justabean_reads's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
I really think we should bring the word pamphlet back, or at least 'zine. This was a 'zine. About ninety pages, lots of Whitehead's photography, lots of artistically arranged pull quotes, very pretty design overall. I'm sorry I just had it as a digital copy from the library, as it looked like the kind of book you'd want to hold in your hands.
The conversation is about being queer and Indigenous, rural and urban life, telling your own stories and having them told about you. There was a lot about how much of Whitehead himself went into Jonny Appleseed, and how much was a reaction to the way queerness is seen as being in opposition to reserve life, and the only queer narratives being urban white men. I'm not sure how much you'd get out of it if you hadn't read his other work, but I really liked it.
The conversation is about being queer and Indigenous, rural and urban life, telling your own stories and having them told about you. There was a lot about how much of Whitehead himself went into Jonny Appleseed, and how much was a reaction to the way queerness is seen as being in opposition to reserve life, and the only queer narratives being urban white men. I'm not sure how much you'd get out of it if you hadn't read his other work, but I really liked it.
h0llyr00th's review
medium-paced
5.0
I really appreciate his perspectives and reflections on, like, everything
rudybartlett's review
love the insight this gave into his other works, it made me want to reread johnny appleseed and finally pick up making love with the land
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Right off the bat, I want to say that this book is really meant for people who have already read some of Joshua Whitehead's books. There are a lot of references and in-depth explorations of scenes and characters from his previous works. I’ve read two books by Joshua Whitehead previously, so for me, I felt I got a lot more out of this book, especially with the descriptions of how the character of Johnny Appleseed emerged.
It’s also a very beautiful book, filled with photos and splash pages of poignant quotes, or questions. The connections to Cree culture, space, place, storytelling, and challenging rigid boundaries of Indigenous identities were elements of this book I appreciated and resonated with me. My personal favourite parts were the discussion of dreams. Dreams can be considered as a Indigenous methodologies, and I loved how Whitehead discussed dreams as a place for ancestral knowledge to be passed down.
Whitehead says in this book “reading is a collaborative endeavour”, and I think this will be a great book, club pack, or buddy read, as Whitehead poses several questions and points for reflection throughout the book that will lead to lively discussion. I know it did for my mom and I, as we buddy read this one via StoryGraph, and our comment section was jampacked.
Thank you to ZG stories and AU Press for this gifted copy. I also bought herself this book during Canadian Independent bookstore day and this meant that my mom and I were able to buddy read this lovely book together.
It’s also a very beautiful book, filled with photos and splash pages of poignant quotes, or questions. The connections to Cree culture, space, place, storytelling, and challenging rigid boundaries of Indigenous identities were elements of this book I appreciated and resonated with me. My personal favourite parts were the discussion of dreams. Dreams can be considered as a Indigenous methodologies, and I loved how Whitehead discussed dreams as a place for ancestral knowledge to be passed down.
Whitehead says in this book “reading is a collaborative endeavour”, and I think this will be a great book, club pack, or buddy read, as Whitehead poses several questions and points for reflection throughout the book that will lead to lively discussion. I know it did for my mom and I, as we buddy read this one via StoryGraph, and our comment section was jampacked.
Thank you to ZG stories and AU Press for this gifted copy. I also bought herself this book during Canadian Independent bookstore day and this meant that my mom and I were able to buddy read this lovely book together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual content and Homophobia