BookBrowse Reviews Another Word for Love by Carvell Wallace

"I write about beautiful things because I live in a country that has tried to kill me and every single one of my ancestors." This might serve as Carvell Wallace's mission statement. His memoir candidly acknowledges wrongs that have been done—to him personally and to Black people collectively. But he also relates what he has learned about sexuality and spirituality, both of which provoke openness to love and wonder.

Wallace's debut is a nontraditional memoir in 36 mini-essays, grouped under several headings. "Stories About Loss" recreate scenes from his difficult youth. He and his single mother sometimes stayed with his aunt and uncle in the Pittsburgh area; they also spent a year unhoused, and later moved to California. During these years, he had two unforgettable encounters with the LAPD: once, his mother was arrested over a bad check she wrote for a...