Bury My Clothes

by Roger Bonair-Agard

Bury My Clothes, a finalist for the 2013 National Book Award for poetry, is a meditation on violence, race, and the place in art at which they intersect. Art—specifically in oppressed communities—is about survival, Roger Bonair-Agard asserts, and establishing personhood in a world that says you have none. Through poetry, we transform both the world of art and the world itself.

Roger Bonair-Agard is a Cave Canem fellow, two-time National Poetry Slam Champion, and author of Tarnish and Masquerade and Gully. He has appeared three times on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and is Co-founder and Artistic Director of the LouderARTS Project in New York.

Genres: Poetry

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because it was longlisted for the National Book Award in Poetry in September 2013.

This book of poems is an amazing reflection on identity - what it means to descend from slaves, to be born on an island and to relocate to Brooklyn, to be labeled and identify with being black before any other part of yourself. Many of the poems are filled with music, family history, etc. Bonair-Agard captures these ideas in little reflections and epic stories, with such power that made me long for a shared identity, so they could be my stories too.

Some of my favorites:
A Time of Polio - reflects on living through a time of polio, a time of walking places, a time of heat, and tells the story of his uncle. I loved the ending:
"We are all worried about not being good
enough for love. Imagine all we have.
Imagine all we love and live through.
Imagine what a chance we have
to endure the very worst
that might come our way."


Afro - a good example of one of the poems about identity, here's a bit:
"And this is when I knew I was black for real.
This is when I knew black was a city
whose walls were constantly under siege...."

Today's Math - Discussing the economics of slavery, history, power, and turning oil barrels into steel dreams, so God can laugh. Great.

Black Love, as told by my hands
"You get me don't you? Whoever you are, looking for love? For something
to count on? Often the woman I love doesn't. I try to bring flowers

or make food - mashed potatoes, rice and peas - trying to say things
grief and anguish won't let my body say. Sometimes we just
make love, over and over, until we aren't thinking about books..."

National Botanical Gardens, 1986 - Loved this paragraph poem hidden in the Epilogue. A poem about hurricanes and island culture and family. SO good.

I will be disappointed if this volume doesn't end up on the NBA shortlist, or winning the award. It is a strong candidate.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to copyedit this book for Haymarket! Not that there was heavy work to be done on it. The work is incredibly powerful, beautiful, honest. Tonight I heard Roger read, & the poems are even more amazing aurally.

[Anjali · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It is possible, still, Pope Benedict, George Zimmerman, Bush American Dynasty, to save yourselves simply by learning to act right in company,by reading

Baldwin and hooks, Ralph Ellison and Audre Lorde
by listening to Donny Hathaway and boys beating buckets
in the subway,
They/we have things to say. We are worth your time. We love you-lean in-this could save your life."


Possibly the best collection of poetry I have ever read.

[Jodie Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is excellent. I am no expert on poetry but this is excellent. I could show you some of my favorite quotes but I would be rewriting half the book. It is about race, identity, love, family, home, beauty,fear, violence, music, everything. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Please read this.