She

Saul Williams first book of poetry, S/he, accurately demonstrates the provocative qualities of his writing style. The book chronicles the deteriorating relationship between Williams' and his ex-wife, Marcia Jones. The poems are a cohesive meditation on relationships, maturation, and the intertwined nature of femininity and masculinity. Williams highly metaphorical and often aphoristic writing style surely owes something to Yeats and Blake, the two great poets of the occult, but even more so to Hip Hop music and its origins. Williams words pulsate with a certain beat, a beat that did not simply begin with D.Js in 1970s New York, but first manifested through djembes and djun djuns struck by the ancient orchestras of West Africa. That is show more what Saul Williams embodies, a style so raw and primordial that it can only be crafted by the strong, steady count of the raging human heart. show less

She by Saul Williams is a collection of interconnected musical poems coupled with a collection of images from Marcia Jones that tells a story about a woman and their journey together. On his Website, he says, “This book chronicles my thoughts and feelings as a young man working through an early relationship with an amazing visual artist as we embark on adulthood and parenthood in the same breath.”

Each of Williams’ poems has a unique rhythm to it, and should be read aloud for effect. Each is as expressive as you would expect Williams to be in real life, becoming an extension of himself and his digital, visual, and audio art. Unlike other collections, Williams’ She is a story beginning to end with a prologue and epilogue and prose show more poetry. The nameless She is integral to the journey, a connection to the past and the future, illustrated through short lines and “out loud” cadence that screams to be read aloud.

Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2011/09/she-by-saul-williams.html show less