Review by Scrawling Pen -- DeFacto Feminism: Essays Stra...

[Scrawling Pen]

[Following is a volunteer review of "DeFacto Feminism: Essays Straight Outta Oakland" by Judy Juanita.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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There is an old saying that goes: “you cannot understand a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes.” Lucky for us, Judy Juanita has provided the second best option: reading her words. Among these pages, the reader will find truth, sadness, humor, and the experiences of life itself. The themes of the book include racism, feminism, sexuality, psychic abilities, and poverty. No topics are off of the table for Juanita. As a strong, African American woman, Juanita allows us a rare glimpse of her world in her memoir De Facto Feminism: Essays Straight Outta Oakland .

The story is told in a series of essays, poems, and emails which flow through Juanita’s life. The essays span from her childhood to adulthood. They describe her experiences as she reflects on her identity as an African American woman, her time spent as a Black Panther, her career as a writer, and her relationships with influential figures in African American activism and art movements. Juanita describes various women who have found the strength to pull themselves up, create solutions, and provide for their families. She explains that these women are true feminists. In one part of the novel, Juanita dives into mysticism and psychic powers of communicating with the recently deceased. Juanita does not shy away from life’s struggles or pain in her writing, and the stories that she tells encompass both the positive and negative aspects of humanity. In Jaunita’s own words, “The detailing of the complexity and richness in human nature seems the regular province of literature...I strive for that kind of contribution with my writing” (p. 119). She certainly accomplishes this, and her essays are filled with complexity and honesty. This novel is not always easy to read. It requires reflection and self-scrutiny to truly appreciate the words and the lessons which Jaunita has tucked away in the pages.

Jaunita uses various writing styles which advance her writing to another level. I was most impressed with Jaunita’s ability to write in metaphors. The metaphors in her essay, both extended and simple, make her words much deeper and more impactful. Additionally, something as simple as using varied sentence lengths allows her to really emphasize points in her writing and keeps the reader engaged. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of poetic pieces with the more straightforward essay and email writing. It allows the reader to see how deeply Jaunita’s life events influenced her work.

I rate this book four out of four stars . I thoroughly enjoyed reading the personal stories of Jaunita’s life and the larger history of African American culture. I really appreciated the raw honesty and genuinity of Juanita’s writing. More so, I appreciated her creative writing style and was constantly engaged in her story. The novel was well edited with very few grammatical errors. My only caution to readers is that there are many historical allusions which some readers may not know. These include Joe Louis, Nat King Cole, Carolyn Rogers, and many more. It helps to have some background of popular historical figures to understand the references.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs, particularly those with poetic and passionate writing. Feminists and those interested in African American history will also like this memoir. I would caution those who do not like to read about mysticism that this book may not be as enjoyable because of the section discussing psychic powers. I would not recommend this book to young readers as there are instances of profanity and sexual references. Many of the themes of the book require maturity to appreciate.

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DeFacto Feminism: Essays Straight Outta Oakland
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[Erin Painter Baker]

I need to find the time to sit down and read this book. I love the way you have reacted to both her writing and the editorial decisions to mix poetry in with the essays.

[Wambui-nj]

I will definitely get this one. Sounds like a great read. Thanks for the review.

[KL9999]

I just finished reading this novel earlier this month and have already recommended it to several of my feminist and writer friends. This book is a gem! Great summary and review!

[rumik]

I've read and reviewed this book as well, and I enjoyed most of it! Just the last true ghost story part put me off unfortunately. I did like the poetry very much as well as her unique perspective as a black woman, but I'm just not really a fan of supernatural elements. But this is a great review, good job!