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baker16's review
4.0
Some of the poems are difficult to understand, but overall I enjoyed it.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
noodlebooknook's review against another edition
5.0
This book of poetry is captivating. Firstly it is very accessible and you do not have to be a master poet to understand her broader themes (though there is still a lot of subtexts, its poetry after all). Secondly she writes about so much there are themes of love, hate, slavery, race riots, politics, and probably more that I'm missing from the top of my head. I'm very picky about my poetry and this is a 10/10 if I've ever read one.
booksrockcal's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I picked up this book in the American Writers Museum in Chicago. I’d recently learned about the amazing life of Pauli Murray- civil rights activist and lawyer who helped Thurgood Marshall form the arguments for Brown and worked with RBG on making gender a 14th amendment equal protection argument. I learned about her in the context of the renaming of Calhoun College at Yale to Pauli Murray College. The Writer’s Museum had an exhibit on Murray- writer, poet, and the first black female Episcopal priest. This book will knock your socks off. The first poem - Dark Testament- is a searing and unforgettable depiction of slavery. My favorites were Song of the Highway, the Passing of FDR and the ones that interweave passages from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer with images of bondage, slavery, and lynching (collect for Poplarville and For Mack C. Parker.
carly_they_themsen's review against another edition
2.0
im glad i read this and i plan to read it again when i have more experience reading poetry cause i think this is a classic case in which a book is a little too smart for me and i like it only a little bit because it largely goes over my head. i discussed it with a book club and appreciated it some more afterwards, but still not enough to say i really liked it a lot
ginnygriggs_'s review against another edition
5.0
Pauli Murray was incredible, and these poems are incredible. Do yourself a favor and buy this book.
thebookkeepers's review
5.0
It’s a shame I never heard of this brilliant woman before. A civil rights activist and an inspiring historical figure. I adored her writing style as a poet, and was moved by her wit and emotional depth. Her nods to nature and interweaving of the daily mundane with poems in the second half aligned with some of my own poetic daydreams of the world.
An intellect caught between the harshness of the world and the love of a poet, Murray was a woman after my heart. I can’t wait to read more regarding her life. And I’m flabbergasted she isn’t taught and talked about more openly in American history courses. When people discuss “white washed history” it’s because of women like this being erased from curriculums. An awful shame.
An intellect caught between the harshness of the world and the love of a poet, Murray was a woman after my heart. I can’t wait to read more regarding her life. And I’m flabbergasted she isn’t taught and talked about more openly in American history courses. When people discuss “white washed history” it’s because of women like this being erased from curriculums. An awful shame.
rtwilliams16's review
4.0
"Hope is a song in a weary throat." -Pauli Murray
I first became aware of Pauli Murray last year after I read her biography [b:Jane Crow: The Life of Pauli Murray|31927918|Jane Crow The Life of Pauli Murray|Rosalind Rosenberg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493771424s/31927918.jpg|52581508] by Rosalind Rosenberg. "Dark Testament" was mentioned in the book. I put off reading this collection of poems because I'm not big into poetry unless its Shel Silverstein. I changed my mind when I read an excerpt of one of her poems "Mr. Roosevelt Regrets" in Jill Lepore's book [b:These Truths: A History of the United States|38212158|These Truths A History of the United States|Jill Lepore|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520028664s/38212158.jpg|59883979].
Dark Testament is really good, it's full of socially conscious poems. My favorite poems from the collection are "Dark Testament", "The Passing of F.D.R.", "The Newer Cry", "Prophecy", and "Dinner for Three".
I first became aware of Pauli Murray last year after I read her biography [b:Jane Crow: The Life of Pauli Murray|31927918|Jane Crow The Life of Pauli Murray|Rosalind Rosenberg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493771424s/31927918.jpg|52581508] by Rosalind Rosenberg. "Dark Testament" was mentioned in the book. I put off reading this collection of poems because I'm not big into poetry unless its Shel Silverstein. I changed my mind when I read an excerpt of one of her poems "Mr. Roosevelt Regrets" in Jill Lepore's book [b:These Truths: A History of the United States|38212158|These Truths A History of the United States|Jill Lepore|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520028664s/38212158.jpg|59883979].
Dark Testament is really good, it's full of socially conscious poems. My favorite poems from the collection are "Dark Testament", "The Passing of F.D.R.", "The Newer Cry", "Prophecy", and "Dinner for Three".
ralovesbooks's review
5.0
Recently, I listened to Jane Crow, a biography of Pauli Murray written by Rosalind Rosenberg. The biography is detailed and intriguing, delving into Murray's legacy as an activist, lawyer, poet, and priest. She is a hero of the Civil Rights Movement, and she was friends with James Baldwin! Throughout the prose, the author excerpted Murray's poetry, which prompted me to look up this collection in my library catalog. I loved it. The verse is lyrical and powerful. I read the lines I quoted above while I was waiting for my first vaccine shot, and wow, it resonated. I highly recommend this collection to anyone who wants to celebrate National Poetry Month or read work by Black poets.
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
I can't believe it took me this long to discover Murray. This collection was heartbreaking and sublime.