Dallas Public Library: A Phoenix First Must Burn

Press release from Dallas Public Library:

Ashleigh Martin

October 23, 2021

Short stories are a great option for people that don’t have much time to read or want to jump back into reading. The first reason is why I picked up A Phoenix First Must Burn. This sixteen-story collection is edited by Patrice Caldwell and contains stories from women and gender-nonconforming people across the African Diaspora.

Caldwell starts the collection by paying homage to Octavia Butler and Toni Morrison—two amazing African American writers that paved the way for many Black people to write their own science fiction. This collection will appeal to those that enjoy reading science fiction or fantasy. I haven’t read a vampire story since Twilight, and “Letting the Right One In” by Caldwell took me back to my Team Edward vs. Team Jacob days.

A Phoenix First Must Burn doesn’t have a particular order in which the stories are organized. Nor is the order based on notoriety of the included authors. Although, some author names stood out, and I immediately decided to read their stories first. To my surprise, the first story, “When Life Hands You a Lemon Fruitbomb,” is written by Amerie—a Grammy-nominated R&B artist that brings back a ton of early 2000’s nostalgia for me.

One of my favorites in the collection is Elizabeth Acevedo’s “Gilded,” a tale of magic and slave rebellion set in 1522. Charlotte Nicole Davis’ “All the Time in the World” entails a girl that’s received powers from polluted water, a subtle nod to the Flint water crisis. There’s something for every reader: from tales of aliens and witches to stories of heartbreak and revenge. Karen Strong’s “The Witch’s Skin” focuses on the Boo Hag, a mythical creature stemming from Gullah culture. This anthology serves as a great introduction to the diverse cultures within the African Diaspora. But one can find commonality with many of the stories. Like through the focus and mentioning of Black hair, family dynamics, or slang.

A Phoenix First Must Burn is one of the first anthologies I’ve read in a long time and has me excited for more, especially from these authors.

Some additional young adult anthologies can be found on Book Riot.

You can check out the included authors on DPL’s catalog with the links below:

Amerie
Elizabeth Acevedo
Rebecca Roanhorse
Alaya Dawn Johnson
Somaiya Daud
Justina Ireland
L. L. McKinney
Dhonielle Clayton
Patrice Caldwell
Danny Lore
Ibi Zoboi
Danielle Paige
Ashley Woodfolk
Charlotte Nicole Davis
Karen Strong
J. Marcelle Corrie

This press release was produced by Dallas Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.