28. for those who need a gateway to radical imagination

The Sound and the Fury is a novel by William Faulkner that chronicles the downfall of the Compson family, former Southern aristocrats, through four different narrative perspectives. The novel is set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, and spans several decades. It is narrated by the three Compson brothers—Benjamin 'Benjy' Compson, an intellectually disabled man; Quentin Compson, a Harvard student who commits suicide; and Jason Compson, a bitter and cynical younger brother—and concludes with a third-person omniscient narrative focusing on Dilsey, the family's devoted Black servant. The novel explores themes of time, death, and the disintegration of traditional Southern values, using a stream-of-consciousness style that includes frequent chronological leaps and non-linear storytelling.

In *In the Dream House*, Carmen Maria Machado recounts her emotionally and mentally abusive relationship with a charismatic but volatile woman. The book uses various narrative tropes to examine the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse, particularly in queer relationships. Machado's unique approach blends personal narrative with essayistic explorations of history and culture.

Seven Days in June follows Eva Mercy, a single mom and bestselling erotica writer, and Shane Hall, a reclusive award-winning novelist, as they reconnect at a literary event. Their past love and buried traumas resurface, leading them on a journey of rediscovery and healing. The novel explores themes of Black life, modern motherhood, and the consequences of past traumas.

Published in 1993, 'Parable of the Sower' is a dark and vivid portrayal of a future where global climate change and economic crises have led to social chaos. The story is told through the diary entries of Lauren Olamina, a 15-year-old Black girl living in a gated community near Los Angeles. Lauren suffers from hyperempathy, a condition that makes her feel the pain and pleasure of others. As her community is destroyed by external threats, Lauren embarks on a perilous journey north, developing a new faith called Earthseed along the way. Earthseed's central doctrine is that 'God is Change' and cannot be resisted, but can be influenced. The novel explores themes of survival, faith, family, hope, and community in a world torn apart by environmental devastation, economic collapse, and violence.

In 'Pleasure Activism,' Adrienne Maree Brown challenges traditional notions of activism by arguing that pleasure and joy are central to social justice and personal liberation. The book draws on Black feminist traditions and includes essays, reflections, and contributions from various feminist thinkers such as Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, and Sonya Renee Taylor. It covers a wide range of topics including sex work, climate change, race, gender, and the politics of pleasure. Brown advocates for a mindset shift in activism, suggesting that feeling good is not frivolous but essential for collective liberation and personal fulfillment.