There is no forced participation in racist systems or institutions. It is easy to understand why Cainland would seem like a dream for some. Members of Cainland live off the land and rely on their own to create what they need. The Blessed Acres of Cain, or Cainland, was born from Black liberation movements like the Black Panthers and the fictional CLAWS group for the purpose of creating a Black society divested from white capitalism and influence, for the protection of Black people and culture. The main character in Sorrowland, Vern, is 15 and pregnant when she escapes from the Blessed Acres of Cain, a refuge-cum-cult of Black Americans designed toward Black independence from white society. And, though I am a non-Black reader, I see no experiences translated for the sake of a white audience. Where there is violence, there is also resilience. In literary circles, we often talk about the historical prevalence of stories that center Black pain for a white gaze, suffering for the sake of allowing an audience to say, “Well, at least I’m not that racist.” Sorrowland is not one of those stories. But familiarity with Solomon (fae/faer/faers)’s previous work led me to believe this would not be simply (for lack of a better phrase) torture porn. I anticipated a certain amount of, well, sorrow, alongside speculative elements. I’LL ADMIT THAT I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from Rivers Solomon’s Sorrowland.
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