Speaking with Vampires: Rumor and History in Colonial Africa
Literature & Fiction
Why I Chose This Book
I read this book during my first semester of grad school and it forever changed the way that I think about oral history. The book challenges many of our assumptions about what constitutes a “true” story and emphasizes the need to listen critically for the different kinds of truths that exist in the stories people tell about themselves, their families, and their communities. The language people use to critique their oppression isn’t always straightforward and vampires can take many forms.
