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She
Hailed as "a dreadlocked dervish of words...the Bob Marley of American poets" (Esquire), Saul Williams is a gifted young poet who is opening up this literary art form to a new generation of readers. Like his writing -- a fearless mix of connecting rhythms and vibrant images -- Saul Williams is unstoppable. He received raves for his performance as an imprisoned street poet in the Trimark Pictures release Slam, winner of the Camera d'Or at Cannes and the Grand Jury prize at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. The consummate spoken-word performance artist, Williams has also been signed by producer Rick Rubin to record a CD of his poetry.
She is a fascinating and unique collection of interconnected poems by this multi-talented star -- and marks the beginning of an incredible and totally original artistic career.
She is a fascinating and unique collection of interconnected poems by this multi-talented star -- and marks the beginning of an incredible and totally original artistic career.
128 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1999
42 people are currently reading
1771 people want to read
About the author
Saul Williams
22 books439 followersSaul Williams is an acclaimed American poet, musician, actor, and filmmaker whose work fuses raw political insight, lyrical intensity, and a bold disregard for genre boundaries. Widely recognized for his dynamic presence in both spoken word and alternative hip hop, Williams emerged in the mid-1990s as a vital voice in contemporary poetry before expanding into music, theater, film, and literature.
Born in Newburgh, New York, Williams studied acting and philosophy at Morehouse College and later earned an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. It was in New York's vibrant poetry scene that he honed his distinctive voice—fusing personal narrative, political urgency, and rhythmic precision. His breakout came in 1996 when he was named Grand Slam Champion at the Nuyorican Poets Café. He soon co-wrote and starred in the film Slam (1998), a bold meditation on incarceration, art, and resistance. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and the Camera d’Or at Cannes, launching Williams into international prominence.
Williams has published several collections of poetry, including The Seventh Octave, Said the Shotgun to the Head, and The Dead Emcee Scrolls, which reflect his ability to merge the cadence of hip hop with spiritual and philosophical inquiry. His writing is known for its fierce social critique and experimental form, often pushing beyond traditional poetic boundaries to embrace typography, performance, and digital culture.
As a musician, Williams has created a genre-defying body of work that blends hip hop, punk, rock, electronic, and spoken word. His debut album Amethyst Rock Star (2001), produced by Rick Rubin, was followed by the critically acclaimed self-titled Saul Williams (2004). He collaborated with Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor on The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! (2007), a provocative, pay-what-you-want release that challenged music industry norms and addressed race, identity, and digital freedom. Later albums such as Volcanic Sunlight, MartyrLoserKing, and Encrypted & Vulnerable further showcased his global perspective and political urgency, incorporating influences from African rhythms, industrial noise, and cyberpunk aesthetics.
In theater, Williams originated the lead role in Holler If Ya Hear Me, the Broadway musical inspired by the lyrics of Tupac Shakur. As an actor, he has appeared in films like Today, Akilla’s Escape, and Neptune Frost—the latter of which he co-directed with Anisia Uzeyman. Neptune Frost premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and exemplifies Williams’ vision of “sonic fiction,” combining sci-fi, Afrofuturism, and social commentary in a deeply poetic cinematic language.
Williams is also known for his global activism, his commitment to nonconformity, and his exploration of identity. He describes himself as queer and has consistently used his platform to advocate for justice, equality, and creative freedom. His life and work reflect a boundary-crossing ethos, uniting the spiritual and the political, the poetic and the revolutionary.
Across all mediums, Saul Williams defies categorization. Whether through verse, film, or song, he invites audiences to question, to imagine, and to awaken. His artistry continues to inspire new generations of poets, musicians, and thinkers worldwide.
Born in Newburgh, New York, Williams studied acting and philosophy at Morehouse College and later earned an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. It was in New York's vibrant poetry scene that he honed his distinctive voice—fusing personal narrative, political urgency, and rhythmic precision. His breakout came in 1996 when he was named Grand Slam Champion at the Nuyorican Poets Café. He soon co-wrote and starred in the film Slam (1998), a bold meditation on incarceration, art, and resistance. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and the Camera d’Or at Cannes, launching Williams into international prominence.
Williams has published several collections of poetry, including The Seventh Octave, Said the Shotgun to the Head, and The Dead Emcee Scrolls, which reflect his ability to merge the cadence of hip hop with spiritual and philosophical inquiry. His writing is known for its fierce social critique and experimental form, often pushing beyond traditional poetic boundaries to embrace typography, performance, and digital culture.
