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A review by bookdragon217
My AfroRican State of Soul by Lucas Rivera
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
3.25
"I'm begging us all to begin
Make initial contact
Not let government dictate how we give back
An ancestral lineage of generations
That spoke up and woke up to reclaim and take back
Life"
My Afro-Rican State of Soul by Lucas Rivera was a poetic journey through Afro-rican identity, masculinity, fatherlessness, forgiveness, spirituality, solidarity with humanity, oppression and redefining love in all its forms. I loved how the collection was structured because it takes you through the different stages of the poet's growth. Some of the poems have a bar code that links you to the musical performance piece that accompanies that selection. It made for a greater reading experience because you get to hear and feel the rhythm of certain pieces and they're really brought to life. The collection is cohesive and as a reader you can relate to the author's healing journey. You get to know the places where Rivera grew up because he gives them a life of their own. The collection is an insightful view of what it means to be Puerto Rican in the diaspora and how community and love get you through the hard times.
Some stand out pieces for me were:
🪇 Defining Love: connecting how societal oppression has shaped ideas of masculinity
🪘 The Many Shades of My Ghetto: how being born Black marks you a suspect before your accent has a chance to mark you as othered
🪇 A Retrospective of Regret: how the path to find your own sense of faith does not happen without rebellion
🪘 An American Dilemma: examines the state of the U.S. soul
If you are looking to add more diasporican poetry to your collection, pick this one and enjoy the ride. Thanks to @lucasrivera247 for sending me a copy.
Make initial contact
Not let government dictate how we give back
An ancestral lineage of generations
That spoke up and woke up to reclaim and take back
Life"
My Afro-Rican State of Soul by Lucas Rivera was a poetic journey through Afro-rican identity, masculinity, fatherlessness, forgiveness, spirituality, solidarity with humanity, oppression and redefining love in all its forms. I loved how the collection was structured because it takes you through the different stages of the poet's growth. Some of the poems have a bar code that links you to the musical performance piece that accompanies that selection. It made for a greater reading experience because you get to hear and feel the rhythm of certain pieces and they're really brought to life. The collection is cohesive and as a reader you can relate to the author's healing journey. You get to know the places where Rivera grew up because he gives them a life of their own. The collection is an insightful view of what it means to be Puerto Rican in the diaspora and how community and love get you through the hard times.
Some stand out pieces for me were:
🪇 Defining Love: connecting how societal oppression has shaped ideas of masculinity
🪘 The Many Shades of My Ghetto: how being born Black marks you a suspect before your accent has a chance to mark you as othered
🪇 A Retrospective of Regret: how the path to find your own sense of faith does not happen without rebellion
🪘 An American Dilemma: examines the state of the U.S. soul
If you are looking to add more diasporican poetry to your collection, pick this one and enjoy the ride. Thanks to @lucasrivera247 for sending me a copy.