The Sovereignty of Quiet

From the Mother Tongue Spells & Invocation collection. 

"The Sovereignty of Quiet” reveals how dominant culture exerts control by imposing a false binary on the expression of marginalized communities, demanding they either disappear into silence or erupt into spectacle. This expectation becomes a form of linguistic discipline, dictating not only what can be said, but how it must be said to be heard or believed. Using Blackness as the central lens, Quashie reclaims “quiet” as a form of radical sovereignty: the right to interiority, contemplation, and private expression that refuses to perform for power’s gaze." - Erika Abrams

African American culture is often considered expressive, dramatic, and even defiant. In The Sovereignty of Quiet, Kevin Quashie explores quiet as a different kind of expressiveness, one which characterizes a person’s desires, ambitions, hungers, vulnerabilities, and fears. 

Borrow, share, exchange as you wish, and return by the end of the season on February 6th. Pick up at the gallery anytime, and return and swap for a new book of your choosing. To our global friends - online borrowing is possible, just pay for the shipping there and back. 

The Mother Tongue Library is a love letter to the thinkers, writers, and artists who’ve given us the language of courage when we needed it most.