I don’t believe practice is necessary all the time. If you don’t enjoy reading, I think you should only learn what you need to live the life you want, pass the class you’re in, or get the job you desire. However, there is no need to explore that less than fun aspect of your life further. I chose this book because I want to understand why people do these tedious things “for fun”. I have purposely chosen classes and a career that mainly doesn’t involve a whole lot of math because of my sour taste in my mouth from early learning. I am striving for a fairer distribution of skills and knowledge along with being more open to practice. I also hope that I will be able to explain to others like me why repetition is necessary, and practice isn’t a waste of time.
The author’s life usually paints a large part of the picture in my head. In this case the author Kiese Laymon is black man born and raised in Mississippi. This led to him experiencing a lot of racism and pain in general leading up to him becoming an adult. In an article by the Gradian about Kiese’s past issues we are told about his hardships with eating disorders, racism and even abuse from his parents. Here we are told about multiple issues growing for Kiese but there’s one I believe that made him a relentless writer. “This is black excellence as an artful shield, a defense against the searing gaze of classmates and teachers”. In this case I think he practiced his shield during these years of his life. Endless practice meant that he was so perfect no one could say anything to him. I hope he shows me this is only the first angle I have missed when looking at practice.
Guardian News and Media. (2018, November 24). Kiese Laymon: Absent fathers and present mothers. The Guardian. Retrieved February 22, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/24/heavy-an-american-memoir-kiese-laymon
Jones, S. (2018, November 13). When excellence is a survival strategy. The New York Times. Retrieved February 22, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/books/review/kiese-laymon-heavy.html
