A review by carlybarly6
Darling: A Spiritual Autobiography by Richard Rodríguez

4.0

Darling, by Richard Rodriguez, reads as a collection of essays rather than the assumed autobiographical format. His essays, in which he digresses from one idea to another, are all a conglomeration of the philosophical and quotidian thoughts that have guided his understanding of spirituality as a gay, Roman Catholic man. I feel like I don’t quite know what I read, but I know that it was beautiful and nuanced. In the aftermath of Septhember 11, 2001, Rodriguez writes of the desert religions, he writes of emptiness, of Mother Theresa and of gay drag nuns, of Cezar Chavez, of the color brown, of print dying at the hands of technology, and of a best friend dying from AIDS. My favorite chapter, the title chapter, is a love letter to women — those that Rodriguez credits for his being, especially in a faith practice that excludes him — as he reflects on women’s fortitude of mind and the power yielded in their bodies. This autobiography feels like reading snapshots. A reflection here, and one here, and over here too, and somehow they all come together in a stunning and subtle way.