Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments
Back of the Book
Beautifully written and deeply researched, Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiment examines the revolution of black intimate life that unfolded in Philadelphia and New York at the beginning of the twentieth century. In wrestling with the question of what a free life is, many young black women created forms of intimacy and kinship indifferent to the dictates of respectability and outside the bounds of law. They cleaved to and cast off lovers, exchanged sex to subsist, and revised the meaning of marriage. Longing and desire fueled their experiments in how to live. They refused to labor like slaves or to accept degrading conditions of work. Here, for the first time, these women are credited with shaping a cultural movement that transformed the urban landscape. Through a melding of history and literary imagination, Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments recovers these women's radical aspirations and insurgent desires.
We Love It Because
Hartman’s presence in many a critical theory university syllabi is well deserved as she shows us in ‘Wayward Lives’. Her unique point of view creates an intimacy between herself and her subjects as well as her prose and her audience - and there is no better way to learn. Hartman’s prose leaves a lasting imprint, and her careful research into the many forms of intimacy created by black women at the time continues to be instructive.
Memorable Passage
Mattie, looking past the cold facts and the risks, mistook the city for a place where she might thrive. “The real fever of love” would take hold of her, and the streets and the dance halls did become her best friends. All the sentimental causes for this rush and flight— the freedom to move, the want of liberty, the hunger for more and better, and the need of breathing room— explained her presence in New York. She too would fall prey to the pleasures and dangers of the city while trying to make a feast of its meager opportunities.
About the Author
Saidiya Hartman is a distinguished American cultural critic, historian, and writer whose scholarship has profoundly reshaped our understanding of African American history, literature, and culture. Born in 1961, Hartman's groundbreaking works, including Scenes of Subjection and Lose Your Mother, challenge prevailing narratives and engage with the complexities of the Black experience in the United States. Her interdisciplinary approach, blending history, literature, and cultural analysis, offers nuanced insights into the legacies of slavery, the politics of memory, and the construction of identity. Hartman's commitment to amplifying marginalized voices and her skill in combining rigorous academic research with poetic prose make her an essential figure in contemporary scholarship. Her influence extends beyond academia, impacting broader conversations about race, justice, and the ongoing struggle for equality. Saidiya Hartman is worth knowing for her transformative contributions to Black studies and her dedication to excavating hidden histories, ensuring a more inclusive and honest reckoning with the past.
Recommended By
