Harare Review of Books

106 pp. August 26, 2025, Amazon Original Stories. Non-fiction/essays.

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The inimitable and always fun and delightful Issa Rae gets personal in this collection: about her childhood obsession with briefcases (“The Business of Being Me”); how she learnt to work in a team in the writing room (“Playing Well With Others”): how she learnt how to get going creatively (“The Geography of Creativity”); the performance of self and the complexity of her identity (“I See You Seeing Me”); why she procrastinates and believes that’s a good thing (“The Art of Strategic Procrastination”); and, finally, how, after all this time and with all her success, she still isn’t completely sure she knows what she’s doing (“I Almost Know What I’m Doing”). It’s a very Issa Rae collection, very tongue-in-cheek, and immensely relatable.

Rae is self-aware, and comes across as (knowing she’s) fiercely ambitious and still a little… insecure. She’s very much your very intense and kind of irreverent bestie in these stories/essays, despite being a world-renowned star. It’s Issa sitting next to you in a—I don’t know—tapas lounge or something, or maybe you’ve bumped into her at the airport while waiting for a flight; there’s chatter around you, but she’s sharing about herself and she’s so earnest and open and her focus is entirely on you. That’s what this book is: just you and Issa. Because Rae has been so immensely successful, this collection is a fascinating read.

I learnt lots! Both about Issa and about the pressures and challenges of being an ambitious Black woman in the film industry in the US. I even took notes, because this is also about being a Black creative today. So, read if:

• You love Issa Rae, which, but of course;
• You’re a creator interested in other creators—their journey to success, their challenges, and advice they give;
• You’re interested in how this Black woman media mogul got there, and how she’s navigating the scene—including the ways she’s found to protect herself.

This was a quick read, and fun! Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for DRC access.