madmichele's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
originally was going to settle for a 4.25 rating but reading duplex: cento really blew me away.
I loved this collection of poems.
I loved this collection of poems.
— favorite poems (in no particular order):
duplex: cento
the tradition
the water lillies
entertainment industry
bullet points
riddle
of my fury
the tradition
the water lillies
entertainment industry
bullet points
riddle
of my fury
Moderate: Racism, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Rape, and Physical abuse
thereaderfriend's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Challenging, sad and reflective. These poems packed punches of anger and grief.
Some fav quotes:
"None of the beaten end up how we began." - part 1, duplex
"A poem is a gesture toward home." - part 1, duplex
"I'm not crossing to cross back. I'm set on something vast. It reaches long as the sea. I'm more than a conqueror, bigger than bravery. I don't march. I'm the one who leaps." - part 3, crossing
Some fav quotes:
"None of the beaten end up how we began." - part 1, duplex
"A poem is a gesture toward home." - part 1, duplex
"I'm not crossing to cross back. I'm set on something vast. It reaches long as the sea. I'm more than a conqueror, bigger than bravery. I don't march. I'm the one who leaps." - part 3, crossing
Graphic: Police brutality, Sexual content, and Racism
Moderate: Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, and Rape
Minor: Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia
mandkips's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Hate crime and Rape
Minor: Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia
divineblkpearl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
No shaming here—His book 'The Tradition' is a 2019 poetry collection that won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. His poems certainly carry a certain weight, they have body to them. Which works because the poet pens about his body often. He writes of Black bodies touched with tender care by lovers and violated by those who are predators and those who do harm.
.
.
.
Poems like 'Bullets Points' point to the ever exhausting relationship Black people have to the police and being over policed here in America. The Duplex poems all share themes of love, lust, wholeness and being in repair. Jericho Brown, y'all. This is the necessary poetry book that I'm not sure we deserve but he gave it us anyway. Superb collection. I'm reading on my kindle but I just bought a physical copy and I'm looking up his other poetry collection now.
.
.
.
Also? This beautiful artwork on the cover by L. Ralphi Burges. A striking image that quietly kept looking at me, taking up space in my subconscious . It even made it into one of my dreams. And for someone who often doesn't remember most of my dreams, this was a really poetic thing. Note: The Tradition won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, making Jericho Brown the first black gay man to receive that award in its 98-year history.
Moderate: Police brutality and Hate crime
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Mass/school shootings
More...