March Book Haul! (And a cry for science fiction recommendations)

The end of February was my birthday, and my parents bought me a few books, and I received some bookstore gift-cards as a gift, so March was a good month for new books! Here's a quick look at what's new to my shelves this month.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee 

Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzi Lee

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Poems by Maya Angelou

I've been craving science fiction and fantasy reads lately, and science fiction is not a genre that I have a lot of experience with. I decided to use my gift-cards to buy Chambers' novel since I have been hearing really great things about that series, and I LOVED the movie version of Vandermeer's Annihilation so I thought those two would be an okay place to start with science fiction. If you have any recommendations for me, please let me know!  

Poetry Spotlight: Black History Month

In my second year of college I took an Introduction to Poetry class and I fell in love with reading poetry. Before then, poetry was always a little intimidating and a medium that I didn't have much experience with. But after that class, I became addicted to reading poetry, and during the class I actually found myself thinking in and expressing myself in poetry- which I never would have guessed would happen in a million years. So, with this series I'm here to share some of my favorite poems in a way that I'm sure will turn out rambley and unorganized.

Read the Rest of my Poetry Spotlight Posts 

I figured I would celebrate Black History Month the best way I know how to celebrate anything, which is with some poetry! Today I'm here to spotlight a few of my favorite black poets and their amazing work. I've also rounded up some really interesting links for you at the end of the post!

Countee Cullen

1903-1946

Cullen was an American poet writing during the Harlem Renaissance (see links below for more info.) Harlem, New York was a hub of art and creation for black Americans in the 1920s, and many artists influenced each other and worked together. Cullen has a bit of a mysterious childhood, but he was adopted by black activist and minister in 1918. Cullen was gay, which caused an internal struggle with his strict Christian upbringing, and tension with his adopted father. Cullen was briefly married to W.E.B Du Bois' daughter Yolanda, until she filed for divorce, partly because of Cullen's attraction to men. After their lavish wedding, and then divorce two years later, he taught French at Fredrick Douglas Junior High, where James Baldwin was one of his pupils. Cullen wrote poetry, novels, plays, and translated fiction, but it is his poetry that has garnered the most recognition in recent years.  

Yet Do I Marvel-- I remember reading this poem for the first time, which is how I know it's a good one. Although the poem only contains two sentences, it packs a huge punch. Cullen starts by stating that he "doubt[s] not God is good, well-meaning, kind" and that he could explain his reasons for everything in this world, including the suffering, but he ends the poem by questioning one specific act of God: "Yet do I marvel at this curious thing:/ To make a poet black, and bid him sing!" 

From the Dark Tower-- This is a poem that speaks of history and future change. The imagery in this poem is very strong and clear and the rhythm carries you through the the final message at the end.   

Langston Hughes

1902-1967

Hughes is one of the most-known Harlem poets, and for good reason. His poetry is easily accessible for all ages, yet is complex and powerful. Hughes' work received a fair bit of criticism from his contemporaries, perhaps because his work was so popular during his lifetime, and many questioned his decision to write about ordinary life and ordinary people in black America, including those of the lower class. Hughes was active in every aspect of the Harlem art scene, running a magazine, writing novels and poetry, and contributing to theater programs. The themes in Hughes poems are so applicable to today's political conversations that they could have easily been written yesterday rather than almost a hundred years ago. 

I, Too-- This short poem is bursting with emotion and statement. Hughes is a great poet to read at any time, but particularly in today's political climate.
Harlem-- I wrote on this poem in college and loved taking an in-depth look at all it had to offer. It has so many poetic elements that work together to bolster the impact of the theme. This poem is great to hear read aloud and must be read a couple of times.
Let America Be America Again--This poem is so relevant to the current American political climate surrounding a certain campaign slogan with a very similar message as the poem's title. Hughes challenges the idealistic nostalgia for the American past and shines a light on all those who were excluded from America's 'glory days.'

