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misscalije's review
5.0
I took my time with this collection and I’m very glad that I did so. There is a lot to unpack, and the sociology of the poetry is stuff that really interests me.
I definitely have the ability to critique poetry, but I’m not about to pretend I have the authority tear this collection apart and put its meaning together in my own words. Brown’s work is so closely tied to issues of race, which I enjoyed, and I think that it must have done a good job imparting it’s message and moving me, a privileged white man.
The collection was recommended to me when I was finding work dealing with gender and sexuality. Brown’s experience (he named himself several times in the collection) was rooted to his racial identity, and it was good to read with an intersectional eye.
If I had to pick A favorite, it would be Motherland. I enjoyed the narrative form, and it worked well as a change from the other more contemporary-form poems (if that makes sense).
Love love love.
I definitely have the ability to critique poetry, but I’m not about to pretend I have the authority tear this collection apart and put its meaning together in my own words. Brown’s work is so closely tied to issues of race, which I enjoyed, and I think that it must have done a good job imparting it’s message and moving me, a privileged white man.
The collection was recommended to me when I was finding work dealing with gender and sexuality. Brown’s experience (he named himself several times in the collection) was rooted to his racial identity, and it was good to read with an intersectional eye.
If I had to pick A favorite, it would be Motherland. I enjoyed the narrative form, and it worked well as a change from the other more contemporary-form poems (if that makes sense).
Love love love.
milesjmoran's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best poetry collections I've ever read, Jericho Brown is a wonderful voice that I am so excited about. Discussing race, religion, sexuality, and gender, The New Testament is a stunning piece that I can't say anything about without getting highly emotional. Please just read it. Jericho Brown is a poetic genius--what more can I say? Favourite poems include Coliseum, Willing to Pay, To Be Seen, Paradise and Labor. It's just something else.
jubaju's review
2.0
This book is in the same vein as Danez Smith’s Don’t Call Us Dead in the way that it talks about race and queerness in modern day America. I enjoyed reading this, language-wise, but was not drawn on by the poems.