In 1994, Emily Bernard – then a graduate student at Yale University – was stabbed in a coffee shop in New Haven, Connecticut. The violence was random, perpetrated by a stranger who appeared to be mentally ill; several other people were injured in the same attack, although no one died. The stabbing, and how it has echoed throughout her life in the decades since, is the subject of the first essay in Bernard’s new book, Black Is The Body: Stories From My Grandmother’s Time, My Mother’s Time, And Mine (Doubleday).
If that makes this anthology of 12 essays sound like a stark, dark read, trust us: it’s anything but. “Bernard explores heavy and knotty topics – from the racism endured by her parents and ancestors in the Deep South to the complexities of maintaining relationships with white people – with extraordinary warmth and nuance,” says Stylist Loves’ deputy editor Moya Crockett. “She takes anecdotes from her own life and spins them into profound, expansive reflections on Blackness, womanhood, love and family – all in a style so effortless that reading her words feels like listening to your wisest, most empathetic friend. Everyone should read it.” £14.99; out 11 February; pre-order here
