Black Cake, Turtle Soup, and Other Dilemmas

July 1, 2024
Moving between Trinidad, Canada, and Brazil, Blizzard's debut essay collection traces the personal and national roots of colonialism, reflecting on how the present remains entangled in the colonial slave trade. Jumping from poignant childhood moments to reflections of her adult life, Blizzard's narrative essays contort the linearity of time to explore how memories are continuously reshaped by time that has passed, time that is here, and time that has not yet arrived. Her play with memory making is also accompanied by reflections on how formal education, both in the Caribbean and in Canada, is rooted in colonialism. Not afraid to directly address racism and call out false allies, Blizzard also does not shy away from exploring the complex emotions, including tiredness, sadness, and anger, arising from a society that marginalizes Black women while making them objects of attention. Through exploring these dichotomies of visibility and invisibility, presence and absence, stillness and movement, Blizzard delivers a thought-provoking collection that will appeal to those interested in questioning cultural archives, national identity, and personal legacies.

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