Claude McKay

1889-1948

Born in Jamaica, McKay was another central figure to the Harlem Renaissance. Many of McKay's poems focus on themes of racism and bigotry. Like Hughes, McKay was criticized by his choice to portray the lives of lower class African Americas, as some activists felt it hurt rather than helped their case for equality. Like Cullen, McKay's work fell out of popularity after his death, but has reemerged and found a new popularity. McKay's poems cover religion, race, Jamaica, and resistance. 

If We Must Die-- One of his more popular poems, McKay speaks of resistance, resilience, and retaliation. 

Harlem Shadows-- Beautiful imagery and a melancholy tone.
America-- This is a great poem about loving your country, while also wanting to change and improve its shortcomings.

Maya Angelou

1928-2014

Maya Angelou is my hero. She was such an amazing woman AND so talented. She literally did it all. She danced, sang, acted, wrote, inspired, and had every job under the sun. Her autobiographies are SO GOOD and I highly recommend you read them as well as her poetry. In addition to all of this, she was also an activist and active in the political spheres of both America and Africa. Her poetry is honest, beautiful, and empowering. Her poems often contains themes related to race as well as gender, and the best way to experience them is to hear her read them herself. 

Phenomenal Woman--This poem is so empowering and really captures the grace of Ms. Angelou.
And Still I Rise--This is one of my favorite poems of all times, and I have linked you to a version of Angelou reading it. I love her delivery of this poem as well as the sentiment behind it.
Caged Bird-- The imagery in this poem is similar to the title of Angelou's first memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The beautiful imagery and juxtaposition in this poem build the themes of longing and hope. 
Kin-- This very emotional poem is dedicated to Angelou's beloved brother Bailey, who died as a young man. Angelou was very close to her brother, and the two had a beautiful relationship.

Gwendolyn Brooks

1917-2000

Brooks is one of the most popular and highly regarded poets of the twentieth century. She was the first black author to win the Pulitzer Prize, and received much recognition during her lifetime. Brooks wrote during the Civil Rights Movement in 1960s America, and many of her poems have a political undertone. Brooks left her publisher Harper Row in the 1970s in order to help publishing companies focused on publishing black authors by allowing them to publish her works. Brooks faced backlash for some of the political statements found in some of her poems, but she was undeterred by this. Brooks experimented with various forms of poetry and wrote a two volume autobiography.

We Real Cool--This is one of Brooks most anthologized and popular poems. This short poem is best heard aloud. Brooks often covered the life of 'everyday' people as Hughes did in his poetry.
The Bean Eaters--There's a lot going on in this simple little poem.
Riot-- This poem has so many emotions and so much human nature packed into it. There's anger and hypocrisy, violence and ignorance, and truth. 

Interesting Links:

Celebrating Black History @ The Poetry Foundation-- This page has poems, articles, essays, and podcasts to help you celebrate Black History Month. 

Modern American Poetry's Page on Countee Cullen-- Poetry analysis, essays, and more links. 

My Literary Look post on the Harlem Renaissance-- Find more information on this literary movement and more recommended authors to check out.  

History.com- Harlem Renaissance

Please leave me your favorite black poet or poem below! I'm always looking to expand my list of favorite poems.

Poetry Spotlight: Edna St. Vincent Millay

In my second year of college I took an Introduction to Poetry class and I fell in love with reading poetry. Before then, poetry was always a little intimidating and a medium that I didn't have much experience with. But after that class, I became addicted to reading poetry, and during the class I actually found myself thinking in and expressing myself in poetry- which I never would have guessed would happen in a million years. So, with this series I'm here to share some of my favorite poems in a way that I'm sure will turn out rambley and unorganized.

READ THE REST OF MY POETRY SPOTLIGHTS HERE

Today I'm here to bring you a long-promised post on one of my favorite poets of all time: Edna St. Vincent Millay. Her and Plath top my list of all-time favorite poets, and they share a lot of qualities, so if you like one, there's a good chance you will like the other. I discovered Millay in my sophomore year of college and have written many papers on her work since. Millay is a sassy and brilliant feminist poet who uses bite and humor in her works. 

