In 'Break Any Woman Down,' Dana Johnson unveils the emotional labyrinth of a woman's journey through betrayal and resilience. The protagonist grapples with deep-seated insecurities and societal expectations, leading her to confront her own identity. As she navigates rocky relationships and personal demons, the story challenges what it truly means to be strong. With raw honesty and poignant insights, Johnson intricately explores the power dynamics between men and women. Will she find liberation in vulnerability, or will it shatter her sense of self forever?
By Dana Johnson
Published: 2012
"Sometimes, to break the cycle of despair, a woman must first shatter the illusions that bind her."
In Break Any Woman Down, Dana Johnson explores race, identity, and alienation with unflinching honesty and vibrant language. Hip and seductive, her stories often feature women discovering their identities through sexual and emotional intimacy with the men in their lives. In the title story, La Donna is a black stripper whose white boyfriend, an actor in adult movies, insists that she stop stripping. In "Melvin in the Sixth Grade," eleven-year-old Avery has a crush on a white boy from Oklahoma who, like Avery, is an outsider in their suburban Los Angeles school. "Markers" is as much about a woman's relationship with her mother as it is about the dissolution of her relationship with an older Italian man. Dana Johnson has an intuitive sense of character and a gift for creating authentic voices. She effortlessly captures the rhythmic vernaculars of Los Angeles, the American South, and various immigrant communities as she brings to life the sometimes heavyhearted, but always persevering, souls who live there.
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“Sometimes, to break the cycle of despair, a woman must first shatter the illusions that bind her.”
Break Any Woman Down
By Dana Johnson
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Dana Johnson is an acclaimed American author known for her poignant explorations of identity, family, and the African American experience. Her notable works include the critically praised novels "Elsewhere, California" and "The Black Rose Days," along with her short story collections such as "In the Not Quite Dark". Johnson’s writing style is characterized by its lyrical prose, deep emotional resonance, and rich character development, allowing readers to engage intimately with her narrators' journeys. Johnson has received numerous accolades, including the Helen & Kurt Wolff Prize and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, cementing her place as a significant voice in contemporary literature.
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