babiefats's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.5
This was beautifully written. I had to work through poems, pause with certain turns of phrase and reread with different eyes. I devoured it in one sitting and marked poems I needed to with with later. I caught myself writing down several turns of phrase that had me stopping and mouthing "wow" silently to myself.
The collection itself is a testament to the body. The poems are grounded in humanness and whipped with white dominant structures. Between the lines the reader is thrust through intimacy, queerness, pain, love, sex, and solidity. Recurring formatting of poems added narrative and the result was devastating.
The only reason this was not a 5/5 for me is due solely to relatability. I felt every poem and I heard the author, but I myself was not apart of the situation. There is so much to say for a collection of poetry that sings to your own heart. While this one was beautiful and perfectly written, it was not my Cinderella experience.
The collection itself is a testament to the body. The poems are grounded in humanness and whipped with white dominant structures. Between the lines the reader is thrust through intimacy, queerness, pain, love, sex, and solidity. Recurring formatting of poems added narrative and the result was devastating.
The only reason this was not a 5/5 for me is due solely to relatability. I felt every poem and I heard the author, but I myself was not apart of the situation. There is so much to say for a collection of poetry that sings to your own heart. While this one was beautiful and perfectly written, it was not my Cinderella experience.
atypewritersings1969's review
5.0
A friend recommended Hull to me. I went to Women and Children First, pulled Hull off the shelf, sat on a bench and started reading. From the first poem I was not only hooked but deeply intrigued. I wanted to know what would unfold. I bought it, took it home, and read it in the bathtub. There's something that felt necessary about reading this work submerged in water. There were poems that amused me- the image of Xandria doing laundry next to Sara Baartman. There were lines that took my breath away, completely surreal in their tenor and delivery. There were pages that brought me to complete silent- grateful, contemplative silence.
I finished it an hour later and felt as though it warranted another read. I will probably re-read it again and again just to play with the different forms that are presented throughout the book that work in as many ways as the eyes can see fit.
Of the poetry books that I've read in 2019, Xandria Phillip's Hull ranks highly on my list of books that captivate and invigorate the collective imagination.
I finished it an hour later and felt as though it warranted another read. I will probably re-read it again and again just to play with the different forms that are presented throughout the book that work in as many ways as the eyes can see fit.
Of the poetry books that I've read in 2019, Xandria Phillip's Hull ranks highly on my list of books that captivate and invigorate the collective imagination.
rachelemm's review
4.0
This is a poetry collection you have to read in the physical, printed form. Phillips does some really interesting things with shape and form on the page which added layers to my understanding of the poems.
The collection covers so many interesting ideas around faith, gender and race and is one that should be read multiple times. Read the poems more than once, read them aloud, read them out of order however you choose to do it, you will be rewarded by reading these poems from a promising young poet.
The collection covers so many interesting ideas around faith, gender and race and is one that should be read multiple times. Read the poems more than once, read them aloud, read them out of order however you choose to do it, you will be rewarded by reading these poems from a promising young poet.
musingsbymichelle's review
4.0
Great use of space and I really enjoyed the references to historical medical atrocities against Black bodies— the poet uses these in unexpected ways.
kp_writ's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
3.75
would like to return to this and read the poems i had to skip bc of ebook formatting issues
melinalovesbooks's review
5.0
Once again, something I needed came to me just at the right time. As Carmen Maria Machado said, "I didn't know how badly I needed these poems until they were unfurling in my hands, devastating and brilliant."