sort of quaint confusion page after page.
ReplyDeletePlacing the reading in a queer context, I noticed the almost uplifting, and certainly non-judgemental, tones to the tale of the "queer" women about which the book is written, and was refreshed once again. At this point in the semester, I'd been feeling burnt out by the negativity that remains so pervasive in "queer" literature. Obviously, the LGBT experience is fraught with negative realities, but I'd just gotten tired of reading and dissecting such morose texts. I was relieved with Love Conjure/Blues, because though the book contains negative events, the overall tone is one of personal acceptance and a willingness to love and protect in the face of adversity.
Initially I had doubted that I would gain any sort of wisdom from or even make sense of such a bizarre form of literature. Bridgeforth's 'Smoke, Lillies and Jade'-esque novel is in a sense playing hard to get, reserving understanding of itself for those who truly want it. As readers, we took on the role of performers and through our own interpretations of the text, brought the world of Red, Big Bill, Bettye, Cat and Peaches a new life. By collaborating with the text and developing an system to decode it's cryptic code, I can now become more involved in the conflicts and more receptive of the wisdom contained in 'Love Conjure/Blues' than previously. The idea that gender does not affect how we perceive the interactions of the central characters is very fascinating and inspires an entirely new lens with which to closely read other texts, as well as life.
ReplyDeleteI also grasped the text in a different way after we read the separate scenes aloud. After class I went home and watched a video of Bridgeforth reading the novel and began to enjoy it even more. I think it's beautiful how being able to actually hear the gritty passion of Bridgeforth's written words flow from her and our mouths helped us better comprehend and enjoy the text. Its interesting how presenting the same object or concept in different mediums can force you to contemplate and understand it in a whole new way.
Delete