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rainbowshelves's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
nakutski's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this collection with a few pieces that really stood out. Noticed that the first half of the poems have a particularly musical rhythm.
eq_knocks's review against another edition
4.0
A great set of poems, which are eloquent and tell a true story. Yet some of the elements are repetitive, it tells a true biographical story of Dean life.
natalyr's review
5.0
This collective works is a mixture of rhyming, free form and narrative poetry of varying themes. Each piece is exceptionally powerful, personal and vulnerable, reading in a lyrical manner regardless of whether rhyming is present or not. You really get a feel for how these poems might be performed by their individual structures (some of the poems can be found performed by Dean Atta on YouTube).
Atta eloquently discusses multiple facets of racism, what it is to be a gay Black male, growing up in a fatherless environment, romantic relationships, riots in London and the murder of Stephen Lawrence. Through this book, he uses his voice and truth to raise social and political awareness, in all of the above areas, from a point of personal experience.
His voice is distinct throughout; intellectual, introspective, meditative and often melancholic. Whether direct or metaphorical, Atta tells his story with simple and yet astounding wording that delivers a high impact and often gives you pause for thought.
“Rappers, when you use the word ‘nigger’, remember
That’s one of the last words Stephen Lawrence heard,
So don’t tell me it’s a reclaimed word
“I am nobody’s nigger”.”
Atta eloquently discusses multiple facets of racism, what it is to be a gay Black male, growing up in a fatherless environment, romantic relationships, riots in London and the murder of Stephen Lawrence. Through this book, he uses his voice and truth to raise social and political awareness, in all of the above areas, from a point of personal experience.
His voice is distinct throughout; intellectual, introspective, meditative and often melancholic. Whether direct or metaphorical, Atta tells his story with simple and yet astounding wording that delivers a high impact and often gives you pause for thought.
“Rappers, when you use the word ‘nigger’, remember
That’s one of the last words Stephen Lawrence heard,
So don’t tell me it’s a reclaimed word
“I am nobody’s nigger”.”
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