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The Red Parts
The Red Parts | Maggie Nelson
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review
Nebklvr
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Mehso-so

The Author describes in beautiful detail how the death of an Aunt the never knew was a shadow over her childhood and family. Who gets to tell the tale when someone is murdered? How much can they possibly know about the interior lives of those they have lost? When does the death of a person become more important than the life they were refused. Nelson delves deep and is frank..sometimes to an uncomfortable degree.

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Ruthiella
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

My first foray into Maggie Nelson. This is a memoir of Nelson‘s life during which her aunt‘s alleged murderer was brought to trial 40 years after the crime. Nelson never knew her aunt, but this is also about Nelson‘s childhood and how her mother was affected by the crime and passed that on to her own children; about her father and his early death, about appropriating the lives of others for the sake of art… Very interesting and thoughtful.

Larkken I just got Jane from the library! I was torn over whether to read it or red parts first... 6mo
Ruthiella @Larkken Oh, perfect! I imagine either way will be illuminating. 👍 6mo
54 likes2 comments
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Emilymdxn
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

Very different from other true crime books, so much so I don‘t know if it even counts as true crime. A close family member of a victim of a famous murder writes very painfully and poetically about the aftermath and the trial. It‘s so rare to get this perspective on a famous murder, harrowing but very valuable.

#scarathlon2021 #teamslaughter @Clwojick +16

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EvieBee
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Mehso-so

Wow. What a read. Beautifully written but at times difficult to read. I was reminded quite a bit of WE KEEP THE DEAD CLOSE. I wonder if she was inspired by this book.

⚖️⚖️ ½

vivastory I've been meaning to read this one 3y
EvieBee @vivastory It‘s good! Hope you like it. 3y
Suet624 Sounds fascinating. 3y
EvieBee @Suet624 It‘s definitely more memoir than true crime. 3y
46 likes2 stack adds4 comments
blurb
EvieBee
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Got my brunch on with a new read this afternoon! Gotta make the most of it. 😎
#currentlyreading

kspenmoll This book was amazing, agonizing… 3y
readordierachel Loved this one. And brunch looks delicious! 3y
EvieBee @kspenmoll I am so enjoying it! Amazing! 3y
See All 6 Comments
EvieBee @readordierachel It‘s so good! What took me so long to read it?! 🥓 is the salve to my soul 😎 3y
batsy I loved Bluets and have been wanting to read more of her since. Brunch looks delish! 3y
EvieBee @batsy Thank you, Batsy! I need to read that! 3y
47 likes6 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

Maggie Nelson‘s aunt Jane was murdered as a young woman before Maggie was born. Over 20 years later, DNA evidence found her killer. Here, she details the family learning of the new developments in the case on through the trial. Because of her personal involvement, this is much more a memoir of her experience than typical true crime reportage. I thought it was quite good.

charl08 I love her writing. Always makes me think. 3y
59 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Cathythoughts
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Mehso-so

Maggie Nelson says “ ....I‘m grateful, once again, to send in this report from the field “ ...
I liked this idea , the field of grief & of murder , of nightmare.
“In all desire to know there is already a drop of cruelty “ - Nietzsche
A thought provoking quote. A thought provoking book
A good book ... it started off promising ... but she lost me again ( .... but this time I read on & did finish. I‘m glad I did.

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Cathythoughts
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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I started this one before.... I couldn‘t get into it at that time. I took it down today & Im in ... 🤷🏼‍♀️. I‘m interested in what happens .. why now ? I think I‘ll just enjoy it & lose the questions 😁🍷📚Sunday evening only happens once a week ❤️

LeahBergen I have this one, too, but somehow never get around to starting it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4y
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen It‘s going well with the red wine ... so far 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 4y
LeahBergen Red wine is always a good accompaniment 😆 4y
See All 11 Comments
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen 😂so true ! 🍷📚❤️ 4y
Ruthiella Excellent reminder that it can be a great idea to put a book down and come back to it later! 😀 4y
Cathythoughts @Ruthiella Yes ! Thank god ! It would be such a shame otherwise... 4y
TrishB It was obviously the addition of the wine 🍷 4y
Cathythoughts @TrishB Well yes , there you have it 😂 🍷 4y
CarolynM Sounds like a great Sunday night 😀 4y
Centique I love it when that happens. Books are mysterious things! 4y
Cathythoughts @Centique they are mysterious indeed 😘 4y
68 likes11 comments
blurb
Mitch
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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I‘ve only read the tagged book by Maggie Nelson and loved her prose style - so might need to check this out.....