Millay was very popular during her lifetime; she was the third woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in literature, (winning in 1923) and was known not only as a poet but as an activist as well.

Millay was born in 1892 and was only nineteen years old when she published one of her most well-known poems, "Renascence." Millay also wrote prose under the name Nancy Boyd, but was most known for her mastery of poetry, including her sonnets. Millay is a super interesting person, and someone I plan to do a lot of reading on in the future, but I'll just cover a few of her highlights here. Millay was openly bisexual. She was married to a man for twenty-six years, but both of them had multiple affairs during the marriage that the other was aware of. Her husband supported her writing career and took on a number of the domestic duties in their life. Millay lived a bohemian life in New York after college until her poem "Renascence" was entered into a contest in which it won fourth place. This caused quite the controversy, as Millay's poem was considered the best by all of the contestants that entered, and the second place winner even offered Millay his prize money. Millay became an activist in WWI and wrote poetry in support of the Allies. She was the second woman to receive the Frost Medal for her contributions to American poetry. She died at the age of fifty-eight as a result of a heart attack. For more about Millay, see the links I have included at the bottom of the post.

A Few of My Favorite Poems

click the poem title to read the poem

I, being born a woman and distressed

This is perhaps my favorite Millay poem, and one that I have written on in school. Millay is unapologetic when it comes to writing about romance and sex, which is very refreshing for a woman of her time. This poem is both witty and sassy and a perfect example of a sonnet. If you have ever attempted to write a sonnet, you know how difficult they are, and Millay does them perfectly, and often turns the love sonnet on its head, as she does with this one. 

Recuerdo 

This poem is often read in literature classes and captures a bohemian spirit. My outlook on this poem really changed when I heard Millay read it out loud (listen here.) That's when the poem really grew on me and the rhythm was hard to get out of my head. 

Witch Wife

This was the first poem of Millay's that I fell in love with. This short poem is so whimsical; I highly recommend you read this one for yourself. 

Renascence

This is the poem mentioned above that put Millay on the map. This longer poem deals with complicated themes in the same vain as Whitman. The speaker has an enlightened moment and becomes one with everything. 

Her Sonnets 

Millay wrote a number of sonnets, and she is well-known for her mastery of the difficult form. Many of her sonnets are written from the female perspective and disrupt the typical romantic themes of a sonnet. Here are a few to check out: 

Hearing your words and not a word among them

I shall forget you presently my dear

Time does not bring relief 

I will put Chaos into fourteen lines 

Hope you enjoy your exploration of Millay's work as much as I have!

Links for Further Information

Edna St. Vincent Millay Society

Wikipedia

Poetry Foundation

A Closer Look at "I will put Chaos into fourteen lines"

Weekend Reading Plans

I'm hoping to get a lot of reading done this month before I start my full-time teaching internship at the beginning of September. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by how much reading I want to do in so little time, but I'm trying to be relaxed about it (easier said than done.) So here's what I will be reading this weekend!

The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

I'm listening to this one on audiobook, as I listened to the first one. These books are great on audio because the narrator pronounces all of the Arabic words so beautifully. These books are a little bit of a guilty pleasure for me. The romance is bit weird, there's a lot of drama, but the writing is so atmospheric and the story is addicting. So far, this one is going great. 

The Dumb House by John Burnside

I'm hoping to start this one this weekend as it quite a short read, and promises to be quite creepy. I've had this on my shelf for a while, and I've heard great things. 

Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen

I'm almost done with this small collection of poems, but it is not a happy read. and sometimes I can only read a poem or two before I have to put it down. I love Owen's poetry and you can read my Poetry Spotlight on him here. 

What are you reading this weekend? 

Book Outlet Haul!

I treated myself to a Book Outlet order the other day, as their recent change to free shipping on orders of thirty-five dollars or more to the U.S. sucked me in. It's so easy to load a chart full of books on there, and I managed to pick up some book I've been eyeing for quite a while now. Here's a look at what I picked up!

