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Putting Myself Together

Writing 1974–

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Pub Date Aug 05 2025 | Archive Date Sep 05 2025

Description

My ignorance was on my side. I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t know what to be afraid of. I did one thing, I did another. I did what I now call crashing about. One day I started to write.

This collection of Jamaica Kincaid’s nonfiction writing, including early pieces from publications such as The New Yorker, The Village Voice, and Ms., proves what her admirers have always known: from the start, she has been a consummate stylist, and she has always been herself.

From “Jamaica Kincaid’s New York,” which narrates her move to the city from Antigua at the age of sixteen and a half, to the classic “Biography of a Dress,” her cultural criticism, and her original thinking about the meaning of the garden, Kincaid writes about the world as she finds it, imparting her own quizzical, rapier-sharp response to whatever crosses her path.

Putting Myself Together is a brilliant, trenchant, hilarious self-portrait of the artist and a testament to how this inimitable, self-created mind and spirit, endowed with wit, humor, and fearlessness, has become one of our greatest, most original writers.

My ignorance was on my side. I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t know what to be afraid of. I did one thing, I did another. I did what I now call crashing about. One day I started to write.

This collection of...


A Note From the Publisher

Jamaica Kincaid was born in St. John’s, Antigua. Her books include At the Bottom of the River, Annie John, Lucy, The Autobiography of My Mother, My Brother, Mr. Potter, and See Now Then. She teaches at Harvard University and lives in Vermont.

Jamaica Kincaid was born in St. John’s, Antigua. Her books include At the Bottom of the River, Annie John, Lucy, The Autobiography of My Mother, My Brother, Mr. Potter, and See Now Then. She teaches...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780374613235
PRICE $30.00 (USD)
PAGES 352

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Average rating from 3 members


Featured Reviews

this book consist of deeply personal collection of nonfiction that showcases the evolution of one of today’s most original literary voices. spanning from her early days at The Village Voice to her refined work at The New Yorker, this collection offers a fascinating glimpse into Kincaid’s thoughts, experiences, and sharp perspective on the world. her writing is fearless—she never holds back. whether she’s recounting her Antiguan upbringing, dissecting colonialism, or finding deeper meaning in gardening, her prose is always insightful and unapologetically honest. she has an incredible way of making personal reflections feel universal, challenging readers to question power, identity, and history in ways they might not have before.

one of the most compelling things about poems is the author's distinct voice. she writes with wit, humor, and precision, effortlessly weaving the personal with the political. Her essays aren’t just thought-provoking—they’re alive with energy, refusing to conform to traditional expectations. her take on gardening, for instance, isn’t just about plants; it’s about colonization, control, and the ways history continues to shape the present. this collection also highlights the author's literary evolution, showing how her writing has deepened over the years while retaining its signature edge. fans of her fiction will appreciate the lyrical, sharp style, while newcomers will find this an exciting entry point into her work. It’s intimate yet unsentimental, critical yet full of depth.

this book is for anyone who loves essays that challenge and inspire. whether you’re a longtime Kincaid fan or discovering her for the first time, this collection is a testament to her brilliance, originality, and lasting influence in the literary world.

4 stars!

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