This Is Major : Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope
Author(s): Shayla Lawson
A National Book Critics Circle Finalist in Autobiography * Finalist for a Lambda Literary Award * Named one of the most anticipated books of the year by USA Today, Bitch Magazine, Parade, Salon and Ms. Magazine
From a fierce and humorous new voice comes a relevant, insightful, and riveting collection of personal essays on the richness and resilience of black girl culture—for readers of Samantha Irby, Roxane Gay, Morgan Jerkins, and Lindy West.
Shayla Lawson is major. You don’t know who she is. Yet. But that’s okay. She is on a mission to move black girls like herself from best supporting actress to a starring role in the major narrative. Whether she’s taking on workplace microaggressions or upending racist stereotypes about her home state of Kentucky, she looks for the side of the story that isn’t always told, the places where the voices of black girls haven’t been heard.
The essays in This is Major ask questions like: Why are black women invisible to AI? What is “black girl magic”? Or: Am I one viral tweet away from becoming Twitter famous? And: How much magic does it take to land a Tinder date?
With a unique mix of personal stories, pop culture observations, and insights into politics and history, Lawson sheds light on these questions, as well as the many ways black women and girls have influenced mainstream culture—from their style, to their language, and even their art—and how “major” they really are.
Timely, enlightening, and wickedly sharp, This Is Major places black women at the center—no longer silenced, no longer the minority.
Review(s):
"Whip-smart."
"[A] pitch-perfect blend of wit and keen observation and analysis. A book that makes you laugh and think at the same time."
This is Major sets the tone for how black women can manifest greatness in all aspects of life. Using the perfect combination of pop-culture, personal stories, politics and history, Lawson empowers black women and girls to show the world just how “major” they really are.
"With this collection, Shayla Lawson delivers the goods on patriarchy, white supremacy and contemporary culture with wit, candor and clarity. Part memoir, part criticism, part history, this volume is brave, fresh and reflective."
“Her tone culminates in beautiful poetry, and her writing is drenched in wit and humor. Lawson's skill for storytelling gleams. . . . Lawson's journalistic research is flawless. This book is an accurate account of surviving discrimination that also envelops universal themes like coming-of-age, self-exploration, and resilience. It is Lawson’s love letter to herself and every other Black woman who may have felt invisible or misunderstood. In one of the rare times in print, the totality and the essence of Black women are front and center here.”
“A hilarious, heartbreaking, and endlessly entertaining homage to black women’s resilience and excellence.”
“An introspective collection, both enlightening and humorous, that is highly recommended for readers interested in creative approaches to memoir and storytelling.”
“An insightful collection. . . .With sharp insight, Lawson elevates the discussion of race in America.”
“A kaleidoscope of wit, humor, sorrow and deeply felt thinking and questioning of modern life. With a poet’s precision and with a brand of candor and urgency known to us only as Lawson-eque, these essays mark a pivotal expansion in a poet’s bold breach of new ground. And what fertile ground it is.”
"Shayla Lawson is the real deal. There's no way around it. Whip smart, singular, and endlessly fascinating, THIS IS MAJOR is the kind of calling card even author dreams of writing, but not many are able to achieve. I cannot wait to see what she does next!"
ISBN: 9780062890597