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A review by chaotic_reading
Conversations with People Who Hate Me: 12 Things I Learned from Talking to Internet Strangers by Dylan Marron
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
“This book tells the story of a social experiment I began a few years ago, the events that precipitated it, the mistakes I’ve made along the way, and the twelve lessons I learned throughout the process. […] You are welcome to read this book as a guide on how to navigate difficult conversations of your own, or as a distant story that happened to someone once. Take what serves you and leave what doesn’t.”
Dylan Marron, author of Conversation with People Who Hate Me, has written an incredible book full of anecdotes, thought progressions, and imagery that perfectly summarize the experience that is the internet. The way the author shares these stories of self-realization and the conversation they have with people who "hate" them are engaging and personable, weaving a narrative that takes you right to the door of the point.
At times, the conversation topics were tough to read and digest, especially about ingrained doctrine that is inevitably harmful to marginalized communities. Content warning for: homophobia, racism, xenophobia, and violence. Without minimalizing the extreme harm that these beliefs can have on marginalized communities, it felt like a small crack of light was let through with some of the interactions because Marron was open to having a "civil" conversation and broke down talking points to teaching moments, objectivity in mind. (One might whittle it down to their "faith in humanity being restored".) This kind of emotional and educational undertaking is in no way a small feat, nor should it be on the shoulders of the marginalized community to be the sole bearers of this kind of labour. Reading this collection by Marron only continued to solidify the idea that these conversations are important to be having, however everyone needs to be having them, not just those who are directly affected by the harmful beliefs.
I think this book is a good resource for personal growth in that it gives readers the equation for starting to have those difficult conversations, and I will be recommending it to my friends and family.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Dylan Marron, author of Conversation with People Who Hate Me, has written an incredible book full of anecdotes, thought progressions, and imagery that perfectly summarize the experience that is the internet. The way the author shares these stories of self-realization and the conversation they have with people who "hate" them are engaging and personable, weaving a narrative that takes you right to the door of the point.
At times, the conversation topics were tough to read and digest, especially about ingrained doctrine that is inevitably harmful to marginalized communities. Content warning for: homophobia, racism, xenophobia, and violence. Without minimalizing the extreme harm that these beliefs can have on marginalized communities, it felt like a small crack of light was let through with some of the interactions because Marron was open to having a "civil" conversation and broke down talking points to teaching moments, objectivity in mind. (One might whittle it down to their "faith in humanity being restored".) This kind of emotional and educational undertaking is in no way a small feat, nor should it be on the shoulders of the marginalized community to be the sole bearers of this kind of labour. Reading this collection by Marron only continued to solidify the idea that these conversations are important to be having, however everyone needs to be having them, not just those who are directly affected by the harmful beliefs.
I think this book is a good resource for personal growth in that it gives readers the equation for starting to have those difficult conversations, and I will be recommending it to my friends and family.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia