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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
I took this book slow and tried to only read a few poems at a time. They are deep, thought-provoking, political and inspiring. There are poems about the pandemic, racism, the George Floyd riots, and poems about hope.
Amanda Gordon is so young and so talented. I could read each poem over and over again and still find something new. I felt inspired, convicted, and sad all at the same time. I’m not much of a poetry reader but I’m learning and this book pushed me and forced me to slow down my usually rapid speed of reading.
Amanda Gordon is so young and so talented. I could read each poem over and over again and still find something new. I felt inspired, convicted, and sad all at the same time. I’m not much of a poetry reader but I’m learning and this book pushed me and forced me to slow down my usually rapid speed of reading.
This book certainly exceeded expectations. Geez! Ms. Gorman's writing is insightful, graceful, and powerful. Her varied and creative use of language provided clarity and vividness that was so refreshing. I ordered the audiobook from the library and can't wait to hear her read her work while following along - which I'd recommend (due to some of the poems being written in shapes).
I highly, highly recommend this beautiful book.
Some fav quotes:
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace.”
“Anxiety is a living body, Poised beside us like a shadow. It is the last creature standing, The only beast who loves us Enough to stay.”
“If we're to live up to our own time,
then victory won't lie in the blade.
But in all the bridges we've made,
that is the promise to glade,
the hill we climb.
If only we dare.
It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it's the past we step into
and how we repair it.”
“Since the world is round
There is no way to walk away
From each other, for even then
We are coming back together.”
“It's said that ignorance is bliss.
Ignorance is this: a vine that
sneaks up a tree, killing not by
poison, but by blocking out its
light.”
“By Goodbye, we truly mean:
Let us be able to say hello again.”
“There is power in being robbed
& still choosing to dance.”
“Loss is the cost of loving”
“There is no better compass than compassion.”
“The question isn't if we can weather this unknown,
But how we will weather this unknown together.”
“The only way to correctly predict
The future is to pave it,
Is to brave it.”
“Change is made of choices,
& choices are made of character.”
“Like a page, we are only legible when opened to one another.”
“Only when we're drowning do we understand how fierce our feet can kick.”
“The slain fueled the lamps of a world latched to nights, our whole century brightened by blood.”
“Contrary to popular belief, it's not easy for us to lie. Even the body has tells, even our blood runs toward truth.”
“Please.
Do not ask us who we are.
The hardest part of grief
Is giving it a name.”
“Poke the scar until it speaks.
This is how every memory starts.
“To tell the truth, then, is to risk
being remembered by its fiction.”
“It isn't knowing, but remembering, that makes us create.”
“To be kept to the edges of existence is the inheritance of the marginalized.”
“So when you're told that your age is reactionary,
Remind yourself that your rage is our right.”
“We write
Because you might listen.”
“We might not be fully sure of all that we are. & yet we have endured all that we were.”
“Just like a skill or any art, We cannot possess hope without practicing it. It is the most fundamental craft we demand of ourselves.”
“Some days, we just need a place Where we can bleed in peace.”
“Writing, truth-telling to one another, is an act of hope-making when hope is hardest found. What place have we in our histories except the present.”
I highly, highly recommend this beautiful book.
Some fav quotes:
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace.”
“Anxiety is a living body, Poised beside us like a shadow. It is the last creature standing, The only beast who loves us Enough to stay.”
“If we're to live up to our own time,
then victory won't lie in the blade.
But in all the bridges we've made,
that is the promise to glade,
the hill we climb.
If only we dare.
It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it's the past we step into
and how we repair it.”
“Since the world is round
There is no way to walk away
From each other, for even then
We are coming back together.”
“It's said that ignorance is bliss.
Ignorance is this: a vine that
sneaks up a tree, killing not by
poison, but by blocking out its
light.”
“By Goodbye, we truly mean:
Let us be able to say hello again.”
“There is power in being robbed
& still choosing to dance.”
“Loss is the cost of loving”
“There is no better compass than compassion.”
“The question isn't if we can weather this unknown,
But how we will weather this unknown together.”
“The only way to correctly predict
The future is to pave it,
Is to brave it.”
“Change is made of choices,
& choices are made of character.”
“Like a page, we are only legible when opened to one another.”
“Only when we're drowning do we understand how fierce our feet can kick.”
“The slain fueled the lamps of a world latched to nights, our whole century brightened by blood.”
“Contrary to popular belief, it's not easy for us to lie. Even the body has tells, even our blood runs toward truth.”
“Please.
Do not ask us who we are.
The hardest part of grief
Is giving it a name.”
“Poke the scar until it speaks.
This is how every memory starts.
“To tell the truth, then, is to risk
being remembered by its fiction.”
“It isn't knowing, but remembering, that makes us create.”
“To be kept to the edges of existence is the inheritance of the marginalized.”
“So when you're told that your age is reactionary,
Remind yourself that your rage is our right.”
“We write
Because you might listen.”
“We might not be fully sure of all that we are. & yet we have endured all that we were.”
“Just like a skill or any art, We cannot possess hope without practicing it. It is the most fundamental craft we demand of ourselves.”
“Some days, we just need a place Where we can bleed in peace.”
“Writing, truth-telling to one another, is an act of hope-making when hope is hardest found. What place have we in our histories except the present.”
Sometimes when I read poetry I feel like I’m missing something and that’s why I’m not understanding or following the poetry, its message, etc.
A few stood out to me, but I think I was missing something with this read.
A few stood out to me, but I think I was missing something with this read.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
I don’t read a lot of poetry but I always love hearing/reading Amanda’s poems. I highlighted so many quotes while reading — so impactful & beautiful. Definitely recommend if you enjoy poetry!
slow-paced
"Call Us What We Carry" is a 4.5-star book. Several of the poems were excellent. "The Soldiers" used the memoirs of an African-American WWI soldier to form a foundation for a very touching poem. "Fury & Faith" was exceptional with its theme of African-American life in the face of White supremacy. "The Truth in One Nation" is probably my favorite in this collection. The poem conveys hopefulness but also an anger at present-day America. Gorman's inauguration poem, "The Hill We Climb" is included in this collection. All Americans should read it and watch the poet read it on YouTube. There weren't any real clinkers in this collection. "Monomyth" was interesting but not really a poem. "Coda in Code" didn't really do it for me. It seemed a bit contrived. Several of the poems were written during COVID and they reflect the frustration and sadness she experienced during that time. Highly recommended.
Hands down the best and most powerful poetry collection I've ever read. I want to hand out copies to so many people because I feel they can benefit from it. In the midst of the pandemic, this collection is relatable, and honest, and hopeful.
Some highlights: the erasure poems, especially the auditory processing one. So many clever beautiful moments with language, too— not just word play but deep meaning of words, exploration of words.
It’s much more rooted in the moment and the pandemic than I would have guessed, but honestly upon thinking about it, it makes a lot of sense that that would be the case, and it feels like a book that will be a valuable document for the moment when we get some distance and perhaps even some closure on the Covid chapter of our lives.
It’s much more rooted in the moment and the pandemic than I would have guessed, but honestly upon thinking about it, it makes a lot of sense that that would be the case, and it feels like a book that will be a valuable document for the moment when we get some distance and perhaps even some closure on the Covid chapter of our lives.
reflective
slow-paced