https://ew.com/books/author-interviews/maggie-nelson-on-freedom-first-look/

review
ephemeralwaltz
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

A riveting and impactful read exploring the aftermath of the murder of Nelson's aunt Jane (that might sound familiar to those of you who have read Jane). Years later, after the case had been put on hold, new evidence surfaced targetting a new suspect. I was expecting more reflection on murder and the causes and consequences of violence against women, but this is more about Nelson's family and the memories surrounding this event's effect on them.

47 likes1 stack add
blurb
Mitch
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Thanks for the tag @rachaich

Too many at the moment!
I was very tearful with the tagged book - which caught me unprepared with some things. And I‘m pleased to say this one made me cry tears of joy - The House In The Cerulean Sea. #fridayfeelings

Eggbeater I loved The House in The Cerulean Sea! 4y
Cuilin Thanks for playing. I went to download The Red Parts and it was free with my Audible membership!! 4y
Mitch @Cuilin 👍🏼 4y
44 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Mitch
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

A hard book to read - it's at once vague and precise, softened and terrifyingly graphic. It's personal and also trying to be universal - all wrapped up in honesty, memory, procedure and cultural fascinations. A deeply disturbing book to read, but beautifully written and carefully pieced together with a lightness of touch that sits in opposition to the heaviness of the subject matter. #nfn2020

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Mitch
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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If he stays asleep I might just get a few chapters read!
🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼#feastmode

TheSpineView Adorable! 💜🐶 4y
AmyG Awwwww ❤️ 4y
TrishB Gorgeous 💜💜 4y
See All 7 Comments
OriginalCyn620 Aww! Soooo cute! 🐶❤️ 4y
iread2much Aww, he‘s so adorable. And so silky looking! 4y
Mitch @iread2much He has a lovely coat. Super shiny! 4y
78 likes7 comments
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Mitch
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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I‘ve had this on my shelf a little while - it gets lots of #Litsylove - and it‘s just shy of 200pages which will help me with my #feastmode goals!

AlRah In love with your Bookmark😍 4y
Mitch @AlRah it‘s beautiful isn‘t it - it‘s from a set of 6 - all with amazing quote from NYPL. 4y
57 likes2 comments
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charl08
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

I waited to get this, thinking surely her books can't all be brilliant. But this one was too. Of course.

Cathythoughts Beautiful picture! Book sounds really good. Stacked 4y
charl08 @Cathythoughts thanks! I have loved everything of hers I've picked up. 4y
34 likes2 comments
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charl08
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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This book carefully excavates true crime tropes, exposing them to the light.

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charl08
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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I find the grammar of justice maddening...

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charl08
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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How does one measure the loss of eight young women? asked the Courant. There is no way to know what they would have done with their lives-....

... How does one measure the loss of anyone? Is measurement a necessary part of grief? Is a life less grievable if its prospects for the future.. .don't appear bright?

36 likes1 stack add
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Cweeeevs
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
Pickpick

This book is so well written that I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to attempt a review. I was completely engrossed in Maggie Nelson's memoir in which she deftly weaves threads of personal and familial trauma and grief amidst a harrowing murder trial. It's an uneasy read as she grapples with the wider cultural obsession over violence against women in its various forms. A 5⭐ read, but content warning for graphic descriptions and suicidal ideation.

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Cweeeevs
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Cweeeevs
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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"Some dark crescent of land, a place where suffering is essentially meaningless, where the present collapses into the past without warning, where we cannot escape the fates we fear the most, where heavy rains come and wash bodies up and out of their graves, where grief lasts forever and its force never fades." (p. 122)

review
Billypar
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

I'm not usually a true crime fan, but I think this one is different than most. For one thing, Nelson already wrote a book about her aunt's cold case murder -- now having an arrest and trial made Nelson look back on her time working on the first book. She describes having 'murder mind': the effects of constant attention to the details of a violent crime and contrasts that experience with seeing the grisly details of the case in court 👇

