A review by foggy_rosamund
All the Names Given: Poems by Raymond Antrobus

4.0

Antrobus's second collection, following the ground-breaking and award-winning, The Perseverance. Antrobus builds on similar themes as in his first collection: being Deaf, being mixed race, while also delving into his family history, including the history of his surname (a very old English name), and his relationship to racism. It deals with complex themes lightly and with clarity, while also touching on tender emotions, such as love, both familial and romantic. I was particularly moved by Antrobus's poems about disability, and the intersection of racism and ableism, "For Tyrone Givans" and "Captions & A Dream for John T Williams of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth tribe". However, I wanted Antrobus to expand on some of his themes. But he's an important writer and this is an accomplished collection.