 

She is not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick and The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Adieh 
Sedgwick is one of my all-time favorite authors, but his back log of books can be difficult to find in the U.S. so I always scoop his novels up when I find them. This one is about a teenage girl who is blind, and that's all I want to know.  I read The Wrath and the Dawn on audiobook last winter and really enjoyed it even though the romance was a bit odd and cheesy; it was so entertaining. I'm eager to see how the story wraps up, and these books are designed beautifully.

 

N or M by Agatha Christie and The Lottery by Shirley Jackson 
I have been devouring Christie's novels this year; they are so fast paced and quick to read. I've read one other Tommy and Tuppence mystery and enjoyed it, so I picked up this cute edition when I saw it. I featured The Lottery in my creepy TBR post and mentioned how I'm craving all of the creepy reads lately. This one is sure to deliver. I haven't read any Jackson yet, so short stories are the perfect place to start.

 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll illustrated by Camille Rose Garcia
Garcia's work is stunning. She has a few illustrated editions of fairy tales out, that I have been eyeing for ages. I couldn't pass up the beautiful hardcover of this one when it was like five bucks! Here's one of my favorite illustrations I saw as I flipped through.

 

I Shall not be Moved by Maya Angelou and My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Angelou is my idol. I love and respect her work and her outlook on life so much. I have read almost all of her autobiography series and a few of her poems, and it's safe to say she is one of the best American writers in history. This is a collection of her poems. Surprisingly, I do not own any of Angeou's works in physical copies, so I'm always on the look-out for them. My Brilliant Friend and Elena Ferrante are two of the most talked about topics in the book world right now, and I finally bought book one. I found book two for fifty cents in a library sale and snatched it up before I even had book one, because these books are rather expensive in the States, and I'm glad to have found book one for a bargain as well.

That's all for my Bookoutlet purchases! I always end up with a cart full when I browse that site!

Poetry Spotlight: Wilfred Owen (Happy National Poetry Month)

In my second year of college I took an Introduction to Poetry class and I fell in love with reading poetry. Before then, poetry was always a little intimidating and a medium that I didn't have much experience with. But after that class, I became addicted to reading poetry, and during the class I actually found myself thinking in and expressing myself in poetry- which I never would have guessed would happen in a million years. So, with this series I'm here to share some of my favorite poems in a way that I'm sure will turn out rambley and unorganized.

SEE THE REST OF MY POETRY SPOTLIGHT SERIES HERE

There's a lot of stuff going on this month. It's the 100th anniversary of the U.S.'s entry into the first World War, and it's national poetry month. So as a lover of history and poetry, naturally, I have combined them into today's post about one of my all time favorite poets Wilfred Owen. The poems I will be talking about today come out of Penguin's Little Black Classic collection of his works, which I highly recommend. This edition has all of the essential Owen's poems, in a small and affordable package.

Author Bio

What makes Owen such a remarkable poet and recorder of history is the fact that he served and died in WWI. Up until WWI, many of the poetic recordings regarding wars in America, the Civil War is a great example of this, were recorded by poets who were not fighting the wars and were only outside observers. During WWI, we see a shift in the attitudes regarding war in art. In the Civil War, for example, poetry highlights the honor, righteousness, and even beauty associated with war and defending one's country, but in WWI, the poetry highlights the horrors of war and even suggests it's lack of purpose. This has everything to do with the advanced technology of war that debuted in WWI including machine guns, trench warfare, mustard gas, and fighter planes. The death toll for this war was unlike anything the world had ever seen, and it left a whole generation of men missing, or "lost" as Gertrude Stein phrased it (hence the literary movement named The Lost Generation). Young men lined up to join the war, eager to earn the honor and respect that the older generations associated with war, but many felt that nothing had been gained from the conflict and all of the bloodshed was for naught after the war's conclusion. There was no clear winner or loser. This is also the first time we as a society come to recognize and try to treat PTSD or shell-shock as it was referred to.