As a musician, Williams has created a genre-defying body of work that blends hip hop, punk, rock, electronic, and spoken word. His debut album Amethyst Rock Star (2001), produced by Rick Rubin, was followed by the critically acclaimed self-titled Saul Williams (2004). He collaborated with Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor on The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! (2007), a provocative, pay-what-you-want release that challenged music industry norms and addressed race, identity, and digital freedom. Later albums such as Volcanic Sunlight, MartyrLoserKing, and Encrypted & Vulnerable further showcased his global perspective and political urgency, incorporating influences from African rhythms, industrial noise, and cyberpunk aesthetics.
In theater, Williams originated the lead role in Holler If Ya Hear Me, the Broadway musical inspired by the lyrics of Tupac Shakur. As an actor, he has appeared in films like Today, Akilla’s Escape, and Neptune Frost—the latter of which he co-directed with Anisia Uzeyman. Neptune Frost premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and exemplifies Williams’ vision of “sonic fiction,” combining sci-fi, Afrofuturism, and social commentary in a deeply poetic cinematic language.
Williams is also known for his global activism, his commitment to nonconformity, and his exploration of identity. He describes himself as queer and has consistently used his platform to advocate for justice, equality, and creative freedom. His life and work reflect a boundary-crossing ethos, uniting the spiritual and the political, the poetic and the revolutionary.
Across all mediums, Saul Williams defies categorization. Whether through verse, film, or song, he invites audiences to question, to imagine, and to awaken. His artistry continues to inspire new generations of poets, musicians, and thinkers worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
April 22, 2017
love love love love love love love love love love !!!!!!!!!!!! this book was absolutely gorgeous. happy poems, sad poems, relatable poems, but all poems completely drawn from the soul and I think any artist or human being could relate to it. WOW.
December 26, 2012
I loved, loved, loved this book. Saul Williams definitely has a way with words, both his choice of words and the play on words that he utilized. Before I had even finished reading this book, I had already ordered another of his books on Amazon, that's how good he is.
The poems depict a relationship which is on its way to being broken. It's quite sad and poignant at times. The man is trying to figure out who is to blame for the relationship's demise. It's definitely a journey of realization.
I think this poetry collection is very accessible. I like poetry but I often read it for the cadence, finding it difficult to interpret symbolism. However, I don't think many people would have any problems with understanding these poems.
The poems depict a relationship which is on its way to being broken. It's quite sad and poignant at times. The man is trying to figure out who is to blame for the relationship's demise. It's definitely a journey of realization.
I think this poetry collection is very accessible. I like poetry but I often read it for the cadence, finding it difficult to interpret symbolism. However, I don't think many people would have any problems with understanding these poems.
April 26, 2019
I picked this up after WhittyNovels recommended it so enthusiastically in her Cram-a-thon vlogs and it was definitely one of the better modern poets that I read... Far better than Rupi Kaur's work even though the themes are roughly the same (relationships, loss, self-image etc.)
Saul Williams has a way with words, there is no denying that. Some of these poems evoked very strong emotions within myself and I couldn't help picturing the scenes and feeling things (that I maybe didn't want to feel). One poem specifically (p.23ff) completely blew my mind.
This collection starts off very promising with a dedication to "all the ghosts and corpses that shall never know the breath of our children" - WOAH, talk about vivid language.
"most relationships are built on faults. i do not wish to place blame. but there are houses that crumble with the slightest tremble of the earth." - Saul really manges to completely suck you in, he is a very authentic poet & I believed every word he wrote. He chose to discuss a lot of different themes in this collection, even though he focused mainly on LOVE, he was also very self-relective: "there is a gathering in the forest. the leaves have refused to change. they say that they are tired of things never remaining the same."
Some of these lines are very raw and emotional ("i presented my feminine side with flowers / she cut the stems and placed them gently down my throat") and some of them are simply picturesque ("she stuck a bokmark in my heart and walked away") - I can definitely see that these poems are #relatable for a lot of people and therefore I can appreciate them a lot more. Personally, I am not big on romance and also not very experienced in relationships, therefore it is a lot harder for me to really identify with the narrator.
One poem that stuck out to me in particular goes as follows:
Saul also touches upon the subject of growing up and living up to everyone's expectations. A topic
that I could relate to much better ("Q: are you going to follow in your father's footsteps? / A: my father's footsteps lead to my mother's bed where i spent much of my childhood / why return where i have already been?") OR ("i am still / but seldom silent")
There are a dozen more beautiful lines and flipping through these poems again really makes me consider bumping this rating up to 4 stars because hot damn SAUL CAN WRITE, man! My big issue (with all poetry collections really) is that I only really enjoy half of the poems, the other half are always very forgettable, unrelatable and simply not as good. So even though there are some breathtaking lines in here and Saul is definitely a very talented writer (and I'll probs check out more of his work) it is still a hit or miss collection for me.
I will revisit this collection in the future because whilst flipping through this again I fell in love with it all over again and there is lots left to discover!
