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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5 stars!
I thought this was a very sharp collection. I think that Sinclair has a targeted message, but plays around with a lot of different topics within the lens that is set within the context of the entirety of the collection. Using Caliban and the imagery of the cannibal as a standard by which to recontexualize her perspective as a woman, a Carribean, and immigrant to the United States.
Pieces that I like are “Home”, “Fisherman’s Daughter”, “Mermaid”, “Family Portrait”, “Autobiography”, “Another White Christmas in Virginia”, “White Apocrypha”, “Notes on the State of Virginia, III”, Elocution Lessons With Ms. Silverstone”, “Litany For Charlottesville”, “Good Hair” “Woman, Wound”, “”Woman, 26, Remains Optimistic as Body Turns to Stone”, and “Little Red Plum”.
I think that both deconstructs and synthesizes the perspectives by which she examines in the collection, inextricably tying things like feminism and colonialism into a new lens by which to better capture the personal
emotions and experiences that someone of said experience might more feel more akin to.
I thought this was a very sharp collection. I think that Sinclair has a targeted message, but plays around with a lot of different topics within the lens that is set within the context of the entirety of the collection. Using Caliban and the imagery of the cannibal as a standard by which to recontexualize her perspective as a woman, a Carribean, and immigrant to the United States.
Pieces that I like are “Home”, “Fisherman’s Daughter”, “Mermaid”, “Family Portrait”, “Autobiography”, “Another White Christmas in Virginia”, “White Apocrypha”, “Notes on the State of Virginia, III”, Elocution Lessons With Ms. Silverstone”, “Litany For Charlottesville”, “Good Hair” “Woman, Wound”, “”Woman, 26, Remains Optimistic as Body Turns to Stone”, and “Little Red Plum”.
I think that both deconstructs and synthesizes the perspectives by which she examines in the collection, inextricably tying things like feminism and colonialism into a new lens by which to better capture the personal
emotions and experiences that someone of said experience might more feel more akin to.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
I watched Sinclair perform at the Dodge Poetry Festival a few years ago, and I wanted to check out more of her work after seeing her live.
I loved the intersectionality of Sinclair's work, and how she tackled both race and gender in her poems. I'm not really familiar with Caribbean culture, so this was eye-opening in that aspect. Having read The Tempest last year, I also thought it was interesting how she incorporated Caliban as a theme and wove him through her works, since I wasn't expecting that going into the anthology.
I'm a big fan of Sinclair's flow and diction - her poetry drew me in. I'd love to pick up more of her works in the future.
I loved the intersectionality of Sinclair's work, and how she tackled both race and gender in her poems. I'm not really familiar with Caribbean culture, so this was eye-opening in that aspect. Having read The Tempest last year, I also thought it was interesting how she incorporated Caliban as a theme and wove him through her works, since I wasn't expecting that going into the anthology.
I'm a big fan of Sinclair's flow and diction - her poetry drew me in. I'd love to pick up more of her works in the future.
challenging
Safiya Sinclair is a master at vocabulary. In her memoir, How To Say Babylon, she mentions reading the dictionary daily when she was a teenager. It is clear in her poetry that this is true.
This is also made the more profound having listened to her memoir first, as many of her poems are about events that happened in her life. It was a real treat being able to connect how certain poems reflected what was going on in her life at the time.
This is my favorite book of poems that I’ve read so far. She is such a powerful poet, she has such a unique voice. Having listened to her memoir on audio, with her own narration, I could literally hear her speaking the words on these pages. What a great experience. I actually read a lot of this out loud (to myself and my cats) and it really swept easily off my tongue.
My favorite poem was Fisherman’s Daughter.
This is also made the more profound having listened to her memoir first, as many of her poems are about events that happened in her life. It was a real treat being able to connect how certain poems reflected what was going on in her life at the time.
This is my favorite book of poems that I’ve read so far. She is such a powerful poet, she has such a unique voice. Having listened to her memoir on audio, with her own narration, I could literally hear her speaking the words on these pages. What a great experience. I actually read a lot of this out loud (to myself and my cats) and it really swept easily off my tongue.
My favorite poem was Fisherman’s Daughter.
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had a hard time with this one. Some really wonderful phrases and lines and images, but much of the poems feel incohesive. I don't feel grounded in these poems. Maybe that is the point, but it didn't sing with me.
Pretty noice! too big brain for me at times but I would’ve ate this UP in high school hehe