Billypar She also describes how her focus on the case stirred up memories of her father's death in his sleep when she was a kid. Her account is cerebral but she isn't afraid to go after something complicated about emotions when she considers how death can fracture familial and romantic relationships. In the end, she is repulsed over more than just the brutal murder as she details how the judicial process dehumanizes and oversimplifies all it touches. 5y
batsy Nice review! It's on my TBR. I loved her writing in Bluets. 5y
Billypar @batsy Thanks! I'd like to try Bluets, and I should reread The Argonauts - I was too distracted the first time. I multitask with audio books, but it's tougher to do that with Nelson's stuff- you can miss a lot. 5y
See All 7 Comments
Aimeesue I love Maggie Nelson. ❤️ 5y
readordierachel Great review. I found this book very affecting. It must have been so hard to write. 5y
Billypar @Aimeesue Me too - the way her brain works is pretty incredible. 5y
Billypar @readordierachel Thanks! Agreed: and she never was pulling for emotion or tear-jerking: it's affecting because of its honesty and the level of insight into some complicated psychological territory. 5y
40 likes7 comments
review
kspenmoll
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

Visceral. Harrowing. Poetic. Lyrical. Generational grief. Shared blood. Agony. “Aura of dread, fear”. Anticipation of violence. “Bred in the bones”. Numbing, alcohol, drugs. Courtroom. Justice. “face of evil”. “Elmer Fudd”. Red parts. Autopsy. Dried brown blood. Blue scarf. Ladybugs.”Open murder”. Stories”. “Incoherence”. Suffering. Misogyny. Voyeurism. Ethical dilemmas. Devastating loss. Hole. Heart. Riveting. Reverberating. Dark. Murky. Mud.

kspenmoll I could think of no other way to truly review the experience that is this book. 5y
TrishB Wow 😮 some review! 5y
batsy Love this review! 5y
See All 8 Comments
kspenmoll @TrishB @batsy Thank you both! ❤️ worked better than sentences for me. 5y
youneverarrived You put this so perfectly! I struggled to review it because it‘s all these things. I really liked it! 5y
kspenmoll @youneverarrived Thank you! I so get the struggle!!!! 5y
Suet624 Wow. This is an amazing review. I love the way you describe it. This book sounds so intense. 5y
kspenmoll Intense yet I could not put it down. Thanks Sue- I find reviews a challenge! 5y
67 likes8 comments
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kspenmoll
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
This post contains spoilers
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blurb
kspenmoll
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Blaire Love this picture! Looks like a perfect Saturday morning set up 5y
kspenmoll @Blaire It is right next to my bed. I was not ready to be up yet! 5y
62 likes2 comments
blurb
kspenmoll
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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#sundaymorning #coffeeandbooks #sunshine
Cool morning, sunny, blue skies. An autumn morning.
Just started this book.

Cathythoughts Interesting.... 👍🏻I have this stacked, look forward to your thoughts 5y
Reviewsbylola I liked this one! 5y
Cinfhen Pretty photo 💗 5y
Mdargusch Pretty pic! 5y
71 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
youneverarrived
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

A shortish book that packs a lot in. It‘s true crime mixed with memoir but also so much more. Very well written. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #genrebusting #booked2019

BarbaraTheBibliophage Looks interesting. So many interesting books in this prompt!! 5y
LeahBergen I have this one waiting for me. 👍🏻 5y
Cathythoughts Sounds like my cup of tea 👍🏻♥️stacked 5y
youneverarrived @LeahBergen @Cathythoughts I think you both will like it! 5y
50 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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Well-ReadNeck
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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64 likes3 stack adds
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ClairesReads
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Read some good books and some bad books this month...on track with #readharder2019 discovered some gems through #indiebuddyreads and prize lists, and rediscovered the joy of non-fiction on audio. On the whole, a success.

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Well done! 💖📚💖 5y
Cinfhen Nice collage ❣️ 5y
See All 9 Comments
Redheadrambles Oooh I forgot to do this ! I see the robot is in its rightful place and size ;) (edited) 5y
ClairesReads @Redheadrambles Hahaha that is exactly why the robot is there! 5y
MicheleinPhilly I read The Red Parts this month too. 5y
ClairesReads @MicheleinPhilly did you enjoy it? I thought it was excellent 5y
MicheleinPhilly I did! I was a bit apprehensive because the whole “true crime interspersed with memoir” can be very hit or miss for me but I think it was very effective here. 5y
31 likes9 comments
review
ClairesReads
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

A compelling, beautifully written memoir. The Red Parts is more than just a narrative of a murder trial. Nelson intersperses this experience, with slices of everyday life, in doing so, effectively showing what it means to grow up in the shadow of such a tragedy; the extensive ripples of violent crime. Although an intensely personal, reflective story, this memoir also explores 'murder mind', and the culture of fascination around dead girls.

