In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests and the Covid-19 pandemic, the soaring and essential pieces presented in There's a Revolution Outside, My Love give voice to the cleavages that have shaken and uprooted American lives in an era of unthinkable grief.

We are living through an unprecedented, revolutionary era. Across the country, people are losing their loved ones, their livelihoods, their homes, and even their own lives to COVID-19. Despite the pandemic, countless protests erupted this summer over the recurring loss of Black lives. Shock and outrage reverberated. There's a Revolution Outside, My Love captures and gives voice to all of these roiling sentiments that were unleashed in a profoundly affecting time.
Beginning with a heart-rending poem by masterful poet Patricia Smith that grieves the murder of George Floyd, among others--the pieces in this anthology fan out from there, offering a kaleidoscopic and intimate view of the change we all underwent. Composed of searing letters, essays, poems, reflections, and screeds, There's a Revolution Outside, My Love highlights the work of some of our most powerful and treasured writers. They hail from across a range of backgrounds and from almost all fifty states. Between them, have brought home four Pulitzers, two National Book Awards, a fistful of Whitings, and numerous citations in best American poetry, short story, and essay compilations. They are noisy with beauty, and their pieces ring out.
Galvanizing and lyrical, this is a deeply profound anthology of writing filled with pain and beauty, warmth and intimacy. A remarkable feat of empathy, There's a Revolution Outside, My Love offers solace in a time of swirling protest, change, and violence--reminding us of the human scale of the upheaval, and providing hope for a kinder future.

Reader Reviews

jason wright

(5/5)

Nov 21, 2024

Excellent

Vickie Henson

(4/5)

Beautiful writers and story tellers, each every essayist. I was so moved by the collection of raw truth and emotion. It was therapy for my soul and a way of healing from the last 5 years in politics, pandemic and racial reckoning.

Alannah Irwin

Even though this was a short collection, it took me a little while to get through because each essay or poem felt profound enough to take my time with. It includes Indigenous, Black, Asian-American, queer, disabled, and women writers (and of course, where each other carries multiple of these identities) specifically focusing on a response to 2020, from the beginning of Covid until Biden's election and everything in between-- some surreal and some personal narrative. So far, it has absolutely bee...

Jen Bojkov

I can’t say I enjoyed reading this book, because it outlines so many ways society, especially US society, has gotten things wrong. It can be uncomfortable, even painful, to read at times. But I think that’s what we need to do- right? Especially as a white person- like me. This was a revelatory read. I recommend it.

Monica L Edwards

These are wonderful, powerful, and poetic essays.

Kristen Claiborn

2020 will go down in history for multiple reasons. For the vast majority of the world’s population it was downright terrible, ushering in a global pandemic that kept us at home for months on end, cancelled graduations (my own daughter’s included), weddings and vacations, and had us all scrambling to find toilet paper. Millions of people lost their livelihoods and faced worries much bigger than not being able to squeeze the Charmin. 2020 also saw a reckoning in the United States; one between peop...

Rose

**Disclaimer** I won this ARC from a Goodreads giveaway. I wasn't required to write this review, it just seemed polite to do so after getting a free book. This is a stunning collection of essays and poetry. A multitude of voices all reacting to the tumult of 2020, here is the necessary reminder that even amidst sorrow and anger, hope remains a powerful force. One of the editors, Tracy K. Smith says it best in her preface: "Perhaps you will open this book and find solace during a time of conster...

Amy Colbert

4.7

Brian Traveller

Good

Sarah Miles

Heartbreaking, hope-inducing, lovely, powerful. These essays brought me right back to the months of pandemic, of George Floyd, of the 2020 election, introducing new perspectives and beautifully spoken sentiments. This one will be important to return to as the years go by.

Cedric Nash

This book is an inspiration. Thought provoking while letting the reader see into the minds of the eloquent writers. 2020 brought so many emotions to so many people. This book helped me to see that while I was having deep thoughts of what was and what was to come, others put pen to paper for this jewel. I reocmmend this book and will tell my teachers they may want to read it.

Alex

A moving set of reflections from the depths of 2020

Janet

What an amazing reading, feeling, and thinking experience! I didn't plan it this way, but am pleased that I finished reading it on the holiday commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's January 15 birthday. I am also reviewing the book on the holiday. This collection of 40 essays, most of them published by Lit Hub previously, deals with love, breath, family, home and writing as well as COVID 19, white supremacy, racist violence, protest, climate change, democracy, tyranny, and social transformat...

Emily Koester

"I've been looking for your Kilimanjaro sweetness everywhere, I need it now more than ever. I don't want it like a pill I might pop when my anger rises with the news of the day. I want it like a backpack. Something I might put on and tighten around my shoulders and not take off until it is time for bed. Something heavy that has the power to pull back my shoulders." This is just one of many bits of writing which I felt got right to me. All the shared feelings as we all had different experiences o...

Marsha Dommel

At moments hard to get through, so completely on point!

Allison

An important timely book written by BIPOC following the events of the first half of 2020. Every essay was beautiful and personal.

Brian

The authors of each of these essays are all excellent writers. This was a quick read because of their ability to clearly convey their thoughts and feelings on the matters of race, Covid, and Trump. But I did have one issue with this book. In just about every single story I find myself thinking back to the quote by the ancient Stoic philosopher Seneca which says: "We suffer more often in imagination than in reality." I am not a Democrat but wanted to pick up this book to see the other side's poin...

Dave Fransen

(3/5)

A collection of dozens of essays is a challenge for my brain to process, but I really liked and valued this book overall. Some of the stories/perspectives were particularly poignant considering all that has happened - especially in Minneapolis - over the last year+.

Brooke

This was due before I could finish.

Maddie Zgonc

This is an absolutely beautiful compilation of letters written by people of color reflecting on the tumultuous year of 2020. I've featured my favorite letter in this post: Kamala Harris, Mass Incarceration, and Me. Reginald Dwyane Betts speaks on his experience with the criminal justice system and the complexities of incarceration. I found Betts to grapple empathetically with those on both sides of the spectrum, the victims and the perpetrators, while coming to the conclusion that there probably...

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There's a Revolution Outside, My Love: Letters from a Crisis

There's a Revolution Outside, My Love: Letters from a Crisis

There's a Revolution Outside, My Love: Letters from a Crisis

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Reader Reviews