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4.54 AVERAGE
4.54 AVERAGE
What a powerful collection of poems about Smith’s personal history, as well as America’s real history. Clint Smith can make you cry one moment, pump your fist the next, and then have you screaming in agreement. Gorgeous poems about Black joy and fears that I know I’ll come back to again and again, as well as share with students.
No matter if you love poetry or not, this is a must read.
No matter if you love poetry or not, this is a must read.
Remarkable. These poems tell not just one story, but the whole story. I loved this one from the first to the last. My favorite has to be “Chaos Theory” - but they’re all my favorites if we’re being honest.
5/5⭐️
5/5⭐️
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
I really loved the couple of Smith's poems I'd read before, as well as his nonfiction book; his writing is beautiful. But this fell somewhat short of my expectations, and I'm wondering if his writing has improved significantly in the few years since it was published. I would definitely still recommend it, and his poems are amazing commentaries on race of course. I look forward to reading more of his work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality
Moderate: Death, Violence
Minor: Suicide
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
The incoming class of freshman at my daughter's college was assigned this book and I asked her if I could read it first. I am humbled by this man's talent. My first 5 star rating of the year.
I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed reading a book of poems more than this one. Granted, the books of poems I’ve read aren’t many, and mostly old classic ones that were for college classes. But this makes me want to become familiar with the contemporary world of poetry. These poems are powerful and beautiful and inspiring. I definitely want to use them in my classroom with senior AP Lit students next year.