Rest Is Resistance

August 29, 2022
“All of culture is collaborating for us not to rest,” contends Hersey, the founder of the Nap Ministry, in this empathetic treatise. Arguing that rest is a political act, she suggests that capitalism and white supremacy have corrupted Americans’ relationship with relaxation, especially for Black Americans, whose “bodies have been a constant source of exploitation.” She critiques “grind culture” for equating productivity with self-worth and reducing “our divine bodies” to the level of machinery. Hersey describes how her belief in the liberatory power of rest stemmed from her exhaustion while in seminary school, as well as her church’s message that her body is a “deep reflection of God” worthy of cherishing. Plumbing her family’s history to highlight the painful consequences of constant work, the author describes how the stress of working two full-time jobs contributed to her father’s death at age 55. She relates how her great-grandmother always stayed up late to watch for Klansmen and how her grandmother took half-hour naps to “find peace” after escaping the Jim Crow South, illuminating the intersection of racism and rest. Hersey’s ministry background shines through in her passionate and eloquent arguments that read like a clear-eyed sermon, though the author sometimes struggles to find new ways to expand on her central point. Nonetheless, the provocative message will appeal to those tired of grind culture.

Starred review from September 15, 2022
Hersey, known as the Nap Bishop, is an author and performance artist as well as an activist who emphasizes the importance of rest to racial- and social-justice work. Here, she delves into why it's so crucial, particularly for Black women. Through accounts of Hersey's family history as well as Black American history, readers learn about the legacy of exhaustion, where it came from, why it was normalized, and how to challenge that. Resistance to grind culture is fundamental and necessary, as is rejecting the capitalism that has benefited from it for too long. Although readers have been conditioned to think that rest is a luxury or something to be earned, Hersey encourages people to counter those notions. Capitalism demands that people ignore pain and health issues for the sake of being on the clock, something Hersey also rallies against because it is wreaking havoc on too many people, particularly marginalized groups. With key breakdowns about the hidden cost of toxic productivity standards and grind culture, Rest Is Resistance offers crucial guidance on how people can slow down, reclaim rest, and make space for self-care. Although these things may not seem revolutionary, Hersey demonstrates why and how they are radical.

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