A review by tenten
Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir by Akwaeke Emezi

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

yeah so... i worship Akwaeke Emezi. i have been a worshipper for quite a while, but this book....phew.

it took me a year to read Freshwater. when i have high expectations for a book i get afraid because in many cases, they do not meet those expectations. Freshwater did, and did more by exceeding them. it was an incredible book. i berated myself for doubting Akwaeke's power but i vowed to never do it again. a couple of months after i read freshwater, PET came out and i was lucky enough to meet Akwaeke, to bask in their light for a while. i'm framing the photo we took together. 

Dear Senthuran can be considered a sequel or follow up to Freshwater, in which Akwaeke expands upon being ogbanje, their unwavering spirituality and faith, their journey finding success in a restrictive industry. deeply personal, yet very much a work of theory, this memoir-in-letters was truly something special. i learned so much, both about a non-human that i idolize, igbo ontologies, spirituality, and navigating the publishing industry.

obviously, as a budding writer myself, the letters to Nonso were particularly relavant to me. i admired their transparency about how they navigated the publishing industry. their experiences helped me to unlearn some beliefs i have about how i have to follow certain steps to reach my goals. i don't need to publish short stories in major journals before trying to publish a book. i don't need to complete an MFA. there are other ways.

beyond that, though, i learned about having confidence in myself and my work. about not shrinking or doubting myself when i know i'm that bitch. about the good of arrogance. about trusting the work and letting that be the key to your success. about advocating for yourself. about death.

it was so amazing to witness their maturity as a writer, too. Freshwater was already a work of art, but this was really something. the metaphors!! DAZZLING! 

their mind is so unique, their work is so groundbreaking, they are so so so incredible. i'm awed!
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