Harare Review of Books

256 pp. Published April 1, 2025 by Mascot Books. Memoir.

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It’s entirely possible I’m not the right reader for Old White Man Writing, and I’d like readers of this review to be completely aware of this.

Truthfully, my feelings about this book vacillated as I was reading it. Joshua Gidding self-describes as a “liberal Democrat, who shares, if he cannot fully embrace, some progressive positions.” Right at the start he explains that he’s written the book because he resents the idea that no one wants anymore to hear from someone like him—a privileged white male, that “the day of the straight white male writer, and a fortiori the old straight white male writer, is over.” Because he leads with this, I’m like, fair enough; let’s hear what you have to say. And a lot of what Gidding has to say is from plumbing the depths of his conscience for things that betray his self-identification as a progressive—namely, some quite frankly racist incidents over the course of his life.

This isn’t a bad thing really, to tell readers about these incidents. Like he says, there must be a place for that kind of thing. What really made this tiresome reading for me was that he wasn’t telling it all straight. See, Gidding has an alter ego, Joßche, who interrupts every recollection, and that endlessly. It’s fine that Joßche does this to challenge Gidding to tell a more whole truth, but the degree to which he interjects convinces me to how large a degree Gidding was uncomfortable with exposing himself. And while it’s interesting to have the author be unreliable where Joßche is his truth-telling conscience, I got exasperated at how much Joßche had to interrupt. Did Gidding even really want to tell us these stories? Why write the book if the shame was so strong? Would therapy not have been easier? And why should we, the readers, be in the position of confessor? (Particularly irritating as a Black reader, I must say.)

The blurb describes this as an “entertaining, literary, and subversive memoir.” Is this a literary memoir? Yes, it is, and not just because Gidding frequently calls upon his beloved classics for support. Is it subversive? Not really; it’s just an old white guy trying to be. Is it entertaining? Well, yes, if you can skim past all of the annoying interjections from Joßche (which I did, because I had to, to finish the book).

Would I recommend Old White Man Writing? Difficult. I gained some insight into some of the things that shaped a man from this culture and generation in that part of the world. Gidding helped me understand some of the reasons he did the (racist) things he did, even if I can’t find it in me to excuse them. I can even extend some empathy towards him for recognising things as racist where others would just excuse them as human or just thoughtless. But… This is a book that really hasn’t added anything to my reading experience, where it might for others.

Thanks to Mascot Books and NetGalley for DRC access.