Mannish Tongues

by Jayy Dodd

To speak in tongues is to be possessed / overcome by your own body. This collection speaks to these charades of understanding / some things about language, something about possessions & higher powers.

Genres: Poetry, LGBT, Queer

112 pages, Paperback

First published February 23, 2017

About the author

jayy dodd is a multi-talented blxk trans femme: all at once poet, journalist, designer, and editor. They are the writer of [sugar in the tank], Mannish Tongues, and their collection The Black Condition ft. Narcissus will be available next year. jayy writes not only about being queer and trans, but also about the black condition, language, and culture. In addition, they are also a co-editor of Bettering American Poetry, and a 2017 Lambda Literary Fellow.

Reviews

[roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book's final poem 'thanks' says:

'the answer to every question of why i am doing this work: my mother.'

'i need to/ have needed / must learn to speak to my father. this, another attempt.'

'for *Him*, who lives electrically: i will still stand in swimming pools / during thunderstorms to catch your thunder.'

'every body has blood, i honor mine here.'

'i am covered by so many i dare not omit, so call the collective covering: the blessing.'

i think thats a good intro to why this book is so good & why you should read it... also do not skip the amazing intro by keguro macharia!

[Jack Bruno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go read this.

[Greg Bem · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that came to me as much as I came to it, dodd's work feels necessary, feels of a world that not everyone feels but could. Boundaries are identified. But the traversing of them are identified as well. Reckoning and sobriety of voice, this book should be shared with a roar.

[Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dodd's Mannish Tongues takes us to church, pushes us through the constant loop of death that faces the black/queer body, and resurrects that body again. Survival is a miracle and these poems are a miracle of craft and creative energy, tradition and innovation.

[Maddy Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. I am definitely not the target demographic for this, as a straight white lady, but these will probably hit a /lot/ closer to home if you're not, you know, me. Really good.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

It's so nice when poems just flow effortlessly. I really appreciated the way dodd's poems feel like a conversation with the reader. Which is not to say that they're simplistic! Not at all. They're accessible yet belied with depths of meaning.

One of my favorite moments in the collection came during a series of haikus, which ended with what I can only call a double-headed haiku for lack of ever seeing the technique before and not knowing the real name (if there even is one)! I doubt Goodreads will let me recreate the formatting here, so I'll try to describe: basically the first line of the haiku serves as the first line for two separate-but-linked haikus, placed side to side with the first line acting as a bridge. It's always exciting to see a new form and experience something new in poetry.

Speaking of forms, there's also a very clever ars poetica with a perfect ending.

Definitely recommend this one!

Book #2 for #TheSealeyChallenge

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely beautiful. I am re-reading as soon as possible and have highlighted so many passages.