The Listening

Kyle has nailed his first book with extreme knowledge of the current and past cultures. He has an ear for rhythm and an eye for emphasis. A complete wonder; I cannot wait to read the second book.

Kyle Dargan is putting a pensive face with the pulse of hip hop in this first collection "The Listening". He refers to the classic Black poets Robert Hayden, Etheridge Knight and Michael Harper and does not miss a step by referring to the likes of Mos Def, Quincy Jones or Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)". He reminds us that there is and has been an ongoing continuum of African American words thriving. Some of my favorites include "Old Ways", "Redefinition" and "Surrender III: Study" among others. This book rolls into a flow of music, basketball, family, a young man's coming of age and exploration of his vulnerability. One of the poems that makes me smile, "Last Dragons", refers to the 1980s film "The Last Dragon" with Taimak and Vanity. Nostalgia can present itself as comical, bittersweet and sometimes as a heaviness, and "The Listening" does just that. It perks your ears up and will make you sigh or shake your head or make you think you should look at a squirrel more closely or remember what somebody told you about the weight that hair can carry. I am looking forward to seeing more poems from this young brother, and you should too.