Known and Strange Things

Teju Cole hits it out of the park over and over in Known and Strange Things, his essay collection on photography, travel, race and being. I know I’ll be rereading and engaging with the ideas here for years to come.

An essential and scintillating journey.

Truly excellent . . . [Cole has] wide learning, great intelligence and a beguiling, elegant style.

The forms of resistance depend on the culture they resist, and in our era of generalizations and approximations and sloppiness, Teju Cole’s precise and vivid observation and description are an antidote and a joy. This is a book written with a scalpel, a microscope, and walking shoes, full of telling details and sometimes big surprises.

Showcases the magnificent breadth of subjects [Cole] is able to plumb with . . . passion and eloquence.

It is absolutely wonderful. Teju is so erudite, so laser sharp, his intelligence shimmers but best of all, his personality shines through as being kind and generous. I found myself transported and moved deeply.