Owen was from England, and wrote all of his poems in the just-over-a-year that he served in the British army before being killed in action at the age of twenty-five, one week before the Armistice. Owen met Siegfried Sassoon, another well-known and excellent WWI poet, in an army hospital while being treated for shell-shock, and the two became friends. Sassoon was responsible for publishing much of Owen's works after his death. 

You can read more about Owen at the Poetry Foundation. 

  

Spotlighted Poems 

Like I mentioned above, WWI poetry was revolutionary for the way it talked about war. In many poems, the divide between generations regarding the purpose of war and the honor associated with participating in it is visible. Poetry of this era is honest and brutal and even bitter and sarcastic. Owen is one of the best poets to come out of WWI, and his poems are breathtaking and so poignant. Many of these poems left me speechless after reading them for the first time. 

Poem titles link to poems 

Dulce et Decorum Est- If you read one poem from this post today, make it this one. This poem left me absolutely speechless after I translated the last line of the poem from Latin (It is sweet and proper to die for one's country.) If you have taken a literature course, you have probably read this poem, and rightfully so. This poem forces the reader to face the horrors of the trenches as a solider would, while also applying traditional poetic techniques such as rhyme and alliteration, causing quite the contrast. This poem has that bitter and sarcastic punch ending that many war poems have and also highlights the shifting attitudes towards war. 

Bonus: Hear it read by Christopher Eccleston here.

Anthem for Doomed Youth- This is another poem that illustrates the shifting attitude towards war by the young generation that is currently facing it. The "Doomed Youth" of this poem is of course the generation of soldiers fighting in the war. Again, Owen paints a clear and horrifying picture of life at war with traditional poetic devices. 

Bonus: Here it read by Sean Bean here.

The Parable Of the Old Man and the Young- This poem alludes to the biblical story of Abraham and his son Isaac, who God asks Abraham to sacrifice in order to prove his devotion. Owen uses this story to create a parallel between Isaac and the soldiers. Once again, we see the shift in thinking from the older generation to the younger. 

The Chances- This poem is interesting because it deals with all of the chances a man takes when he signs up to be a solider. Owen lists all of the bad things that can happen, including going "mad." This is an early poem to deal with the psychological and physical affects of war, and Owen does it in a very powerful way. 

As usual, leave me your favorite poems or poets below! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Unconventional Romances

I am not  fan of romance novels and never have been. I don't know why, they just aren't my thing. But I do love Valentine's Day and showing a little extra love to your loved ones. Here I've put together a list of unconventionally romantic books and poetry collections. They either have a unique romance or don't have a romance per say, but discuss the topic of romance and love in general. I would love for you to leave your recommendations below for unconventional romances or books that discuss romance and love more-so than contain romances. 

Hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

 

1. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene 

This is one of those novels that discusses romance and love without actually having a romance in the story. In fact, as the title suggests, this novel is about the end of a romance. I really loved this novel and the juxtaposition of religious faith and romantic love. 

2. Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff

This is a magical realism romance that has to do with dreams. I really enjoyed this one; magical realism is beginning to make its way to the top of my favorite genres lists. The magical elements kept this from being stereotypical, but the romance and high school setting, made it a quick read. 

3. Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block

Nothing about this novel is conventional. It's an Odyssey retelling that takes place at the end of the world. The characters are so unique they become mythical and the setting is just as unique.  

4. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

This is one of my all-time favorite novels. It deals with self-discovery and love that is on the wrong side of fate. This book is beautifully written and set in 1930s New York. I need to reread this one this year! 

5. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Once again, this is another completely unconventional novel. In this one our main character is one the LGBTQ spectrum and battles giant man-eating grasshoppers who cause the end of civilization as we know it. The romance is not the main focus of the novel, but it was one of the most interesting aspects of the novel for me. 

  

6. Breakfast at Tiffanys by Truman Capote 

Another classic that deals with romance and love without the typical romantic plot line. The novel is very different than the movie (but I love both) and it doesn't have that same romantic, happy ending, which to me, is much more interesting. 

