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sophiejuhlin's review against another edition
5.0
Utterly fucking revelatory. And effortlessly so. Congrats on a well-deserved Heartland nomination!
linzer712's review against another edition
4.0
Finna is a powerful exploration of identity, transience and permanence, of how language shapes us and we shape it. Many poems are about how a place in space and time and the people in that place make us. And, yes, of course it’s a collection about race, too.
I loved how Nate Marshall plays with the rhythm and layers of everyday language and slang as he asserts their power and beauty. Many of the lines and even poems may seem simple at first glance, but there is a lot happening, and their construction is complex and playful and often beautiful. I learned a lot from this collection, and I have a hell of a lot more learning to do.
I loved how Nate Marshall plays with the rhythm and layers of everyday language and slang as he asserts their power and beauty. Many of the lines and even poems may seem simple at first glance, but there is a lot happening, and their construction is complex and playful and often beautiful. I learned a lot from this collection, and I have a hell of a lot more learning to do.
zahiyyih's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
tracithomas's review against another edition
5.0
So many really good really Blsck poems. A lot of fun and joy mixed brilliantly with the pain and heaviness.
beewhorl's review
emotional
funny
reflective
5.0
I don’t read a lot of poetry but I am so happy I picked up this book. The poems were well thought out and shared such emotions across different themes. Nate celebrates Black vernacular in such a beautiful way which made we read and reread poems and sections of his book. As an SLP working in DC, I love languages and dialects that are continuously changing and growing. It is refreshing to see Black vernacular printed and shared in this book for all, which is what I hope and strive for with my clients and students. We must preserve languages, dialects, and culturals.
rachbreads's review against another edition
3.75
& for a long time that was how i let my life happen, / i let my mind tell me a million nos that the world / had implanted in me before i even formed questions. / i let my power be dulled by my fear of fitting.
Faves:
epicene
telling stories
Oo Wop De Bam
what can be said
African american literature
when america writes
aubade for the whole hood
imagine
which art? what fact?
FINNA
jvillanueva8's review against another edition
5.0
This is some of the best poetry I’ve read. Nate Marshall writes with elegance, playing with ideas around language. He explores the relationship he has with his own words, as well as how the rest of the world relates to his words. There were several times I had to pause simply to recognize his stunning rhythms. This was amazing.