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somelitreference's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
The poetry was not as tight and impactful as I hoped it would be, but Bennett definitely has an admirable command of language.
alisarae's review against another edition
5.0
Thoughtful and incredibly well thought-out. My favorites were "American Abecedarian" and "Owed to the 99 Cent Store". Throughout this collection there is an ongoing pun of owed/ode that plays out in some interesting ways.
rewonshimray's review against another edition
5.0
moving prose, depicting quickly flicking images. describes what was true and hard in his life and sets it up against every stereotype and prejudice that exists in people's minds.
beautiful odes written about centerpieces of his childhood, telling the story of the black community through specific figures and objects.
beautiful odes written about centerpieces of his childhood, telling the story of the black community through specific figures and objects.
booksbythecup's review against another edition
Thank you Penguin Random House for gifted book.
Reading 'Elegy for the Modern School' in OWED by Joshua Bennett, made the saying I have heard at different times in my life, sound like the testing of the EMERGENCY broadcast system. Does anyone remember those?
As each year passes & I expand my reading, the range of understanding increases & I understand more about my upbringing. More about the upbringing of my parents & grandparents & great grandparents.
The saying: “I brought you into this world & I will take you out of it.” HARD STOP. Pause, ponder, process = more understanding, clarity & empathy.
Pondering why as a Black child growing up, getting a whuppin' (spanking) was not something I heard my non Black friends talk about.
To ponder WHY Black parents, my grandmother, disciplined with an iron fist (leather belt or switch if you are from the South).
So many things I have read & seen in the world, bringing sharply into focus that discipline was based on fear of what could happen—a child being rundown by a mob, beaten or killed. More than fears, because sadly today, those fears are ever present realities.
There are moments of laughter and joy: 'Owed to the Plastic on Your Grandmother's Couch', moments of clarity about the complexity of who we are as individuals in 'Plural.'
Aracelis Girmay says about OWED, “Bennett's genius and love are made plain across each of these shimmering pages.”
Reading 'Elegy for the Modern School' in OWED by Joshua Bennett, made the saying I have heard at different times in my life, sound like the testing of the EMERGENCY broadcast system. Does anyone remember those?
As each year passes & I expand my reading, the range of understanding increases & I understand more about my upbringing. More about the upbringing of my parents & grandparents & great grandparents.
The saying: “I brought you into this world & I will take you out of it.” HARD STOP. Pause, ponder, process = more understanding, clarity & empathy.
Pondering why as a Black child growing up, getting a whuppin' (spanking) was not something I heard my non Black friends talk about.
To ponder WHY Black parents, my grandmother, disciplined with an iron fist (leather belt or switch if you are from the South).
So many things I have read & seen in the world, bringing sharply into focus that discipline was based on fear of what could happen—a child being rundown by a mob, beaten or killed. More than fears, because sadly today, those fears are ever present realities.
There are moments of laughter and joy: 'Owed to the Plastic on Your Grandmother's Couch', moments of clarity about the complexity of who we are as individuals in 'Plural.'
Aracelis Girmay says about OWED, “Bennett's genius and love are made plain across each of these shimmering pages.”
tavernfrogs's review against another edition
I am not going to rate this because I do not feel like I know enough about poetry to rate it. In saying that I enjoyed this book. It felt familiar. While all the poems in here are worth reading Mike Brown is a Type of Christ is the one I recommend the most.
rtwilliams16's review against another edition
3.0
My favorite poems in this collection include: "Token Sings the Blues", "Barber Song", "Owed to the Durag", "Owed to the 99 Cent Store", and "Frederick Douglass Is Dead".
One of my favorite lines:
"Caesar
never meant anything to me
but a cut so close you could see
the shimmer of a man's thinking"
-from "Barber Song"
This interview with the author inspired me to read this book: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-books-in-african-american-studies/id425190500?i=1000477149591
One of my favorite lines:
"Caesar
never meant anything to me
but a cut so close you could see
the shimmer of a man's thinking"
-from "Barber Song"
This interview with the author inspired me to read this book: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-books-in-african-american-studies/id425190500?i=1000477149591