 

7. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

This book takes place during WWIII (yes you read that right) and features an unconventional romance between two cousins. Very unconventional. 

8. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

This collection deals with heartbreak, self-love, and the rediscovery of love. I love the illustrations in this collection, and the poems aren't mind-blowing, but I did enjoy this collection. 

9. Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes

This collection was written by Hughes and published after his death. Almost every poem in this collection is about Sylvia Plath. If you know anything about their biography, you know they had an unconventional (i.e. unhealthy) relationship. I am still working through this collection, but these poems are raw and provide an interesting contrast to Plath's poems (although I will always prefer Plath's poetry over Hughes'.)

10. Selected Poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay 

Millay is one of my favorite poets. She writes about love, sex, and romance in a completely liberated and witty way. Her poetry is smart, sassy, and addicting. 

Recently Read: milk and honey

Author: Rupi Kaur
Genre: Poetry collection- modern
Publication Date: 2015
Page Count: 204
Rating: 3.5/5

Add on Goodreads

More posts on poetry 

If you spend any time on the internet, I am sure you have seen this poetry collection or a poem from it floating around. Rupi Kaur's poetry and illustrations are floating around tumblr and the blogging community. I had seen a few of her poems ages ago and have been wanting to pick this up ever since. I finally got around to buying it and read it in an evening when I was feeling a little off and needed something to pick-me-up. I would not say that this is a happy collection or a feel-good collection, but after reading the words of another human and connection to them, I felt better.

This book has gotten a lot of hype, but it also seems to be polarizing; some people love it and others are not impressed. I am sitting in the middle. I really like the idea of this collection. It is very modern and Kaur has her own unique and mastered style. The poems deal with a variety of topics, each one as important as the last, and the illustrations are a really great addition to the collection. The poems are very short and in prose form which I know some people are not a fan of, but I thought it worked in this case. One of the things I love about poetry is how it cannot be defined. I have read and loved some very, very complex poetry as well as some very short and simple prose poetry.

This collection did have an over-all feminist message which I loved. This collection is very intimate and personal and I always respect a poet who writes such intimate things so publicly. One of my favorite poems and illustrations is a commentary on female body hair, another is on respecting other women's choices about their own bodies. I don't think this collection is mind-blowing, but I did connect to a lot of the ideas and expressions in this collection and I enjoyed reading it. This is a collection I can see myself rereading from time to time because it was quick and enjoyable. It has also made me itch to pick up some more modern poetry. I have been wanting to get into the genre for quite a while but never knew where to start. I have discovered a few collections I really want to start with, so I am thinking about making a modern poetry TBR post in the near future.
Let me know if you have any poetry recommendations! What did you think about this collection?

Recently Purchased: Here's What I Bought to Console Myself About the Start of School

While you're reading this, I am currently on my third day of my last semester before I student teach (hopefully, don't want to jinx myself here.) So to fight off the back-to-school-blues, I have purchased a few new reads.

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

I have been seeing this poetry collection everywhere, as I am sure you have too, and I have been meaning to pick it up forever. I finally treated myself so I would have a quick read for the beginning of the semester. I am trying to get into modern poetry, as I usually read classic poetry, so leave me any recommendations you may have below. I have flipped through this and loved the illustrations and the few poems I have read. I have had a hard time saving this one for the start of the new semester.  

The Dumb House by John Burnside

I have heard lots of things about this one too, it sounds quite disturbing and I'm interested to see what themes it deals with and how it deals with them. 

Just Add Color Circus

My mom treated me to a new coloring book for the new school year, and I love this one. The images inside are so beautiful! I highly recommend checking this one out if you see it in the bookstore. I can't wait to listen to an audiobook and color during my homework breaks. 

What have you bought lately? Any modern poetry recommendations? How about coloring book recommendations? 

