ANOTHER WORLD

Matthews, a freelance writer and social activist, tells a moving story of growing up Black and queer and moving from self-hatred to self-acceptance.

In this debut book, the author, who grew up in North Carolina during the 1990s and later moved to Washington, D.C., provides honest and revealing descriptions of various romantic/sexual relationships they’ve had in their life and how their internalized self-loathing and insecurity affected these interactions. They also speak of their struggle to come to an understanding with their parents regarding their queer status and offer accounts of the difficulties of queer life. This book isn’t only a memoir, but also an examination of what the author sees as interlocking systems of oppression and of how meaningful change may be possible. Matthews’ book is pointed and poignant yet also thoughtful; they pull no punches when describing the problems of White supremacy, heteronormativity, and related forms of oppression, which they present as all interrelated. Yet they significantly reject simplistic approaches that emphasize “canceling” and calling out others and allow for the possibility of reaching out to people in one’s life who need to reexamine their views. This approach effectively ties in with their belief in the possibilities of restorative justice as an alternative to the carceral system that victimizes people of color and LGBTQ+ people. In outlining their philosophy of “abolition,” they gradually and informatively explain it in detail as “imagining a world where I mattered.” There are a few parts that don’t quite work; in the second-person sequences, for instance, it’s not always clear exactly whom Matthews is addressing. Still, this a thoughtful and necessary book that also provides a fine portrait of Black and queer life in Durham and the nation’s capital.

An earnest and pensive work that’s part autobiography, part manifesto.