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A review by catapocalypse
A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A short, artful read with so many big ideas and a lot of heart.
A queer Indigenous PhD candidate feels disconnected from his academic goals, and decides to venture home to rural Northern Alberta to write a novel. His new goal is to write in a voice as representative of his community as possible, and he spends time interviewing a number of friends, family, and others in the area.
The book examines so many different things, including the hardships inflicted on Indigenous folks by colonization and police violence, the struggles of growing up queer in rural communities, the search for love and intimacy, the purpose and uses of writing. There are so many things to mull over, I think it requires multiple read-throughs to even try to grasp it all.
A queer Indigenous PhD candidate feels disconnected from his academic goals, and decides to venture home to rural Northern Alberta to write a novel. His new goal is to write in a voice as representative of his community as possible, and he spends time interviewing a number of friends, family, and others in the area.
The book examines so many different things, including the hardships inflicted on Indigenous folks by colonization and police violence, the struggles of growing up queer in rural communities, the search for love and intimacy, the purpose and uses of writing. There are so many things to mull over, I think it requires multiple read-throughs to even try to grasp it all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, and Police brutality
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Domestic abuse