For my creative post, I decided to write some of my own versions of Indigo’s moon journeys/life recipes from the perspective of the grown up Indigo we see at the end of the novel. When reading Sassafrass, Cypress, and Indigo, I found myself really missing Indigo’s spiritual and whimsical voice in the middle. I liked how we got to see who she has become at the end of the novel, but I still wanted more Indigo. Thus, I decided to make some more Indigo for myself.
In reading the end of Indigo’s section of the novel, I question whether she would continue crafting these poetic life recipes. Seeing as though we leave Indigo in the scene where she decides to retire her dolls, it seems as though she may be transitioning away from some of her spirituality and connection to folklore. However, the description of Indigo working as a midwife towards the end of the novel leads me to believe that she does maintain that mysticism even as she enters adulthood. I tried to craft these life recipes keeping both her mysticism and her newfound maturity in mind. I decided to hand write these in my journal because it felt a little more Indigo to me.
Questions:
1. Where do you see the connection between womanhood and Black joy in Indigo’s Life Recipes?
2. How do we interpret Indigo’s Life Recipes in light of our understanding of Southern mysticism throughout the novel?