WALKING IN MY JOY

The Black actor and activist continues the life story she began recounting in her first book, The Mother of Black Hollywood.

In the essay titled “Dicktimized,” Lewis describes her brief relationship with a man named Tony, who she later discovered was imprisoned for committing fraud. In “Age of Innocence,” the author reminisces about her relationship with her cousin Ronnie, a talented, gay hairstylist who hid his HIV-positive status while supporting Lewis through the ups and downs of her early career. “Without him around,” she writes, “I would have to put on a hat and any sweat suit for an audition.” Several essays deal with Lewis’ commitment to activism, including a revelatory moment involving climate change while aboard a cruise in Antarctica and her vocal and organized resistance to Donald Trump, who revealed “the bones of the nation—a country that has been quietly lusting after crooks for centuries. The only good thing that man ever did was pull back the curtain on the hate the US is fueled on.” Lewis also reflects on the pandemic, which she spent living with her nephew, Jason, and his “Blasian” family, while also caring for friends who suffered from both physical and mental health issues. In an essay about meeting the Obamas in the White House, Lewis writes, “My whole life is made up of moments grand enough for me to pinch myself,” a description that truly fits the scope and grandeur of the stories she narrates throughout this collection. The author’s voice is alternately hilarious and compassionate. Her frankness about living with bipolar disorder is particularly insightful, and her commentary on the state of mental health in the U.S. is trenchant and sincere. While the book does not have a clear structure, the essays generally connect enough to create a mostly coherent narrative.

A funny and poignant essay collection by a celebrated Black actor.