Historically I have not been much of a poetry reader, and I've been thinking about that recently. I took poetry classes (reading AND writing - I'm sure I still have a notebook of my poems tucked away somewhere) while getting my undergrad, and I enjoyed it. I also love authors like Elizabeth Acevedo who write novels in verse, so...why do I not read more poetry? I DON'T KNOW! But National Poetry Month seems like the perfect time to resolve to introduce more of it into my reading, and a Tuesday Book Recs post seems like the perfect way to invite y'all to join me. Below are twelve books I'm planning on reading - some are collections of poems, some are novels written in verse, all promise to be amazing.
1. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta - The story of a young man exploring his identity and embracing what makes him unique
2. Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings by Joy Harjo - A collection of poems about the experiences of everyday life and the politics of being human
3. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander - The story of two brothers, both talented basketball players, one a burgeoning musician, both learning about what growing up means
4. Everybody Looking by Candice Iloh - An autobiographical novel about a young woman creating a place for herself in a world that is not terribly hospitable to black female bodies
6. Monument by Natasha Trethewey - A collection of poems longlisted for the 2018 National Book Award for Poetry and awarded the 2020 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize
7. Muted by Tami Charles - Reminiscent of Enchanted's story in Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson, this verse novel tells the story of a young musician, just starting out, who gets caught in the orbit of a more powerful, not necessarily well-intentioned male musician
8. Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca - A middle grade novel about an Indian American girl coming to terms with her mother's leukemia diagnosis
9. Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq - A combination of poetry and prose, telling the story of a young woman navigating a surprise pregnancy in the 1970s
10. A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman - A novel in verse about a young girl in India trying to regain her passion for dance
11. Wade in the Water by Tracy K. Smith - Tracy K. Smith is the Poet Laureate of the United States, and this book of poetry ties contemporary American experiences with the nation's history
12. Whereas by Layli Long Soldier - This book of poetry is an examination of US history and colonization, turning the coercive, duplicitous language of government colonizers back on them
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