Alexis Stanford
Bio
Alexis is a poet, essayist, observer, poor philosopher, and Jack-of-all-trades that is better than a master of none. She lives in Philadelphia and hopes that her words will inspire reflection that leads to a life of action.
Stories (3/0)
"Someday, Maybe" by Onyi Nwabineli
Through spontaneous selection, Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabileni is my first completed book of 2023. I think that listening to a book is the same as using my eyes to read, and so I chose the audible version of _Someday, Maybe_, and from cover to cover it took eleven hours, which I spread out over a week, to complete it. I chose the book solely because I was drawn to the cover and intrigued by the title.That might sound like a shallow way to pick a book, but it is the kind of spontaneity that brings about unexpected and thought provoking literary experiences. I honestly thought that this would be my light read of the month, a romantic comedy with a black girl as the protagonist, because of the colors and graphic vibe. Turns out, I was wrong. This entire book is about one woman’s grief after her love story takes a tragic turn. Destiny has a mind of its own, and I find it no small irony that I would start this year reading about a woman’s processing loss when I myself am doing the same. Last year, my life was impacted on a national, communal, and personal level by deaths related to mental health and an inability to find a tenable way forward in life. By the end of page one, we the readers are fully aware that the entirety of the book is the story of the aftermath - the damage left in the wake - of death but suicide. Needless to say, this is not a light read. However, I am glad it was my first this year because it gave me some perspective for my own process moving forward through my pain along side others.
By Alexis Stanfordabout a year ago in Fiction
