Humanity Hallows Issue 5 Out Now
Pick up your copy on campus or read online
By Jamie Stewart
Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit is a coming-of-age novel about a young woman who struggles to conform to the expectations of those around her, as well as God, and herself.
Jeanette is going to be a missionary. That, her mother is sure of. Jeanette’s path was dictated for her, and she was ready to accept a life devoted to God and saving the lost. That is, until she meets Melanie. Melanie changes things. When Jeanette realises that there is an alternative to the life set out for her, she sees no other way. Winterson expertly combines the coming-of-age trope with curiosity, sexuality and theology into a story of lesbian celebration.
Oranges has spent its time in many different sections of bookshops, explains Winterson in the introduction to this book. Cookery, marmalade manuals, and finally the Gay/Lesbian section. “That is fine by me,” she writes, “though why are we so busy with the labels? Oranges is for anybody and everybody.”
With Oranges, she also poses the question, why, when a female writer uses her own life’s story as inspiration for a novel, is it considered a work of memoir? It is difficult, at first, to read Oranges without thinking of the main character as the writer herself. Why else has she used her own name for the main character when it is a work of fiction? “[I]t was about self-invention…I wanted to use myself as a fictional character – an expanded ‘I’.”
Reading Oranges is like peeling one. You dig your nails in, rip at the skin, and tear away it away until the segments are ready to be eaten. There may be a few pips in there that you need to spit out. You might even, like Jeanette, make an igloo with the peel.
Featured image and gallery: Truck Festival For almost thirty years, set within the rolling fields of Hill Farm in Steventon, Oxfordshire, Truck Festival has been a cornerstone of the British festival calendar. Dubbed the ‘godfather of the UK’s small festival scene’, the festival continues to live up to that title, with a line-up packed with…
Featured image: American Football – American Football album artwork The debut album has long been treated as a baptism of fire for artists – the deciding factor that determines whether a band will ‘make it’ or not. Some debuts set the tone for what follows: Arctic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m…
Featured image and gallery: Lucy Elson-Whittaker Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra come to the Palace Theatre in Manchester to celebrate the release of their new album, Night Blooms. Liverpool-based Brooke Combe opens the evening with a stripped-back set alongside her guitarist, her soulful vocals instantly captivating the crowd. Blending heartfelt performances with quick-witted…
Featured image and gallery: Sally Stretch Three decades after they first emerged in Manchester, Take That return home to the Etihad Stadium and deliver an unforgettable show, combining circus theatrics and crowd-pleasing hits from across their catalogue. Formed in 1990, the group have released multiple chart-topping albums and embarked on numerous world tours, including 2009’s…
Leave a reply