I Talk About It All the Time

Originally published in Norway in 2018 and now translated into English, Joof’s memoir is a compelling series of essays about racism in Scandinavia. A queer performance artist and playwright, Joof is the daughter of a white Norwegian mother and a Gambian father. She grew up in Bodø, Norway, with her mother, older brother, and extended maternal family. Her brown skin compelled acquaintances and even family members to call her derogatory names, and she often encountered open hostility from white passersby. Each essay describes the racism, bias, and microaggressions she experienced throughout the years. Many of those incidents occurred on public transport systems, city streets, and in bars. Some chapters are no more than a page long, others only a single line. But Joof makes her point in the simplest terms: racism and bias are insidious and pervasive, and many people are complicit. There are no easy solutions, she acknowledges, but she believes it’s important to increase awareness and to educate oneself.