Medicine Stories: History, Culture and the Politics of Integrity by Aurora Levins Morales

Medicine Stories: History, Culture and the Politics of Integrity Reviews

• 
  Aurora Morales

  South End Press sent out a call for manuscripts to selected writers in late 1997 or early 1998. I was in the middle of finishing my book Remedios, and consulted my other and collaborator about whether to take it on. She said to do it, but not worry, to write a B+ book not strive for A+. As a result, I wrote it easily, without anxiety, and have been astonished at how widely it is read, quoted and used by young activists exploring the politics of trauma and healing, the meaning and uses of historical memory and other issues I write about in this essay collection.
• 
  William Lawrence

  "But abuse is the local eruption of systemic oppression, and oppression the accumulation of millions of small systematic abuses."
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  Drick

  Aurora Levins Morales, a long time feminist and anti-racism activist has put together a series of essays that are poignantly written and speak of both the personal and political experiences of oppression in an integrated way. Born to a Puerto Rican mother and a Russian Ashkenazi Jewish father, Morales explores and extends her multiple identities as Latina, Jew, a woman of privilege, a woman of color, feminist and abuse survivor. In her first essay she draws a connection between abuse and oppression that is stunningly clear in its simplicity. As she tells her own stories - medicine stories, that is stories of healing - you hear your own story reflected. She deals with racism, sexism, abuse, language, privilege, sexuality and many other topics in this thin but potent book.
• 
  Alisa

  Aurora Levins Morales writes with such intimacy that the reader feels her strength, her resilience, her story that I finished the book inspired to write. She reminds us that the practice of our cultures is revolutionary and a needed tool to resist the "other" placed upon each of us. A short book, but take your time to take in each essay. You will not regret it.
• 
  Clivemichael

  Inspiring reflections on cultural influence. Well articulated.
  “Earth-centered cultures everywhere held our kinship with land and animals and plants as core knowledge, central to living. The land had to be soaked with blood and that knowledge, those cultures shattered, before private ownership could be erected. It wasn’t just theft.”
  “…it is no longer useful to…keep defining and elaborating our understandings of the exact nature of racism, sexism, class and sexual orientation as if they ever operated in isolation.
  “Love is subversive, undermining the propaganda of narrow self-interest. Love emphasizes connection, responsibility and the joy we take in each other. Therefore love (as opposed to unthinking devotion) is a danger to the status quo and we have been taught to find it embarrassing.”
  
• 
  Aimen

  i really enjoyed this book. it helped me articulate and bring together my own thoughts about trauma, collectivity, and organising. however, what continually bothered me through out the book was the lack of grounded mention of Palestine and the occupation it faces at the hands of Israel. there were two mentions in the book, which i felt didn’t do justice especially given the discussion of US empire, land dispossession, and how trauma of the tormentors leads to the trauma of their targets. this is also apparent when one looks at the index, a single story from Pakistan got a mention in the index but Palestine isn’t indexed while Israel gets a mention as well. this book has a lot of medicine and teaching in it but given the themes it discusses Palestine and the pain of its people is given no space at all.
• 
  Miko Lee

  A series of thoughtful and well researched essays around healing and transformative justice. Love the topic areas focused on areas from curanderas to class, privilege and radical pleasure. From the eyes of a progressive brilliant biracial middle class Puerto Rican Jewish American.
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  Rachel Brightman

  buy this book & support the author!
  
  i learned so much from an anti zionist jewish perspective (finally) and the life of a jew of color. great reflections and extensions from this bridge.
  
  easy to read and conceptualize, a great book for radicals & activists to have in ur collection
  
  tw: child sex trafficking, anti semitism, racism, homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, discussion of violence, discussion of cancer
• 
  Tucker

  Grapples with big issues in a way that is hopeful and empowering.
• 
  A.

  Some of the best essays about organizing, trauma, strategy, justice and identity that I’ve ever read. Anyone who does social change work needs to definitely pick this up!
• 
  Miriam Hall

  Deeply excellent, wide ranging and profoundly applicable essays.
• 
  Jennifer

  My favorite book on why history is so essential. The Historian as Curandera is an amazing essay. Morales urges us to view history as a way to build hope for marginalized folk, making for better movement building. She also argues that we embrace the complexity of our own personal histories as well as those of our peoples.
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  Colin

  Omg. So amazing. Everyone should read this book!
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  Sascha Altman-DuBrul

  this is my current guidebook to life
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  Tanuja

  I want to memorize and live Every. Single. Word.
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  Victoria Law

  Almost a year later, the copy I reserved at the library finally came in (along with Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck, which I reserved a day or so ago).
• 
  Caitlin

  I didn't get too far into this before I had to return it but what I read was fantastic. Will definitely pick it up again soon.
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  Lisa

  like new inscription inside