Emilymdxn Looks amazing! I want to read this so badly 5y
ClairesReads @Emilymdxn its really well written, I definitely recommend it, especially if you like true crime. (edited) 5y
Centique This one sounds like you might like it @Cinfhen 🤔 5y
See All 6 Comments
Cinfhen Thanks @Centique definitely in my wheelhouse #stacked 🙌🏻 (edited) 5y
ClairesReads @Centique @Cinfhen it‘s really well written I hope you enjoy it! 5y
Cinfhen Thanks!! I‘m looking to see if it‘s available through my library 5y
35 likes4 stack adds6 comments
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ClairesReads
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Just trying again to be an audio book girl. I like podcasts so I suspect non-fiction is the way into this form for me.

Redwritinghood Hope it works for you. This sounds interesting. 6y
Mdargusch I love true crime and this sounds like a good one. I just realized I added this to my GR TBR in 2016! I‘m moving it up on my list now. 😀 6y
readordierachel This is a great read. Love Maggie Nelson. 6y
26 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Mafiacisco
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
Pickpick

How have I never heard of Maggie Nelson before?? This true crime (ish?) Story doesn't give you the answers you think you need but definitely picks apart what you don't even realize you're thinking.

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Well-ReadNeck
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

The author‘s aunt was brutally murdered before the author was born. But the death hung over the family. Nelson, as an adult, wrote a book of poems reflecting upon her aunt‘s unsolved murder. Just as her book of poems is being readied for publication, her family is contacted out of the blue by a police detective who had been (unbeknownst to them) working the aunt‘s cold case and, 36 years after her death, were ready to make an arrest. ...

Well-ReadNeck The resulting trial is the subject of this book. Memoir plus true crime?! Hello wheelhouse!! 6y
MicheleinPhilly I bought this years ago. I really should read it. 6y
CaramelLunacy That sounds fascinating! Will have to keep an eye out 6y
readordierachel She also wrote a book in verse about this. Really, really good 6y
129 likes12 stack adds4 comments
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Well-ReadNeck
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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#TBRTuesday

Here‘s what‘s on-deck for me this week. Not sure if I‘ll get to them all, but The Winter Of the Witch came out today and I picked it up with an audible credit and will be starting that one immediately!!

Ashley_Nicoletto I have got to read that series. I have the first two and I‘ve just been putting it off but it‘s so loved. 6y
AlaMich Oooh, I forgot that Winter of the Witch was being released today!! 😀 6y
AlaMich @Ashley_Nicoletto Yes, it‘s sooo good!! 6y
111 likes3 comments
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NoFrigateLikeABook
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson

I‘m reading this book because I love memoir, true crime, and Maggie Nelson, and because I‘m leading a book club about it on Monday night. I find Nelson so intimidating. She‘s so smart. I hope we have a great discussion, and I hope I help to do her book justice.

3 likes1 stack add
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chapter_fifty2017
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

I have wanted to read this book for a long time as l really admire Maggie Nelson .lts a different read for me a type of shocking true crime story wrapped up in a cold case that involves a family history as it happened then and now, as the murder goes to trial many years later .lts heartbreaking too as it highlights violence against women in society how it is portrayed
How it affects victims their relatives how its still so relevent now .

27 likes1 stack add
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m.galehuxley
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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I finally joined the library in Atlanta yesterday! I made my way through all of the branches where I moved from, so I‘m excited to begin exploring the 31 branches in this county.

I‘ve been wanting to read The Red Parts for a while. It was actually in my Amazon basket when I found it at the library. I almost put it back on the shelf so I could buy my own copy. 😆

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mr_annie
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

Maggie Nelson mixes true crime, memoir and cultural commentary to create a sad picture of the American justice system and the confusing nature of grief. This is a smart, analytical and poetic look at our obsession with death and truth.

