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Robotswithpersonality
Jonny Appleseed | Joshua Whitehead
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Pickpick

Each person's discovery of gender identity is unique, but Two-Spirit, the way it's relayed here, I think it's important to recognize this is specific to a people, a culture, a spirituality. Likewise, Indigiqueer, queer and Indigenous, is an experience separate from how a white person might experience queerness or an Indigenous person might experience heteronormativity. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality The novel centres the idea of individuals holding various identities, the main character is a queer, sex positive sex worker, an Indigenous two-spirited person, who has grown up in a multi-generational family on a reservation, having left it as a new adult. He shares intimate ties to a friend who seems conflicted in his sexuality, has experienced government removal from family, foster care, both have experienced child abuse and continue to experience systemic racism. 2/? 2y
Robotswithpersonality Telling the story of how those identities intersect in a quietly devastating, unflinchingly honest way, the writing winds back and forth between pragmatically explicit, poetically wistful, and embittered weariness. It reads like a memoir/diary, reflections and remembrances. There is a framing narrative, including inciting incident (death of step-family member) and goal worked towards (get money to get back to reservation, visit family, attend funeral) but it functions more as background to many pieces of the narrator and his friend's lives recounted, especially the narrator's relationship to two generations of female predecessors. 3/? 2y
Robotswithpersonality The aching contrast between enforced colonialist views on gender and sexuality, notions of manhood and masculinity, under which some modern Indigenous peoples are still assimilated, in contrast to more traditional views which are more welcoming to fluidity, really hits hard. It makes Jonny's acceptance by his mother and grandmother that much more beautiful. 4/? 2y
See All 6 Comments
Robotswithpersonality I like that the book ends with the possibility that these characters cannot just survive, but possibly thrive, but it doesn't shrink from the reality that their identities disadvantage them in a world of intolerance and white privilege. It will require acknowledging what about their upbringing programming their current behavior may no longer serve them, while it is gentle about not necessarily framing any blame on parental figures rather than the system that let them down for generations. 5/? 2y
Robotswithpersonality The introduction to the author's note of gratitude at the back feels like the perfect summary to the notes of brave, angry, mournful and accepting felt throughout the book.

⚠️Pretty much all the warnings:
Racism, homophobia, child abuse, binge drinking/alcohol dependency, SA, assault, fatphobia, body image issues (dysphoria?), definitely multiple unsafe situations, gets descriptive with multiple bodily fluids
2y
Singout “Enforced colonialist views on gender and sexuality…exactly. So much harm has been done and so much lost by Settler dominance. 2y
6 likes6 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
Jonny Appleseed | Joshua Whitehead
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I will always be grateful to every instance of a character in any medium calling out exactly how "fucked up" such comments are, and yes, stating that all bodies deserve "to be...loved". It's a message that bears repeating.

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Robotswithpersonality
Jonny Appleseed | Joshua Whitehead
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Gut punch prose.

6 likes1 stack add
review
Kazzie
Jonny Appleseed | Joshua Whitehead
Pickpick

Wow! Loved this book! Beautiful poetic writing that was at times joyful and at time heartbreaking. Will likely reread

blurb
Sydneypaige
Jonny Appleseed | Joshua Whitehead
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This reads like a memoir and is a deep engrossing exploration about relationships - romantic and familial- and queerness and indigeneity, including fetishization. I love reading about sex work without commentary on it, as in its just how Jonny gets money to go back to the rez in this world. It‘s not told in chronological order, the stories weave in and out of each other.

review
MerlinTheSlightlyAwkward
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Pickpick

A powerful set of sci-if short stories, specifically collected from indigenous, queer-identifying authors. They all round an end theme of “…. But what if we tried really f*cking hard to work together” and I can‘t get enough. So much challenge of worldly thinking and cultural norms!

#scifi #fiction #space #tech #shortstories #indigenous #LGBTQIA+ #TwoSpirit

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LibraryCin
Jonny Appleseed | Joshua Whitehead
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Panpan

It was not in chronological order, and it was quite sexually graphic at times. The author narrated the audio but he has a monotone voice. Turns out there might have been more of a plot than I thought, so maybe I did miss more than I thought. For some reason, I had it in my head that indigenous 2-spirit people were more accepted in indigenous cultures than gay people in white cultures, but (at least in this book) that doesn‘t appear to be the case

review
janeycanuck
Jonny Appleseed | Joshua Whitehead
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Pickpick

A good but very explicit listen. It went further than I‘m generally comfortable with but the writing was excellent and the story had a beautiful nuance to it.

Suzze I bought this one last year. Hope I like it. 3y
janeycanuck @Suzze Aside from the overly explicit bits, it was very good. I really enjoyed the episode from the Storykeeper‘s podcast on it, as well. Good companion - they made me feel much better about being uncomfortable with the explicit parts. 3y
39 likes2 comments
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Addison_Reads
Jonny Appleseed | Joshua Whitehead
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Such an intense, memorable read.

#12Booksof2021 @Andrew65 #April

Andrew65 A popular book. 3y
35 likes1 stack add1 comment
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TheKidUpstairs
Jonny Appleseed | Joshua Whitehead
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#12Booksof2021 #March

I knew this was bound to happen. I can't pick just one for March. Both of these books challenged and affected my view of the world. They both still sit in my heart all these months later.

@Andrew65

Andrew65 Two great choices. 3y
Cinfhen I loved the Tsabari memoir 💜 3y
TheKidUpstairs @Cinfhen it was wonderful, and one I probably wouldn't have picked up if it weren't for #foodandlit 3y
67 likes4 comments