Olatunde Osinaike

[FULL REVIEW AT NASHVILLE SCENE.COM] There were several lines in Olatunde Osinaike’s debut collection of poetry that gave me pause, but when I read the words “Everything withing shouting distance is an emergency contact” I actually had to briefly close the book to fully consider the gravity of what that meant. Tender Headed might only be a 92-page paperback, but the 5.6 oz. book could not be any heavier if it was made of concrete and steel. Winner of the 2022 National Poetry Series, Tender Headed is the writer’s uncomfortably raw examination of manhood, Blackness and patriarchy, taking voyeristic readers with him to the church of his youth, to his grandma’s house and to moments of personal shame and self-doubt. He takes on the confusing isolation within social norms with such a pensive technique. Osinaike, a Chicago bred Nigerian-American, invites his audience to understand his relationship to the world around him. His lines flow so musically – sometimes meditative and sometimes turbulent – but with consistently scalpel-sharp word choices.… (more)

Tender Headed is a beautiful collection of poetry discussing Osinaike's experiences with Blackness and masculinity within our patriarchal society. The title reflects ideas presented throughout the collection that change is constantly happening and learning is never ending.

While I do not share the same experiences as Osinaike, and can not, therefore, understand the complete nuances behind these poems, it was still in impactful read and one I will be revisiting. The poems are both lyrical and like a stream of consciousness, reflecting on thoughts throughout his life.

I will definitely be reading more of what Osinaike has to offer.… (more)