POEMHOOD

An intergenerational collection of Black poetry guided by history and folklore.

“Blacktime is time for chimeful / poemhood,” writes Gwendolyn Brooks in this anthology’s tone-setting introductory poem, “Young Afrikans.” The following entries are accompanied by track numbers and brief outros offering context, a fitting arrangement for a book that’s an “homage to the beauty and musicality of Black poetry.” This collection seeks grounding in those who came before; each section—“Livin’,” “Gawd,” “Haunting Water,” and “Magickal”—includes both enduring works by long-gone literary forebears (Phillis Wheatley, Claude McKay, Langston Hughes) as well as those of more modern poets (Nikki Giovanni, Kwame Alexander, Ashley Woodfolk). Highlights include Courtne Comrie’s sprightly “10:32 p.m.,” about the pleasures of living, while Audre Lorde’s “Power” is full of fury over the state-sanctioned death of Clifford Glover, a Black child murdered by a police officer in 1973. The editors were intent on selecting poems that “reflect, inspect, comment, and retell” Black folklore. For example, they include “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” a storied folk song used by the enslaved on the Underground Railroad, which juxtaposes nicely with editor Byas’ “Enough Room,” a lovely piece of lore on how the sun and moon came to live in the sky. This “patchwork quilt of poetry” is cohesive and curated with care, and it belongs in every library and classroom across the country.

A rich, thoughtful anthology exploring centuries of Black poetry.