Poetry Spotlight: Spoken Word/Slam Poetry

In my second year of college I took an Introduction to Poetry class and I fell in love with reading poetry. Before then, poetry was always a little intimidating and a medium that I didn't have much experience with. But after that class, I became addicted to reading poetry, and during the class I actually found myself thinking in and expressing myself in poetry- which I never would have guessed would happen in a million years. So, with this series I'm here to share some of my favorite poems in a way that I'm sure will turn out rambley and unorganized.

See the Rest of the Poetry Spotlight Posts Here

I discovered the world of Youtube slam poetry by accident and haven't looked back since. I love seeing slam poets read existing poems as well as their own and here I've rounded up some of my favorite slam poetry performances for those wishing to dip their toes into the world of slam poetry. If you have a favorite slam poetry or poetry performance, I would love to hear about it!

One of my favorite elements of slam is the strong feminist themes that are a part of many of the poems. Many of these poems have feminist themes but because they are modern and the poets are so young, the perspective on feminism is so modern and relevant (not that feminism is ever not relevant but you know what I mean.) I love that spoken poetry is a place for young women's voices to be heard in such an honest and uncensored way.

If you want to enter the world of slam/spoken word poetry, the first name you need to know is Rhiannon McGavin. She is the current teen-poet laureate of Los Angles (which is a position I didn't even know existed) and is one of the better known slam poets. She has a Youtube channel and you can see her perform there as well as on other slam channels. Some of my favorite of her works include:

This poem she did with drawtheline.org for reproduction rights

This is the video I was introduced to Rhiannon through. Her she recites a poem by Charles Bukowski and then her original poem written in response.

The last one I will link is this one titled "Hereditary."

This is the accidentally discovered video that got me into slam. It's Alyssa Paul performing one of my all-time favorite poems by Plath "Daddy" and then her original response poem. This Plath poem really comes alive when it is read aloud and she does a great job.

Some of my favorite poems with feminist themes include:
"The Rape Poem to End All Rape Poems" (mature language in this one)
Kait Rokowski's "How to Cure a Feminist" (language again)
Karina Stow's "Trigger Warning"

So there's a list of my current favorite slam poems. I would love to update this list in this future when I have more to add, and I would also love for you to leave recommendations of your favorites!

Library Wish-List

Hey guys! I thought I would make a post about what I'm hoping to score from the library before the end of my summer break. I have been reading from the library quite a bit (I talked about feeling guilty about using the library when I have so many unread books here) but I have really been loving taking advantage of my library while I'm home for the summer.

I have been in the mood for something so specific lately -YA magical realism- so the first book falls in that genre. I devoured We are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson which was a great piece of YA magical realism and now it's all I want to read. If you have any recommendations for me (besides A.S. King) let me know!

Goodreads

I found this one because Maggie Stiefvater gave it a five-star rating on her Goodreads. I really liked the magical atmosphere in The Raven Cycle so I'm intrigued by any magical novel she gives a five-star rating. This one has to do with dream worlds. 

Goodreads

I'm not sure if this is magical realism or just a contemporary, but I have been hearing great things about it, and I'm really interested to see how this author pulls off the small town religion aspect.

Goodreads

I love poetry and have been wanting to get into some modern poetry and I think I will really like this collection. I have seen this author's work on the internet and loved its simple but impactful style. I have this one on hold right now, but I am considering just buying it because there is so many people ahead of me. Let me know if you read it and what you thought! 

Poetry Spotlight (8): Walt Whitman

In my second year of college I took an Introduction to Poetry class and I fell in love with reading poetry. Before then, poetry was always a little intimidating and a medium that I didn't have much experience with. But after that class, I became addicted to reading poetry, and during the class I actually found myself thinking in and expressing myself in poetry- which I never would have guessed would happen in a million years. So, with this series I'm here to share some of my favorite poems in a way that I'm sure will turn out rambley and unorganized.

See my collection of other Poetry Spotlight posts here

Today I'm going to be talking about the brilliant but intimidating Walt Whitman. I have read a few of his quite extensive list of works and really loved what I have read. His longer and most famous works are intimidating and I believe humanly impossible to completely comprehend at a literal level and a literary level, but they are a great reading experiences. So first a quick bio. on Whitman, then a look at a few shorter poems and the two longest poems.

