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Quote by Audre Lorde

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Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches

Sister Outsider is a compilation of essays and speeches by Audre Lorde, a prominent African American poet and civil rights activist. The book delves into the complexities of race, gender, and identity, offering a profound and personal perspective on these issues. Lorde's work is characterized by its powerful and poetic language, as she shares her experiences and insights on the challenges faced by marginalized communities. more

Author

Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde, an American writer, poet, and speaker, was born on February 18, 1934, and passed away on November 17, 1992. Known for her profound insights into race, gender, and sexual orientation, her work encompasses poetry, prose, and novels, which have had a profound impact on contemporary literature and social movements. more

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“Keir had watched him with growing interest, having assumed Kingston would toss the unlucky crab aside, maybe fling it toward the sea. Any of Keir's friends would have thought nothing of chucking it into the path of a foraging herring gull. But to show consideration for an insignificant beastie... take the trouble to carry it to a safe place... it revealed something wholly unexpected about the man's character. A regard for the fragile, the vulnerable. Now Keir wasn't sure what to make of Kingston. An aristocrat of staggering wealth and position, notorious for his decadent past... a devoted father and faithful husband... there seemed no way to reconcile those two versions of him. And here was yet another version, a man lounging casually next to a fire on the beach with his dog, his bare feet dusted with sand, as if he were an ordinary human.”

“She’s already a bunch of stressors stacked in a trench coat. There are only that many kidnapping and murder attempts a child can endure before developing serious issues and self-destructive behaviors. We wouldn’t want her to grow up and, say, got to grad school.” “Don’t worry,” Misery reassures me, “every day I drill into her that we’ll be disappointed in anything but a Djing career.” “You’re such a good role model.”

“Please allow this book to offer one piece of serious advice (don't worry, this is the only one): Take control. Decide that enough is enough. Stop waiting for your advisor to guide your work - write a paper using your own brain and slap it down on his or her desk. Study - really, actually study - what it is you're studying. Realize that you can't include everything in your thesis, and drop your lofty and unrealistic plan to transform the field. You won't. Plan what you need to do to graduate, write it down, sit with the person whose approval you need, and work up a timeline. Seek out interesting conferences, and if your department won't pay for you to attend them, search for outside sponsorship. (You have the freaking internet, for crying out loud.) Actively pursue your goals, because - and it's so easy to forget this - that's why you're here. Can't find the motivation to work today? Tough shit. It's like a snow day: Every day off you give yourself makes you feel good that day, but it's one more day you'll have to make up in June when you really want to be out of school. It's possible that many graduate programs want you to get depressed, say "Fuck it" and take charge of your own destiny. They may consider this part of your necessary struggle. Well, so be it. Wait no longer. Take charge now. And get on with your stupid, stupid career.”