13 likes1 stack add
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Abailliekaras
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

Maggie Nelson‘s account of the trial of her aunt Jane‘s murderer, 36 years after the crime. She weaves in memoir of growing up in the shadow of Jane‘s death, her book of poetry in response & the challenges of facing the trial. Juxtaposes the violence of murder with everyday life & builds a picture of how society treats crime (eg films). Nelson has a great ability to observe from a distance, but is honest about how ‘murder mind‘ has affected her.

readordierachel I really liked this one too. And Jane, the poetry book, is quite good also! 7y
Cinfhen Sounds interesting 7y
Abailliekaras @ReadOrDieRachel @Cinfhen she‘s a fascinating writer. 7y
See All 6 Comments
Cinfhen You keep posting the most exciting and different books 💕🙌🏻 7y
Abailliekaras @Cinfhen they‘re definitely varied at the moment! It‘s interesting reading for podcasts as I don‘t have the option of bailing. I‘ve had a good run so far with great books thankfully. ;) 7y
mr_annie I‘d love to read ‘Jane‘ now too! 7y
48 likes4 stack adds6 comments
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Erynecki
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Pickpick

I‘ve never read anything quite like The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson. In late 2004, Jane: A Murder, a narrative in verse, about the author‘s aunt was published. The 35 year old case remained unsolved. But as the book came into print, the author and her family learned that the case had been reopened. The Red Parts, then, is a sequel of sorts...a memoir of the trial and the author‘s navigation of the trial.

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MadCatRamble
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Mehso-so

I can‘t say that I enjoyed The Red Parts though I admire Maggie Nelson‘s honesty in writing it. She does not shy away from the messes in her own life, even as she writes beautiful prose about a murder trial. I failed to connect with it emotionally, but that may have more to do with me than with the book. Still, it was worth the read.

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JennaAZ
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
Pickpick

This was beautifullly written, a cross between a memoir and a true crime/courtroom drama. A quick read, too.

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dogra
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Currently reading Maggie Nelson‘s incredible memoir, THE RED PARTS. #truecrime #autobiography #memoir #literarynonfiction

dogra I don‘t see anyone else using the #literarynonfiction keyword. Can we get that one going (in a well-curated way, of course)? 7y
14 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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EvieBee
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Stumbled upon this unadvertised deal when I checked my #Amazon wishlist just now. I‘ve been waiting for this to go on sale for MONTHS! So excited! Thought I‘d share.

#KindleDeal

Jess7 Stacked and purchased!! 🤗🤗 thanks for the heads up and recommendation! 7y
EvieBee @Jess7 you are very welcome! ♥️♥️ (edited) 7y
MicheleinPhilly I bought that AGES ago. Think I paid full price for it. Still haven‘t read it. 😒 7y
See All 6 Comments
EvieBee @MicheleinPhilly That happens to me a lot! I buy full price when I‘m in the zone with a genre or something, and then it passes. Hopefully it will strike your fancy again. 7y
readordierachel Ooh, I really liked this one! 7y
EvieBee @ReadOrDieRachel The synopsis sounds so good! Hopefully I can get to it soon. 7y
70 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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HardcoverHearts
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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For the 2018 Read Harder Challenge of true Crime, I am reading Maggie Nelson‘s The Red Parts. I am strongly opposed to the sensationalism of the genre as it rarely addresses the resonate suffering of the violence inflicted. I find Maggie Nelson to be brilliant. This is the telling of her investigation into her aunt‘s murder, with the myriad of implications it has had on her family. I‘m happy that I found something that fits the challenge!

BooksForEmpathy I did really enjoy this on audio. 7y
35 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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nikirtehsuxlol
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Almost done with this book. If you‘re into true crime or have a “murder mind,” check this out! The author is a poet and there are lyrical yet blunt passages in here.

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nikirtehsuxlol
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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Edgar Allen Poe calls the death of a beautiful woman the most poetic subject in the world, but a true crime TV producer making an episode about Jane puts it to Nelson differently: "This is prime time. No black people, no bad teeth." ⏩ NPR book review

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Read66
Pickpick

A really thought-provoking and moving look at the effect of a trial on the victim's (and in the case of this memoir, the author's) family - beautifully written.

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LibrarianRenee
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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This was not what I expecting, but it was a great surprise.

nikirtehsuxlol I just picked this up from the library! 7y
7 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Bibliogeekery
The Red Parts: A Memoir | Maggie Nelson
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