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cgcpoems's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
I’ve never read any of Nikky Finney’s work before, & I gave this a shot after reading the first poem in the collection & liking it. I quickly found that the first poem wasn’t indicative of the rest of the book.
I could appreciate the rhythmic nature to Finney’s work (even if the poems rarely strayed into different forms), but found that the subject matter didn’t hold up well. I think there’s a risk in writing a deeply political book, in the sense that you’re relying on the reader having necessary context in order to appreciate the poetry. I found that these poems didn’t stand on their own without their context, and came off as a little one-note.
I’m glad to have read this because the title poem is fabulous, but I don’t know that Finney’s work is a fit for me.
I could appreciate the rhythmic nature to Finney’s work (even if the poems rarely strayed into different forms), but found that the subject matter didn’t hold up well. I think there’s a risk in writing a deeply political book, in the sense that you’re relying on the reader having necessary context in order to appreciate the poetry. I found that these poems didn’t stand on their own without their context, and came off as a little one-note.
I’m glad to have read this because the title poem is fabulous, but I don’t know that Finney’s work is a fit for me.
airheadxt's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
jesshooves's review against another edition
“History does not keep books on the / handiwork of slaves. But the enslaved / who built this Big House, long before / I arrived for this big wedding, knew / the power of a porch.”
-from poem “ What the Negro gave America Chapter 9,206”
-from poem “ What the Negro gave America Chapter 9,206”
lindseyzank's review against another edition
3.0
"Left" is my favorite poem in the collection (about the racist response to Hurricane Katrina by the US government), and I highly recommend it as a one off poem. Finney is her sharpest as a poet when she's bringing to light the racism within our political system. She's at her most delicate as a poet when she's writing about her family (especially her grandmother), but we didn't get many of those poems in this collection. I wasn't particularly compelled by the "fish" thread that ran throughout this collection and some of the poems were frankly inaccessible to me. I enjoyed her other collection, The World is Round, much more, but will continue to read her poems as a way to think about race and politics in the US because she has a lot of substance to say about that topic.
pearloz's review against another edition
5.0
If I could give it 10 stars I would.
Incidentally, I was in Pizza di Roma the other night, eating a slice and reading Head Off & Split, and a guy comes up to me and tells me he loved the book. He then told me he won a poetry fellowship the judge of which was none other than Nikky Finney. We talked about her acceptance speech and other youtube videos. Only in Madison.
Incidentally, I was in Pizza di Roma the other night, eating a slice and reading Head Off & Split, and a guy comes up to me and tells me he loved the book. He then told me he won a poetry fellowship the judge of which was none other than Nikky Finney. We talked about her acceptance speech and other youtube videos. Only in Madison.
dotorsojak's review against another edition
3.0
This much honored book splits between political stuff, intimate love stuff, and family stuff. It has a great title, and the book cover design is pretty good too (though I wish there were a hint of blood leaking from the fish since blood imagery is prominent throughout).
There are some powerful poems here. Finney in places speaks incredibly frankly. Some poems are very difficult to read--I mean because they are so unflinching in their depiction of violence against the black body. I'm thinking particularly of "Segregation, Forever," one of the most harrowing poems I have ever read. This poem blew my socks off and plunged me into despair. The poem ends powerfully thus:
I know history &
(you know) what happens next.
In general, however, to me the overtly political poems constitute the weakest part of the collection. The Condoleeza Rice poems just seem mean. The best poems have an undercurrent of humor in them. For example, "My Time Up With You," does a great job capturing the voice of an aged black woman being urged by police and a young journalist to abandon her home in the face of an on-coming hurricane.
Finney's grandmother features prominently in several poems, and whenever she appears things get interesting. Cf. "Alice Butler" and "Brown Girl Levitation, 1962-1989."
The last poem in the book maybe my favorite: " Instruction Final: to Brown Poets From Black Girl with Silver Leica."
I seem to be giving this book a better review than my star-rating warrants. I guess I would just say that, while some poems spoke profoundly to me, overall I didn't feel the parts jelled very well.
Worth a read if you're at all interested in racial politics AND/OR in the growth of a young woman's consciousness into mature literary ambition and ability.
There are some powerful poems here. Finney in places speaks incredibly frankly. Some poems are very difficult to read--I mean because they are so unflinching in their depiction of violence against the black body. I'm thinking particularly of "Segregation, Forever," one of the most harrowing poems I have ever read. This poem blew my socks off and plunged me into despair. The poem ends powerfully thus:
I know history &
(you know) what happens next.
In general, however, to me the overtly political poems constitute the weakest part of the collection. The Condoleeza Rice poems just seem mean. The best poems have an undercurrent of humor in them. For example, "My Time Up With You," does a great job capturing the voice of an aged black woman being urged by police and a young journalist to abandon her home in the face of an on-coming hurricane.
Finney's grandmother features prominently in several poems, and whenever she appears things get interesting. Cf. "Alice Butler" and "Brown Girl Levitation, 1962-1989."
The last poem in the book maybe my favorite: " Instruction Final: to Brown Poets From Black Girl with Silver Leica."
I seem to be giving this book a better review than my star-rating warrants. I guess I would just say that, while some poems spoke profoundly to me, overall I didn't feel the parts jelled very well.
Worth a read if you're at all interested in racial politics AND/OR in the growth of a young woman's consciousness into mature literary ambition and ability.
mikaylarenee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
sparklyodin's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0