Summary
The Fire Inside explores the writings of Audre Lorde and James Baldwin through a Dharmic lens, revealing for the first time how two of America’s greatest literary voices reflect—and expand—Buddhism’s most timeless truths toward justice and liberation.
My Thoughts
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. “ – James Baldwin
I received this book as an ARC from the publisher for review. I chose to read this book for many reasons. The first James Baldwin book I read was The Fire Next Time, and I was so stunned by how it was so relevant and ever-present. I was so impressed by how he could speak truth to power at a time when atrocities like lynchings were still occurring in the United States. The country was under such civil unrest, and he so eloquently outlined the problems in the United States. I have always wanted to read Audre Lorde, but never got around to doing so. I was intrigued to see how Dr. Irma Vesely-Flad would show how the writings of these two activist writers related to the dharma.
As a Buddhist and a person paralyzed with terror and anger from the current state of our country. I also wanted to see how Dr. Vesely-Flad used the dharma to set her on the path toward inner peace and activism. It’s easy to become angry and cynical in this moment in history and let it stop us from taking steps to help ourselves and our community.
“If Black Radical writers have urged me to decolonize my mind, Buddhist teachings and practices have provided a salient, clear way to do it. But it is a cyclical process. We cannot only be focused on internal liberation. We are compelled to change oppressive conditions that lead to suffering, too.” – Dr. Irma Vesely-Fladk
It is so important to validate the ongoing mental health struggles we face as Black people living in this country. I often feel reluctant to express my anger for the same reasons highlighted in the book: I fear being ostracized/othered. It is a cruel situation to find oneself unable to express all of your emotions. In this country it is not safe for me to express my anger.
Expressing anger does not equate to violence. It is one of the array of emotions we are all born with, but anger is one we, as Black people in this country, have not been able to express. Back in slavery times, it led to being the recipient of violent acts (whippings) and sometimes death. Today, if I verbalize my anger as a Black person, I might make some people feel uncomfortable, and that discomfort is unwelcome and can lead to alienation or worse in some situations. I am not expected to live in my fullness in my emotions. It seems the country wants to sweep the acknowledgment of systemic and cultural racism under the rug. So it’s very difficult to engage in activism for change when I feel overwhelmed with mental fatigue from the onslaught of trauma. “Silence is a contract between oppressor and oppression.” So I was looking for guidance on how to use my Buddhist practice to self-heal and as a springboard to action toward liberation. The author talks about how Lorde’s poetry “forces us to reckon with our fear and our self-silencing, the coercions that propel us to give up our power.”
“Anger is an appropriate reaction to racist attitudes, as is fury when the actions arising from those attitudes do not change.” – Audre Lorde
“Anger is a bell, a signal of injustice. And yet. It is often the result of experiencing hatred.”
Dr. Vessley-Flad honors all that arises, including anger. This allows her to “validate anger as a moral response to harm, as an outrage rooted in self-love and love for others”. I feel like we all need space for our feelings. We need to be validated and respected rather than shunned and condemned.
I truly appreciate the book’s format and how she tied her family history and personal evolution to the works of these luminaries and the Dharma. It could have been written without her story and been a wonderful book, but it adds so much more depth with the application of a life story.
I found myself highlighting so many passages from both Baldwin and Lorde while reading this book, and feeling so grounded after each sitting. Likewise, I am inspired to view the world through the lens of the Dharma more often when I engage with these and similar books. Furthermore, I think it does what we are supposed to do as Buddhists, not simply read Buddhist teachings but to live it in our experiences, and that includes reading.
As if that weren’t enough, Dr. Vessley-Flad includes applicable meditations and invites the reader to use them to find ways toward self-healing, to process the injustices we are currently facing, and to summon the courage to take action.
I am so happy I was approved for this book because it came at the perfect time in my life, and I hope others take the time to read it.
This book will be released on February 3, 2026.
