"Misadventures was written in a flat, artless style — as The Daily Telegraph’s critic put it, like “a cross between a police officer giving evidence in court and a slightly demented grandmother intent on telling you everything over a cup of tea”. The curious tale of Sylvia Smith - the author who achieved fame in her fifties on the publication of her memoir of an ordinary life, one which sometimes baffled critics.
posted by mippy on Feb 28, 2013 - 22 comments

"As a black woman, I don’t identify with and relate to most of the non-black characters I see on TV, much less characters of my own race. When I flip through the channels, it's disheartening. I don’t see myself or women like me being represented. I’m not a smooth, sexy, long-haired vixen; I’m not a large, sassy black woman; an angry Post Office employee. I’m an awkward black girl." [more inside]
posted by lesli212 on Sep 14, 2011 - 186 comments

Coming of age in America is a ritual occasion with the goal of having an adventure that will serve as story fodder for decades to come. Whether it's waking up near death in a filthy Guadalajara alley next to some wealthy guy that you think you met in New Orleans or blowing most of your college savings on a weekend of tame debauchery in Amsterdam, the moment is meant to be simultaneously cherished and regretted for the rest of ones life.
posted by bunnytricks on Sep 22, 2002 - 19 comments