In the middle of this hellscape we find ourselves in right now, isn’t it wonderful to know that authors like Zadie Smith are still out here? I think so.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Zadie Smith was releasing a new collection of essays. The only reason I knew was because I read about her virtual author talk hosted by Greenlight Bookstore. Of course I attended, and of course I bought her collection. And last week, I found myself up at 3 a.m. and decided to read it. I poured myself a cup of coffee, settled myself into my Moon Pod and, with the quiet as my backdrop, I melted into Zadie’s words.

The essays, six in total, were written during the first months of the lockdown that took over the world. Zadie writes about subjects such as gender and her resistance to the labels placed on women (“Peonies”), time and how we use it now as opposed to before the pandemic (“Something To Do”), and how contempt literally kills (“Postscript: Contempt as a Virus”), which is my favorite of the collection. In this last “screengrab,” the author describes how contempt infects first a person, then a society, community or government. Contempt doesn’t care about the subject, therefore making said subject insignificant. Not worthy of compassion or empathy. Sound familiar?

I read Intimations in one sitting, which was easy to do at only 112 pages. But I didn’t rush through it. I took my time reading each essay, sometimes re-reading certain pages. This is a collection I plan to enjoy again and again and think you will too.

Where to buy: The Lit. Bar Loyalty Bookstores Indiebound Amazon