A review by jayisreading
woke up no light: poems by Leila Mottley

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.25

A bold poetry collection that focuses on being Black in the United States (particularly as a Black woman), Mottley weaves together a story of sorts through her poems that cover a wide range of themes including but not limited to misogynoir, sexuality, police brutality, as well as community. Divided into four sections (“girlhood,” “neighborhood,” “falsehood,” and “womanhood”), Mottley’s experiences as a young Black woman in Oakland, California (and, more broadly, the United States) shine in many of these poems with how earnest she is in each.

Something that struck me about these poems was the near-absence of abstract language in favor of delivering complex ideas concretely and without frills. This isn’t to say that the poems are simplistic, so much as it is to say that Mottley clearly illustrates these complex emotions and lived experiences in a way that I think can be appreciated by a wide audience in every sense of the word, as well as lead to meaningful conversations.

Note: Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a finished copy.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings