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Mixed: My Life in Black and White (2006)

by Angela Nissel

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1043261,403 (3.52)3
"Tell anyone who asks that you're half-black and half-white, just like David Hasselhoff from Knight Rider."-Angela's mother "Love has no color," insist Angela Nissel's parents, but does it have a clue? In this candid, funny, and poignant memoir, Angela recounts growing up biracial in Philadelphia-moving back and forth between black inner-city schools and white prep schools-where her racial ambiguity and doomed attempts to blend in dog her teen years. Once in college, Angela experiments with black activism (hoping to find clarity in extremism), capitalizes on her "exotic" look at a strip club, and ends up with a major case of the blues (aka, a racial identity problem). Yet Angela is never down for the count. After moving to Los Angeles, she discovers that being multiracial is anything but simple, especially in terms of dating and romance. By turns a comedy of errors and a moving coming-of-age chronicle, Mixed traces one woman's unforgettable journey to self-acceptance and belonging. Praise for Mixed "I love Angela Nissel's writing. Reading Mixed was like getting a letter from a best friend I forgot I had. How ironic that a book written by someone who felt like no one "got" her will surely be one of those rare books everyone gets- black, white, both, neither. Hilarious, sweet, and honest, Mixed is the perfect read if you've ever felt like the one standing on the outside-- and let's face it, who hasn't? - -Jill Soloway, author of Tiny Ladies in Shiny Pants "Nissel is humorous, poignant, and proud yet also empathetic and generous as she recounts her constant struggle to answer the perennial question persons of mixed race seem required to ask of themselves in our society-where do I fit in'.... All readers stand to learn from her account." -- Booklist "Colorful anecdotes, marvelous dialogue and a thoughtful narrative make this memoir a delight."-Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "If David Sedaris was a straight biracial female, this is the book he'd write. This book is so funny I've already started telling people I helped Angela write it." -- Bill Lawrence, creator of Scrubs "Growing up black and white, I always felt I had the best of both worlds. I feel the same way about Mixed. It's the perfect blend of hilarious comedy and sometimes tragic reality." -- Yvette Lee Bowser, creator of Living Single and executive producer of Half and Half "Mixed is a hilarious must-read for anyone searching for the enchanting path to self-discovery. Angela Nissel's precise account of living the mixed race experience not only hit home with me, but the journey is deliciously enlightening and heart-rending at the same time. It's a journey well worth taking." --Halle Berry… (more)
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Showing 3 of 3
A hilarious memoir by a mixed-race daughter of a white father and a former Black Panther. Her sense of humor, storytelling prowess, impeccable memory, and post-racial insights all combine to form a funny and true story that could only take place in America. ( )
  LGallager | May 26, 2009 |
Extraordinarily witty. I found myself laughing out loud. However, I was again frustrated by the anger she expresses. It seems as though she has never resolved the anger. I expected to hear an uplifting story with childhood and young adult confusion and anger, then a beautiful blossoming into enlightened, wise adulthood. Lacking. Tough for me to identify with in that respect. ( )
1 vote MoiraStirling | Jun 27, 2007 |
This was a good book. It's a memoir in which Angela talked about what it was like for her growing up biracial, and her struggle to come to terms with her race and who she was as a person. Even though many of the things she experienced were very sad and disheartening, the tone of the book was very humorous. Since she was raised by the black side of her family, I could definitely relate to a lot of her childhood experiences that weren't directly connected to her being biracial, and I found myself getting very nostalgic and often in tears from laughing so hard.

I definitely recommend it. It was interesting to get the chance to view the world through the eyes of someone who is biracial and see what they have to deal with on a day to day basis when it comes to race and identity. ( )
1 vote paperdoll | May 18, 2006 |
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For Reuben
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"Mom, how did you and Dad meet?" I asked my mother over the phone.
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Getting out of bed felt like trying to dig myself out of my own grave.  (p.155)
But only people who have been this depressed would understand the joy of performing a simple task like getting out of bed.  (p.156)
I hate covert racism.   I have always hated guessing whether someone is being mean/rude/nervous because they hate my race or because they are having a bad day. (p.160)
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"Tell anyone who asks that you're half-black and half-white, just like David Hasselhoff from Knight Rider."-Angela's mother "Love has no color," insist Angela Nissel's parents, but does it have a clue? In this candid, funny, and poignant memoir, Angela recounts growing up biracial in Philadelphia-moving back and forth between black inner-city schools and white prep schools-where her racial ambiguity and doomed attempts to blend in dog her teen years. Once in college, Angela experiments with black activism (hoping to find clarity in extremism), capitalizes on her "exotic" look at a strip club, and ends up with a major case of the blues (aka, a racial identity problem). Yet Angela is never down for the count. After moving to Los Angeles, she discovers that being multiracial is anything but simple, especially in terms of dating and romance. By turns a comedy of errors and a moving coming-of-age chronicle, Mixed traces one woman's unforgettable journey to self-acceptance and belonging. Praise for Mixed "I love Angela Nissel's writing. Reading Mixed was like getting a letter from a best friend I forgot I had. How ironic that a book written by someone who felt like no one "got" her will surely be one of those rare books everyone gets- black, white, both, neither. Hilarious, sweet, and honest, Mixed is the perfect read if you've ever felt like the one standing on the outside-- and let's face it, who hasn't? - -Jill Soloway, author of Tiny Ladies in Shiny Pants "Nissel is humorous, poignant, and proud yet also empathetic and generous as she recounts her constant struggle to answer the perennial question persons of mixed race seem required to ask of themselves in our society-where do I fit in'.... All readers stand to learn from her account." -- Booklist "Colorful anecdotes, marvelous dialogue and a thoughtful narrative make this memoir a delight."-Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "If David Sedaris was a straight biracial female, this is the book he'd write. This book is so funny I've already started telling people I helped Angela write it." -- Bill Lawrence, creator of Scrubs "Growing up black and white, I always felt I had the best of both worlds. I feel the same way about Mixed. It's the perfect blend of hilarious comedy and sometimes tragic reality." -- Yvette Lee Bowser, creator of Living Single and executive producer of Half and Half "Mixed is a hilarious must-read for anyone searching for the enchanting path to self-discovery. Angela Nissel's precise account of living the mixed race experience not only hit home with me, but the journey is deliciously enlightening and heart-rending at the same time. It's a journey well worth taking." --Halle Berry

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