I enjoyed this collection. I liked getting to read about Burney's experiences and broader experiences of cultural moments and societal experiences. Overall, reading this book felt very nostalgic, and I think the writing was beautiful.

Overall I really enjoyed this collection of personal essays. I felt it really shined when Burney was at his most introspective and tied his experiences with music to significant moments in his life. I wasn't as drawn in to the essays that covered broader scopes or were more analytical of cultural movements. He excels at giving a look at life growing up in Baltimore that relates to the familiar cultural references but gives a fuller more "real" picture. There is a lot of beautiful nostalgia and appreciation for where he grew up and as a reader it made me do the same. 4 stars, would recommend!

No Sense in Wishing is a collection of essays by journalist Lawrence Burney about his home town of Baltimore.

Lawrence reflects on his upbringing, with a heavy influence of music throughout. He writes about black culture in Baltimore. He details about his visit to Africa, significant to his story because of both his roots & his passion for music. He talks about the fond memories he associates with the smell of a seafood boil.

He also discusses deliberate systematic changes intended to further the socioeconomic gap, and other struggles that Black Americans face due to the racism weaved into the fabric that the United States was founded on.

No Sense in Wishing invites the reader to witness Baltimore from Burney’s perspective, using both his personal and journalistic experience. His passion for music is palpable throughout the book. For me, a person of pallor, his essays opened my eyes to a perspective other than my own privileged lived experiences.

As a music lover, and a somewhat recent dweller of the DMV, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book. Lawrence is someone I have followed for years through his publication True Laurels and that great and visual writing that he captures is shown throughout this book. I loved learning about Baltimore through his lens, loved seeing how much of the same music I love has shaped him, and more. I think this book would be great for anyone who loves music--and hip hop specifically, and also anyone who wants to be touched by what they read. I loved it!

wow i started this last night and could not stop reading. such a touching, gut wrenching collection of essays. absolutely heartbreaking. while some were uplifting, most were so relatable and so upsetting because of how the world works. i'm so happy i picked this up randomly. thank you netgalley for the arc!