Above Ground

In this collection, writer and poet Clint Smith reflects on fatherhood and everyday life being Black in America. Along with joy and the delight in his children, there's also reflections on the racist history of the country, a photograph of George Floyd and his daughter, and a very funny (in the sense that I didn't have to experience it but can still recognize it) poem about helping his toddler son use Zoom for his teacher to read a story.

I loved how quotidian so many of the poems were. Smith makes the everyday family experiences sublime in his poetry, and he manages to capture such a wide variety of emotion from poem to poem, even sometimes within one poem, showcasing the beauty and hardship that is being human. These poems are show more accessible, witty, sometimes heartbreaking and often funny. Highly recommended. show less

Thank you, Little, Brown & Co. and #NetGalley. I’m happy to have read this; I’ve followed Clint Smith III’s work since I first heard him several years ago on DeRay McKesson’s podcast, Pod Save the People . Smith once read his poem, When People Say We’ve Made It Through Worse Before, on the podcast. It’s an absolutely beautiful and timely poem (and it’s included in this volume).

Most of the poems in this lovely collection are about family, and especially impending and early fatherhood; based on my previous knowledge of Dr. Smith, I assume them to be autobiographical. If I’m correct, the Smith children are very lucky.

I do not typically read collections of poetry, but I saw this book and told myself, "its time to branch out."

This collection of poetry is all connected to fatherhood in some way, observing his children, the family legacy passed on to his children, or the fears and insecurities of being a father. Some poems have a world view, and some are very personal. I really enjoyed reading the poems. I enjoyed the ones with a deeper message or making an observation from a different perspective. Many of the thoughts hit home.

Beautiful read.
I was reading the poem "In the Grocery Store Your Are Wrapped Tightly Onto My Chest" about getting busted dancing in the aisle. It tickled me & touched me and people seeing me read in a waiting room commented on how entertaining my book must be.

Touching, sweet, poems on leaning into fatherhood - made me long for those days.

my not-so-great review can be found on the librarything page linked.

2024
https://www.librarything.com/topic/362165#8591192