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mallorykjorgensen's review against another edition
5.0
This book of poetry is based on a true story about a Connecticut slave named Fortune. His owner, Dr. Porter, used Fortune's skeleton for experiments and scientific studies. This is a beautiful example of poetry written with several different speakers sharing parts of the same story.
scribe391's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Regarding a human skeleton on display at Mattatuck Museum of Waterbury Connecticut.
Nelson describes the efforts made to identify the person and return his dignity.
It brings up the discussion about items on display inside museums
Nelson describes the efforts made to identify the person and return his dignity.
It brings up the discussion about items on display inside museums
1librarianspath's review against another edition
3.0
I feel really torn by this one. The reason for the book (commissioned by the museum that found Fortune’s skeleton and wanted to recover his history) is fascinating, and horrifying. The nod to Thich Nhat Hanh, one of my favourite Buddhists, was lovely too. However, the actual Manumission Requiem left something to be desired. I definitely felt the ties to the church in the Kyrie and the pain in Dinah’s Lament, but overall the whole thing felt a bit flat. Maybe it was just my mood at the time of reading, but I’m still very glad I read it because it’s really interesting to read about Fortune and his family.
car8line's review against another edition
3.0
moving and complex but I think the language was too simplistic. I enjoyed the balance between the historical records and the imagined poetry.
poetryfreak38's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I love poetry so I was interested to see what this book was like. I do think the combination of facts about fortune and the poems really work well together. I think this is a great book for middle school and higher because of the content and vocabulary.
engpunk77's review against another edition
4.0
What a bizarre little book. What a bizarre subject. I loved it. I learned about a physician (bonesetter) who "dissected" his slave and hung his entire skeleton in a room in the house. The slave's poor wife had to dust his bones off because the plantation owner's wife (the wife of the doctor) was creeped out by it. You learn a fascinating but grim true story in prose juxtaposed with a poem's narrated from various perspectives: the slave wife, the doctor, the slave himself, etc. The poetry was in the format of a requiem, and it was beautifully done and morbidly fascinating.
hlandes1's review
4.0
Interesting read about a slave named Fortune in the 18th century. More information is found here: http://www.fortunestory.org/fortune/who.asp. This is a short read, but really interesting. We are hoping to bring a project surrounding this to ASU.
satyridae's review
4.0
Powerful and spare poems written around the story of Fortune, a doctor's slave, who was rendered after his death into a skeleton used by the family and students for anatomy study.
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