Prof. Jessica Penner | OL10 | Spring 2021

Aaron Moore, Gurba Critique

Gurba’s essay(?) was a very entertaining read. In spite of its abrasive and provocative nature, beneath that, I enjoyed Gurba’s personal insight, analysis of Cummins’s book, storytelling and colorful, albeit coarse, writing. As someone who enjoys being able to know where someone’s head is at, what’s driving them, how they’re thinking, etc., her anecdotes acting as the connection to how she feels about the greater situation and a clear illustration of how she felt about the moment in time she’s describing was very enjoyable. All these things considered, this felt more like a personal discussion rather than a writing, and I appreciate that too.

Furthermore, I learned a bit concerning the insight into Mexican realities, was put on to Mexican writers, and shed light onto others’ real experiences. In addition, the Alexander Chee quote was greatly insightful. Lastly, beneath the rough and confrontational piece of the exterior, Gurba explained and detailed her issues with Cummins’s book in a way that not only gets her point across effectively, but in a way that also makes me aware of Cummins’s book’s shortcomings and makes me understand as why she’s so displeasured with Cummin’s work in the first place. As a result, even though I may not full agree with the method or even all of the views expressed, I sympathize with Gurba.

1 Comment

  1. sumayah

    the way she described her emotions through her writing was so beautiful and powerful
    in my opinion.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *