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A review by faithd
Spectral Evidence: Poems by Gregory Pardlo
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley, Gregory Pardlo and Penguin Random House for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Spectral Evidence explores some heavy topics, including racism, sexism, judgment, prejudice, and the systemic trauma that is built into the fabric of american society. Stories are told in the form of poems, prose, a play, and at one point, a chart of data about what percentage of americans believed certain sterotypes about black people.
The title (spectral evidence) refers to the ridiculous, hateful nonsense that was accepted as “evidence” during the Salem witch trials.
I think this is a very important book, and I am extremely grateful it exists. I personally found it hard to follow at times, but I’m also not very well read when it comes to poetry. I will say that some of it I liked quite a lot, and other parts I found disturbing (in a good way) or thought provoking. There was one poem that talked about the inverse relationship between a person's self-restraint and their ability to silence victims that really moved me.
Spectral Evidence explores some heavy topics, including racism, sexism, judgment, prejudice, and the systemic trauma that is built into the fabric of american society. Stories are told in the form of poems, prose, a play, and at one point, a chart of data about what percentage of americans believed certain sterotypes about black people.
The title (spectral evidence) refers to the ridiculous, hateful nonsense that was accepted as “evidence” during the Salem witch trials.
I think this is a very important book, and I am extremely grateful it exists. I personally found it hard to follow at times, but I’m also not very well read when it comes to poetry. I will say that some of it I liked quite a lot, and other parts I found disturbing (in a good way) or thought provoking. There was one poem that talked about the inverse relationship between a person's self-restraint and their ability to silence victims that really moved me.