Most Way Home

loads of oral tradition and african folklore can be found in his work. the poems are short and seem simple, but they aren't. by taking the personal, he makes it universal for anyone who chooses to go down the rabbit hole .i see alot of down south and louisiana in his work. no matter how far away i go, i will never be totally free of it.the poems ' reward ' and ' how to make rain ' are worth the price of the book. highly reccomended...

Kevin Young's first book Most Way Home was selected by Lucille Clifton to win the National Poetry Series contest for good reason. It has sold out in hardback and first printing paperback for good reason. Kevin Young continues to be a leader in American Contemporary Poetry for good reason. The reason being: the excellent use of language, combined with history (both public and private), to break boundaries poetry and story-telling each create. I have read this book many times over and share it at open-mic poetry nights. The way the words fall off the tongue is beautiful. There is a natural flow in each poem, that if disected, would destroy the beauty. This is one of my top ten favorite books and highly recommend it for both pleasure and study.

This poetry is better than poetry. Borrowing on experience, both personal and American, Mr. Young breaks the painted-over windows to let the elements pour into reality's room. It is a formal experimentation of how to words can naturally surface to the top. Basquiat would be proud!!