Appropriate is deft exploration of one of the most delicate questions in contemporary literature: how do we create work beyond our own experience without colonizing someone else's? As a writer, I've spent two decades waiting for a book like this. As a teacher of writing, I will spend the next two decades recommending it.--Mat Johnson, author of Pym
[A] passionate, nuanced take [that] will raise sharp questions for literary-minded readers.-- "Publishers Weekly"
[Rekdal] rejects holistic and untroubled conclusions in favor of contradictory multiplicity... Thoughtful [and] investigative.-- "Booklist (starred review)"
Anyone who wishes to understand appropriation, and not just react to it, should read this book. Paisley Rekdal brings years of teaching, writing, and critical thinking to this subject, with literary analyses, historical and theoretical frameworks, and practical advice. Appropriate is a book of immense wisdom and clarity, sure to become required reading for writers everywhere.--Beth Bich Minh Nguyen, author of Stealing Buddha's Dinner
Cogent, thoughtful letters about the vexed problem of cultural appropriation... Rekdal's sophisticated analysis reveals a generous respect for the creative process... An astute, lucid examination of an incendiary issue.-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"
Compassionate and smart, a mapping of [Rekdal's] own lifetime of reading and teaching, an exploration of whose stories we tell--and how, and why--and the way returning to a work of art often elicits such a drastically different response from our first encounter.--Natalie Bakapoulos "Millions"
Full of prompts and conscientious, open-minded essays on cultural appropriation, cultural appreciation, and adaptation.-- "A.V. Club"
Paisley Rekdal's Appropriate is wonderfully inappropriate. It asks difficult questions (without pretending to have all the answers); it places the author in intellectual discomfort; it acknowledges her own uncertainty and ambiguity; and all the while it remains impressively nuanced and gyroscopically balanced. A necessary contribution.--David Shields, author of Reality Hunger
Rekdal picks apart the hotly debated topic of who gets to tell what story as she examines the evolution of cultural appropriation as it pertains to literature. In her scrutinization of authorship, Rekdal points to bigger questions surrounding whiteness, identity and empathy.-- "Time"
Such are the culture wars of our moment, with headlines that range from the infuriating to the ridiculous. Luckily, we also have Paisley Rekdal... Redkal addresses the conundrum of cultural appropriation with patience and care.--Carolyn Kellogg "Los Angeles Times"