Leah Penniman

I've been following the work of Leah Penniman for the past decade or so, and was excited to see this latest book of hers.

The book is organized across subject areas, with each chapter consisting of a "conversation" with a handful of black elders (sometimes they're young, but they all have wisdom to share). They're not actually conversations, in that the material that led to the book came out of one-on-one written correspondence. That said, the editing was well done and the format feels pretty natural.

The question that Penniman keeps coming back to is, "what message are you hearing from the earth," or some variant on that theme. I think this is an excellent question to be asking, because it asks us to be sensitive and observant of the more-than-human world that surrounds us.

Penniman helps to dispel a number of misconceptions about the relationship that black people have with place, nature, and environmentalism. She interviews people who have made major contributions in related fields, and helps to make legible black participation in what are sometimes construed as white movements.

One of my favorite things about the book is that Penniman allows animism and spirituality to stand on their own, without making any apologies, caveats, etc. To instrumentalize animism and spirituality undermines their essence. They establish value sets in their own right, and don't need to be justified using science, reason, or other frameworks. Penniman's conversations help to highlight this dynamic.

The book ends with a section on "exegesis." This was a term that I was unfamiliar with, although I am familiar with the concept. That said, she references a four-fold framework around exegesis, when I'm familiar with the understanding that myth and spiritual texts tend to have seven layers of meaning. I'd like to explore this area further and learn about this discrepancy.

If you're looking for a book at the intersection of blackness and animism, this is a good starting point!… (mais)