ebonyxscape's review against another edition
5.0
This is a wonderful description and explanation if the various experiences of the human condition for black females. There were poems I related to as if they were memories or urgent cries. Then, there were others that described another life that I have not experienced in my brown skin. This is a perfect example of how black girls and women are not one generalization, but that they are different and varied, each one unique.
Reading this as a black woman reminded me that I am a person, as strange and desperate as that sounds. From the poems that praised black women to the ones that chanted 'say her name,' I felt like I was seen, like each writer pointed at me and made a connection as if to say you are not alone, we are not alone. In essence, the whole thing was a pot of black girl magic!
Reading this as a black woman reminded me that I am a person, as strange and desperate as that sounds. From the poems that praised black women to the ones that chanted 'say her name,' I felt like I was seen, like each writer pointed at me and made a connection as if to say you are not alone, we are not alone. In essence, the whole thing was a pot of black girl magic!
contrabandit's review against another edition
4.0
Gorgeous, ugly, intelligent, gruesome, truthful, exhilarating collection of poems.
dominic_t's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
This is a really beautiful collection of poetry. I'm not a Black woman, so I know that I'm not the target audience; I didn't understand every poem, and that's okay. I still feel like it enriched my life. I love how trans inclusive it is. There are a few poems by trans women, and they're great.
My favorites were "My Beauty" by Justice Ameer and "We Are All God's" by Mahogany L. Browne.
My favorites were "My Beauty" by Justice Ameer and "We Are All God's" by Mahogany L. Browne.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Gun violence, Murder, and Police brutality
erinreve's review against another edition
As a “white girl” it is not my place to rate this book as I am not the target audience and can never understand the struggles of being a black female. I will say the main theme of this book is that black hair is impossible to tame as well as poverty. If I were to rate this, I would say 2.5 or maybe 3 stars, but again, I’m not the target audience.
heatherbookely's review against another edition
4.0
The pieces in A New Person resonated the most with me—there’s a variety of stories and experiences and formats, so it’s an educational and beautiful read, and different ways to connect to these poets.
vanesst's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Sexism, and Racism
Minor: Abortion, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Mass/school shootings
steph_foster's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
jasbeingjas's review against another edition
5.0
When I went to read this book I knew that it was not written for me. I expected there to be a lot in these poems that I had not experienced and that I could not relate to. However I still wanted to read it because it would be sad to only read poems you could relate to. What I loved most about this anthology is that the topics and themes may be similar but each woman has her own voice. It felt like I was going through a cycle of emotions for each injustice. Anger, sadness, grief, hopelessness, and hope. Pride and shame, power and weakness. There was so much range and beauty in this collection.