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kdburton's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Simultaneously important, vulnerable, and powerful. The letters were particularly moving to me.
— library
— library
lsparrow's review
4.0
this book came with glowing recommendations.
I loved the themes and stories in this book. The explorations of home, identity, place and resistance.
I did not as much feel the poetry but fall into the stories.
I look forward to reading more of their writing.
I loved the themes and stories in this book. The explorations of home, identity, place and resistance.
I did not as much feel the poetry but fall into the stories.
I look forward to reading more of their writing.
danrue's review
5.0
This was a fantastic collection of poetry and so many of the poems were striking with lines and messages I hope to revisit. I will be honest, I've mostly been reading anthologies recently and hearing only from one author was enjoyable because of how the poems created both a story and a person. Beautifully done
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
5.0
A deeply powerful and personal collection of poems from a queer, British/Canadian, Black poet/activist about her travels, her journey coming out and her deeply felt internal racism and activism. My heart ached reading this book and I learned a lot. I was in awe of this collection of very moving words and it was by far the standout of my National Poetry Month reads! Highly, highly recommended, especially for fans of Amanda Gorman.
jayisreading's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
This was a deeply introspective poetry collection that focused on a lot of themes, though they were primarily through the lens of being a queer Black person. Blain scrutinizes the legacy of colonialism and systemic racism in their poems and how this impacts those in a similar position as them, while also making the words across these pages deeply personal.
I was really taken to the way Blain structured this collection into three sections. The first section, Place, draws attention to locations that had particular meaning to the poet. The second section, "Art," is a reflection on the art world and Blain's relationship with it. The last section, "Child," is perhaps the most abstract, with contemplations on identity and positionality throughout their life. Blain moves deftly through political and social issues across time, which especially shine in their letters to various Black folks and are interspersed throughout this collection.
Despite the intensity and density of the themes in this collection, Blain's poems are incredibly accessible, so much that I think they are a great entry point for readers who are new to poetry and want to explore the mentioned themes above.
Some favorites: "Burning Sugar," "Dear Philando Castile," "Oakland," "Lézignan-Corbières," "Toronto," "I Hate White People in Art Galleries," "Dear Archibald Motley Jr.," "Dear Diaspora Child," "Everything on Earth," and "Spiritual Dysphoria"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Slavery, Racism, Police brutality, and Death
Minor: Rape
emeliestegbornblixt's review
4.0
This could be a 5/5 on a re-read, but I bit too much just flew over my head in the first part for me to be able to give this a 5.