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jayisreading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Smith unflinchingly shares the harsh, violent reality that Black communities face using movies to deliver their message, these poems dripping with heartbreak and frustration. I especially liked how they broke the fourth wall at times to make the reader self-aware of their own identity, especially those who identify as white. I especially think of the line: “reader, what does it / feel like to be safe? white?” which really packs a punch. “Dear White America” does something similar.
For such a short collection (and I so wish there were more poems), so much was evoked, so much was presented, and these poems are well worth reading again.
Some favorites: “Lion King in the Hood,” “Short Film,” “Dear White America,” and “Dinosaurs in the Hood”
Read for the Sealey Challenge.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Racism
Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, and Grief
spiritedfaraway's review
emotional
reflective
5.0
There are not words to describe how amazing this is. Danez Smith has such a fantastic way of weaving things together and if you only read some poetry, definitely let it be theirs.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Violence, and Murder
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