Don't Let Me Be Lonely by Claudia Rankine

This was the most interesting book we have read all semester. I could relate to most of the topics Rankine discussed in the book such as the media, death and racism. This book was written in lyric essay form. She was very discreet in her writing and even provided images which helped to create an emotional appeal to the reader. For example, the section when she began to talk about how you don't remember because you don't care really touched me. I could totally relate to this. She talked about how the President didn't even know about the incident in which some black men in his own hometown were dragged to death. She stressed that the non reporting was one of the negative aspects of the media. Rankine also provided pictures from that devastating scene in Texas. The pictures said it all. They were so powerful and only made me more upset that the story did not get the media attention it deserved. And why?....because they just don't care! But one of the most powerful quotes in the book was, "Cornel West says this is what is wrong with black people today—too nihilistic. Too scarred by hope to hope, too experienced to experience, too close to dead is what I think."
But I feel that this not only goes for Black people, but this is true for people of all races.

The book was compelling right from the beginning. Chapter one started off talking about the relationship between hope and loneliness. There were alot of open ended questions in this section, causing the reader to think deeply about the subject. I felt that she was trying to make the point that no matter what, life ends in loneliness. She used death as an example. And this is really when her writing became relatable.

Rankine is indeed a great writer and I plan to read more of her work in the future. This book was full of lessons. One of the most important one was to maintain hope. Through all of the negativity in the media, government, and racsim, we still must sustain hope. Like Rankine stated in the book, "hope is the same as breath—part of what it means to be human and alive."