Loretta Ross, oh how you spoke to me. An essential guide and reminder to anyone who deems themself caring or a part of community growth and radical, transformative justice

it's tricky how to review this book. it's not preachy, but not gentle. it's direct in its purpose, with kindness and lessons that are digestible and applicable. it's when the righteous rage just doesn't feel welcome, or useful, and the feeling that something else has got to happen for us to be and make the change we desire. when choosing the moral-high-ground, or becoming a keyboard warrior gets us nowhere. whether in a digital space or in our one-on-one personable relationships, Ross provides a rejuvenating recollection of her own moments of choosing when to call out vs. when to call in through her activism journey. yet, through that guiding path, she also gives key moments for others to learn when and how to do either, and the necessary reflection we as activists, as community members, as people have to evaluate each scenario in its singularity and also keeping the bigger, radical picture in mind

what i'm stunned with is how comforting and eye-opening this book is. if you engage in any activism, the internet and some, if not many, of our personal relationships are fraught with tension, pain, and either mis-to-zero communication. Ross doesn't lead you, but walks beside you as you read; giving space for our own internal evaluation of the times we've called out others or have been called out ourselves. what did that do for us? and what did that do to us? and the biggest question of all: where does that leave us moving forward?

we can sit here all day and identify rage bait and leftist/liberal circlejerks (credit to a pb user for this phrase), but what i'm reminded of is just how depleted and angry i feel in any shape or form afterwards. Calling In gives a new face and perspective with a similar like-minded book, Let This Radicalize You by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba, that our activism should bring JOY to our work. joy doesn't negate pain and discomfort — Ross uses examples of her own experience as a child of incest and SA, and her career working with abusers — but at the end of our day, we must care more about the space we create and invite others into than doubling down on our own sense of self-assured justice, furthering the divide that gets us nowhere

it's important to note that Ross doesn't sugarcoat or rose-colored glasses that calling in is easy or always an option. but the community we want and the community we build should matter more than always being "right" or "pure" to get there. our community must be created by choice, and part of that is choosing to let people in; choosing to let people make mistakes and to learn; choosing to hold forgiveness and accountability together; choosing each other for the future we want

Have you ever read something that felt like a guiding hand, a warm hug, a reflection in the mirror, and an unknown room full of possibilities and imagination? That upon reading you feel connected to something, someone, and everything all at once?

Mad Sisters of Esi is the beginning, the middle, the finale, and infinite tale of stories. With the most eloquent, lyrical prose Tashan Mehta gives readers a story of two sisters, of family, of legacy, of history, of change and acceptance, and of our collected and connected memory that we all share.

While the story is slow-paced, I implore readers to trust the path that Mehta writes; it is unknown to readers as it is to the characters, and yet that is truly the heart of this book. That no matter where we are in time, we are all connected—seen, loved, understood, and eventually we will find our way home. Our stories can and will change, but to be known is to know that our stories will still live and love on, in endless shapes, in possibilities. That there is always hope, in our imagination, in our joy, in ourselves, and within those who know our hearts.

We might all be a little mad, but what is love without a little madness? 🩷

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