A review by lauren_endnotes
The Face: Cartography of the Void by Chris Abani

5.0

Chris Abani's essay is a meditation on his family history, through the lens of his own face - the face of his father, his grandfather... He briefly speaks of the history of his English mother, tracing back to the Norman Conquest, and shifts to the history of his Nigerian father, and the country of his birth and youth. Abani uses humor, mythology, and linguistics to define beauty in a West African context:"In West African thought, compusure creates beauty. Balance. Equanimity. Serenity. The essential nature of a thing...Beauty lies in recognizing and respecting the uniqueness of all things and all people."

I've read all three of The Face series now, and enjoyed each one. After reading Abani's piece, I am eager to read more of his work, particularly his poetry.