Whitman is a very interesting man that was years before his time. He was born in 1819 and died in 1892, is often considered the father of free verse, and is one of the most influential people in the American literature canon. He was a humanist (someone who places a high value on human beings both individually and collectively and prefers critical thinking and evidence to superstitions or faiths) and served as a transitional writer between the Transcendentalists and Realists. His works were very controversial upon publication particularly because of their sexual nature. What's interesting about the sexuality of Whitman's works is that they defy gender expectations, norms, and heterosexuality norms which is very impression for a white man writing in the mid 1800s. Whitman was a volunteer nurse during the American Civil War and wrote many poems, prose, and letters about the war. 

Whitman also wrote in free verse, and although he was not the first to do so, he was the first to popularize the form and gain critical and public recognition for his works in free verse. Whitman believed in a symbiotic relationship between the poet and the reader, and discussed sex and sexuality openly in his works. It is commonly accepted by biographers and literary critics that Whitman was either homosexual or bisexual in orientation, but there is no proof that he had physical relations with any men, only speculation. Interestingly, Whitman never discussed his own sexuality even though his poems were full of sexual imagery.    

Here are Whitman's most famous works, and a few of my favorites. I have not read all of Leaves of Grass, but I included some information on it because it is so crucial. As always, I have linked you to the poems whenever possible through the poem titles. 

Leaves of Grass:

Leaves of Grass is a novel length  collection of poems in free verse that Whitman published with his own money in 1855 and edited and revised until his death. Numerous editions of this work exist because he was revising and re-releasing so often. The first edition contained twelve poems and the last collection released before Whitman's death contained four hundred poems. If you have read John Green's Paper Towns, then you will be familiar with lines from this collection as Margo is a big fan of Whitman. 

Each of the poems are slightly connected by themes of nature and the celebration of humanity. The collection expresses Whitman's philosophies on life. In this collection you can see the Transcendentalist ideas that inspired Whitman as he celebrates nature and humanity's connection to and role in nature. This collection of course also contains those controversial sensual themes and images that I mentioned earlier and celebrates the human body, mind, and spirit. 

This collection contains many of Whitman's popular poems including "I Sing the Body Electric," his eulogy to President Lincoln titled, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" and "Song of Myself" which I will speak more about below.  

Song of Myself:

Keep in mind that are multiple versions of this poem because of Whitman's many revisions. 

"Song of Myself" is a fifty two stanza poem that would take a lifetime to fully comprehend and analyze and I don't think it is meant to be fully comprehended. This poems presents images of man and nature, man and woman, and man and man in connection with one another. I would use the adjective psychedelic to describe this poem even though that concept would not become popular for over a century from the date of this poem's first publication. The poem is spiritual and something you have to experience for yourself. It is theorized that Whitman had some fancy out-of-body experience/epiphany with a specific name that I can't remember before he wrote this poem, and I would totally believe that.     

Now for two individual and short poems by Whitman that I love. 

A Noiseless Patient Spider:

For me this poem represents just what I love about great poetry. I first read this poem as a sophomore in college in my poetry class. I read it and went "Huh, okay, well don't really get that one" and moved on. I came across it a year or so later in another class and thought it was absolutely brilliant upon rereading. Poetry really is a personal and new experience each time you encounter it. 

I love the extended metaphor Whitman creates between the spider on an island and a lonely soul. The images in the last stanza of the soul throwing its webs until it catches hold on something are very poetic and yet accurate.  

When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer

I love this poem for its comments on education and learning. The difference between learning about stars in the classroom and looking up while outside and seeing the actual stars is very vast. As a future educator, this poem means a lot to me and it is something I try to keep in mind in regards to plans for my classroom and myself as well as a student.

See my Poetry Spotlight on War Poetry for an example of Whitman's Civil War poetry here.

Any poetry suggestions for me? What should my next Poetry Spotlight feature?