A review by laura_sackton
American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin by Terrance Hayes

A startling, striking, original, complicated collection of sonnets, mostly about race in America. These poems are so gorgeously written, and so layered. Line after line took my breath away. They were both technically breathtaking and emotionally raw. There was some playfulness and tenderness in them, also, which helped balance out the intensity. Definitely one of the best poetry collections I've read this year. Highly highly recommend this one. I also think it should go on every high school English class syllabus. I can't think of a more urgent, relevant, beautiful and intricate book with which to study the sonnet.