Danyel Smith

Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop by Danyel Smith is a 2022 Roc Lit 101 publication.

This is a well-researched history of Black women in pop music, as well as a personal memoir by the author.

I enjoyed reading about many of the performers I listened to growing up and hearing details about their personal lives and careers I had not heard before. The songs we grew up listening to can conjure up various memories- sad, hard, poignant, and bittersweet times- but also fun and humorous thoughts we had as children. Danyel Smith shares moments in her childhood that coincide with the featured artist and songs, many of them difficult, as she recalls an abusive upbringing- but there were also some charming and nostalgic recollections in there as well.

All that said, I have struggled in the past with the duality of non-fiction and personal memoir. For some reason the combination just does not work for me. One area distracts from the other, leaving both areas weakened- but this book managed to meld the two with much more fluidity, so there is more balance and fewer distractions.

Still, it was the history and the featured artist that commanded my attention, as this was what drew me to the book in the first place. The personal recollections would have felt more impactful, perhaps, if I had been more familiar with the author’s work before reading this book- But that said-

I used two formats with this book- a digital copy and the audio version- switching back and forth between the two mediums. Smith narrates the book and her emotions at times were so raw, it made a deep impression on me, causing me to really think about how personal this journey was for her.

Overall, though the memoir/history mashup is not normally my favorite- Smith is very convincing and by the end of the book had earned my respect. I enjoyed the history, the nostalgia, and the appreciated the author’s research efforts and her heartfelt presentation.

4 stars… (mere)

oakland.
sisters.
d-boys.
life.

One reviewer referred to More Like Wrestling as being lyrical and absorbing, I will too. Paige and Pinch are sisters. They are two years apart in age. They are coming of age in Oakland, CA in the 1980s. They are teenagers with their own apartment. Their mother won't leave her abusive boyfriend so she moves them into and pays for them to have their own apartment. Paige forever resents her for weakness. They call their place, the Pseudo. They are very young yet very responsible. Pinch rarely speaks but she has a lot to say in her head. Paige has a melancholy personality that can be extremely overwhelming. They are very different yet one in the same.

Then there is the crew: Maynard "May", Donnell, Ch'Rell, Jessica, Oscar, and Cedric. The sisters met May while attending a summer progam all were still in high school. Oscar and Cedric were friends of May. They ran track and attended college in Nebraska. Donnell and Ch'Rell are a couple that were also friends of May. May married Jessica. Oscar married Paige. As time progressed all the guys became "d-boys" slanging crack. May was the leader. No one talked about this new line of work. The game changed everything. Good times came and went. Friends were murdered while others moved on and began new lives.

I want this book to be a movie RIGHT NOW! More Like Wrestling is the perfect coming of age story to a hip-hop beat. Paige and Pinch never have any "childish" ways. Which would be the reason why Paige never seemed to ever become emotionally grounded. Pinch was always there to give her balance and Oscar was good to her but she never found a "happy place." I think Paige always worried because she had to grow up too fast. Pinch simply watched everything and said little. It made her life easier. Pinch's mental narratives and comments are some of the highlights of the story. There were times when the narrative was choppy and Smith would go off into a irrelevant lyrical tangent. From now on anytime I hear a reference to Oakland, CA, I will automatically think, Paige and Pinch.… (mere)