Notes From a Black Woman's Diary: Selected Works of Kathleen Collins, ed. by Nina Lorez Collins
It's true what they say, that only the good die young... I was immediately struck by the powerful writing of Kathleen Collins when I picked up a slim volume of her collected short stories, Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? Collins died of breast cancer before the age of 50 and left a legacy of stories, movies, plays, screenplays, and personal letters that her daughter has carefully edited and published. Collins' work and intelligence were astonishing, and it is such a damn shame we got so few years with her brilliance.
As indicated by the subtitle, this collection covers a lot of ground and we get to see Collins in several lights. The most striking for me, I think, are her letters. Here, uninterested in the production of a piece of work but rather with communication for its own sake, we see Collins as the phenomenally smart and sensitive person she was. Her plays are also intriguing, so unlike anything I've read or seen before. Though thick, this volume doesn't take long to read, as the bulk of it is taken up by plays and screenplays, including her most famous work, the film "Losing Ground," which I absolutely must find and watch.
Collins had a voice like no other, and used it to draw light into dark corners. It is truly remarkable what she accomplished, and I am devastated once again that her voice was silenced so young.
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As indicated by the subtitle, this collection covers a lot of ground and we get to see Collins in several lights. The most striking for me, I think, are her letters. Here, uninterested in the production of a piece of work but rather with communication for its own sake, we see Collins as the phenomenally smart and sensitive person she was. Her plays are also intriguing, so unlike anything I've read or seen before. Though thick, this volume doesn't take long to read, as the bulk of it is taken up by plays and screenplays, including her most famous work, the film "Losing Ground," which I absolutely must find and watch.
Collins had a voice like no other, and used it to draw light into dark corners. It is truly remarkable what she accomplished, and I am devastated once again that her voice was silenced so young.
Shop indie!
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