Wash Day Diaries

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I very much appreciated this love letter to Black girls, their friendships, and their hair, and I can’t recommend it enough. Immediately you can tell how powerful their friendship is and each woman springs to life on the page while they deal with struggles, romance, self-care, and triumphs.

Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser | Goodreads Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser | Goodreads

She is also the co-founder of the international meetup group Geek Girl Brunch, creator of the hip hop x geek culture project Straight Outta Gotham, and creator of the former blog Girl Gone Geek. Depicting the friendships as a bulwark against the messiness of the outside world keeps the mood of Wash Day Diaries low key. Some days I want box braids and then I think about how long they take to put in, take out, the tension, the money. A 25-year-old software engineer and artist based in New York, Matthews has type 4A/4B curls and recently got locs for the second time.

It shows the character and differences of every friend while knowing at the end of the day I’ve got your back. Recently a white colleague said, “Well if you didn’t change your hair, we would’ve known who you were. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This is such a pleasurable read and makes you feel like you're part of their friend group and their group chat.

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We’re often built into the background of other people’s comic stories, so it’s wonderful to see one center a very specific aspect of Black culture. The second story ‘Group Conversation’ cleverly juxtaposes timeframes and locations as, from the hairdressers’ chair, Nisha chats with the group by direct message about her recent romantic entanglements; their feedback acting as chatty commentary alongside the events of the recent past. I didn’t realize how solidly I was myself when I was back home until I got here and had to constantly explain my experiences. The motif of wash day— as the women wash their own hair and others', go to the salon, and get braids—invites the reader into the rhythm of their lives, with welcome inclusivity of queer romance, as well as non romantic story lines.

While white folks can walk into most salons and be served, the Black experience couldn’t be more different. The characters are complex, the stories are relatable, and the art itself is so fun and beautiful and clever (there is one specific panel in “Group Chat” that I just adore you’ll know it when you see it)!

Wash Day Diaries” – The Library Ladies Kate’s Review: “Wash Day Diaries” – The Library Ladies

She’s been creating content in the geek community for over a decade and has been featured in publications such as Essence, Ebony, CBR, For Harriet, Complex, Broken Frontier, and more. The book takes its title from the wash day experience shared by Black women everywhere of setting aside all plans and responsibilities for a full day of washing, conditioning, and nourishing their hair.I didn't really know what to expect going into this graphic novel, as I haven't read that many in recent years but I was pleasantly surprised. Wash Day Diaries includes an updated, full color version of this original comic—which follows Kim, a 26-year-old woman living in the Bronx—as the book's first chapter and expands into a graphic novel with short stories about these vibrant and relatable new characters. The side stories, the moment with Granny, and the mental health awareness all poke to my soul, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have read this. Cookie’s story is about her visiting a grandmother that she has not seen in a long time because her grandmother once said that Cookie was not her granddaughter. A sweet, quick read about the tightly-knit friendships between four Black girls, supporting one another as they each go through their own personal life struggles (whether it's an ailing grandparent, a love triangle, an abusive ex, or depression).