“Dark Designs gave me that fuzzy, blissy, slightly brainwashed feeling you get when you realize you’ve absorbed some new insight without even noticing. It’s clearly evident that, besides being a well-known and well-respected black feminist and cultural critic, Wallace is a gifted storyteller. . . . Wallace’s recipe of personal history and cultural study critiques in Dark Designs makes for a sweet, satisfying treat indeed.” — Narkhunda , M/C Reviews
“Dark Designs is an overall revealing, exciting gathering of Michele Wallace’s work over the years as one of this nation’s most daring cultural critics.” — Natalie Maxwell , Feminist Review blog
"Dark Designs is a thick book that communicates broader ideas by collecting together simple, readable essays into a fascinating mosaic that is definitely more than the sum of its parts." — Emily Patterson-Kane , Altar Magazine
"[A] fascinating critique of popular and intellectual culture. . . . It brings to life a time when artists and intellectuals actively tried to change the cultural landscape and engage with issues of identity and politics in controversial and innovative ways." — Danny Voloch, Bust
"[T]he writing is energetic, direct, and thoughtful. . . . The autobiographical background is doubly interesting because it sheds light also on Wallace's mother, artist Faith Ringgold. Essential." — J. Tharp, Choice
"From the author of Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman comes another groundbreaking black feminist critique. This collection offers much for lesbian readers. . . ." — Diane Anderson-Minshall , Curve
"Prefaced by a powerfully personal and characteristically bold introduction, Wallace's collection of essays and articles take the reader on a retrospective romp through the last two decades and beyond." — Tara Lake , Girlfriends
"Those interested in the fields of women's studies, visual and cinema studies and cultural studies might be especially drawn to this book. For those who have not read her before, Dark Designs and Visual Culture serves as a fine introduction to Wallace and her work; and while readers' responses to Wallace's arguments will be varied, many will find something of value-whether in the brief, vignettelike pieces or the longer selections from scholarly journals-within these pages." — Denise Simon , Black Issues Book Review
"Wallace possesses a rare gift for honesty in her writing, something that is refreshing in the world of cultural studies, where discourses and generalizations normally take precedence. Her language forces the reader to admit things that he/she may not normally admit and to consider perspectives that are usually silenced, such as that of Black women." — Angela Morris , Black Renaissance/Renaissance Noire
"Whether revising decades-old opinions or reaffirming them, this collection of work including thoughts on her mother, artist Faith Ringgold, the Million Man March, the sexualizing of the black female body and the continuing debate on black visual culture crystallizes Wallace's sharp criticism and concerns for the state of black existence and feminist culture. Evolve on, Michele Wallace. Evolve on." — Jenoyne Adams , Ms. Magazine
“Dark Designs and Visual Culture is a remarkable compilation of images, self-reflexive essays, and other critical works. It demonstrates Michele Wallace’s mastery of cultural criticism and indicates her interaction with American and African American visual culture during the past thirty years. A writer of extraordinary talent, she wields an ever sharpened insight and wit.” — Deborah Willis
“I can hardly think of a living critic who is as courageous as Michele Wallace—she says things no one else dares to—and this collection proves just how consistent her bravery has been over the years.” — Andrew Ross
“Michele Wallace has long been one of the most insightful and brave writers dealing with popular culture in this country. Her latest work continues that tradition of courage and wit.”—Nelson George — N/A