Winner of the American Book AwardA classic of the Black Arts Movement brought back to life in a refreshed edition "A lion in literature's forest. When she writes she roars, and when she sleeps other creatures walk gingerly."--Maya Angelou Originally published in 1984, this collection of prose, prose poems, and lyric verses is as fresh and radical today as it was then. Sonia Sanchez, the premiere poet of the Black Arts Movement, shows the "razor blades" in clenched in her teeth in these powerful pieces.
When Sonia Sanchez talks, people tend to listen. I've seen it in person while taking a class with her at Naropa, and I feel it jumping off the page. She simply embodies charisma and power, personally and in her writing. Her formats range from near-short-story prose-poem pieces to haiku-like meditations that keep your hand from turning the page as you chew on her powerful images of hobos on trains, neighbors upstairs, and people playing handball against the side of a filling station. She inserts chants and machinegunfire descriptions that make expert use of open and projective verse, leaving the reader with a sense that poetry can, and will, take many forms to get one's point across effectively. Read this collection and walk away with a better understanding of how Sonia relates to the world.
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.