Authentic voices of a generation navigating young adulthood, existing through the Covid-19 pandemic while experiencing the loss of a loved one to the carceral state.
This rich tapestry of student creativity—poems, letters, photographs, and paintings stitched together and informed by colorful and diverse emotions—comprises the latest anthology from POPS the Club, a national nonprofit working with young people who have an incarcerated loved one. While the works included were created by students who share a common bond, the collection readily connects them with readers who have not lived through the same experiences. Divided into thematic sections united by a collective sense of community—“Our Hoods,” “Our Humility,” “Our Homies,” “Our Homes,” “Our Honesty,” and so on—the anthology presents experiences and emotions that bind people together, reflecting our universality rather than our differences. Some pieces, such as the poems “Atrapasuenos Entrelazados Dalias y Amapolas de California” by Donaji Garcia and “Pain(t)” by Nick Griffin and the six-word memoir “I grieve, I celebrate each year” by Lucy Rodriguez, shine with glimpses of literary greatness through the use of metaphor, adianoeta, and sensory language. The collection marches steadily toward hope, ending in a photograph of a purple petunia by Kennedy King, leaving readers inspired.
Resonantly reflects the necessities of community and friendship in a time of social distance and division.
(Anthology. 12-17)