Good Dirt

Author: Charmaine Wilkerson

Rating: ⭐ 4/5

Date Read: 2025/03/15

Pages: 368

Good Dirt is both an examination of a family heeling from trauma and an exploration of heirlooms as totems for family history. It’s ambitious, and author Charmaine Wilkerson manages to pull it off.

As someone who grew up in the art world, I thought I was fairly knowledgeable. Turns out, I had no idea about the ceramic artwork made by enslaved Americans. These are functional pieces that are also quietly subversive. The history is fascinating, and I’m glad that Wilkerson’s book brings attention to this area of Black art history.