Saul Williams has a way with words, there is no denying that. Some of these poems evoked very strong emotions within myself and I couldn't help picturing the scenes and feeling things (that I maybe didn't want to feel). One poem specifically (p.23ff) completely blew my mind.
This collection starts off very promising with a dedication to "all the ghosts and corpses that shall never know the breath of our children" - WOAH, talk about vivid language.
"most relationships are built on faults. i do not wish to place blame. but there are houses that crumble with the slightest tremble of the earth." - Saul really manges to completely suck you in, he is a very authentic poet & I believed every word he wrote. He chose to discuss a lot of different themes in this collection, even though he focused mainly on LOVE, he was also very self-relective: "there is a gathering in the forest. the leaves have refused to change. they say that they are tired of things never remaining the same."
Some of these lines are very raw and emotional ("i presented my feminine side with flowers / she cut the stems and placed them gently down my throat") and some of them are simply picturesque ("she stuck a bokmark in my heart and walked away") - I can definitely see that these poems are #relatable for a lot of people and therefore I can appreciate them a lot more. Personally, I am not big on romance and also not very experienced in relationships, therefore it is a lot harder for me to really identify with the narrator.
One poem that stuck out to me in particular goes as follows:
she asked that i remove my dreamsThe poem about rape and victim blaming was literally too much for me ("and if you rub your fingers / ever so softly / on her inner thigh / she'll stop you / having branded your fingertips / with the footprints of her brother / the disbelief of her mother / and her sister / who called her a slut for sleeping")... like honestly this made me soo uncomfortable, angry, ready to throw up and ready to throw punches. THIS IS WHAT POETRY NEEDS TO BE LIKE. Yes, it made me think about things I really don't wanna think about but damn it made me THINK.
before entering her home
one cannot enter a courtroom bearing arms
i had decided
to sharpen the egdes
of a certain childhood fantasy
and tuck it away in my sock
emotional lavishness
can deplete memory banks
although her parents saved and saved
she knew no baptism
which is no fault
unless you have
a Christian name
i do not trust her
my plan was to attack
in the 43 seconds
that it takes eyes
to adjust to moonlight
after lights out
no one told me
that dreams glow in the dark
Saul also touches upon the subject of growing up and living up to everyone's expectations. A topic
that I could relate to much better ("Q: are you going to follow in your father's footsteps? / A: my father's footsteps lead to my mother's bed where i spent much of my childhood / why return where i have already been?") OR ("i am still / but seldom silent")
There are a dozen more beautiful lines and flipping through these poems again really makes me consider bumping this rating up to 4 stars because hot damn SAUL CAN WRITE, man! My big issue (with all poetry collections really) is that I only really enjoy half of the poems, the other half are always very forgettable, unrelatable and simply not as good. So even though there are some breathtaking lines in here and Saul is definitely a very talented writer (and I'll probs check out more of his work) it is still a hit or miss collection for me.
I will revisit this collection in the future because whilst flipping through this again I fell in love with it all over again and there is lots left to discover!
September 14, 2022
“you are nothing
to be afraid of
yet i fear
your presence
and what you symbolize”
“i want to be
the one she calls
on her cigarette break
not the cause of it”
to be afraid of
yet i fear
your presence
and what you symbolize”
“i want to be
the one she calls
on her cigarette break
not the cause of it”
July 10, 2021
i can see why people would call saul williams a (more talented) precursor to instagram poets like rupi kaur and michael faudet, but i just cannot for the life of me get into this kind of scaled back, minimalistic poetry
July 24, 2017
I'm actually glad I was reading this digitally, because I'd have ruined the pages with all my tears. Nothing short of moving. Nothing short of powerful.
June 2, 2020
It took me a minute to get into it, but overall, I enjoyed this book.
I'd love to hear the poetry read out loud.
I'd love to hear the poetry read out loud.
April 27, 2022
WOW.
The play on words that Saul did was just OTHERWORDLY.
The themes approached and the poems written blew my mind.
WOW! WOW! WOW!
The play on words that Saul did was just OTHERWORDLY.
The themes approached and the poems written blew my mind.
WOW! WOW! WOW!
September 30, 2023
3 ⭐️’s
Kinda mid. Especially for a 2a.m. whim.
Kinda mid. Especially for a 2a.m. whim.
March 29, 2012
I seldom read poetry. It's not that I don't like it. I simply require a context in which to put myself to properly read it. So sitting at home on my couch isn't that context. But it's what I had, so I made due. Sadly, that means I didn't give Mr Williams HIS proper due, because it would have been better had I taken him to a cemetery or the lake or something.
I discovered him totally by accident on Pandora. And I liked what I heard. And then friends recommended him to me. So I hunted down this book. And it's a lovely little book.
The poems vary in length. Some are a few pages (never very many), and some are a line or two. The shorter ones reminded me of the Waukegan Pepsodent Conundrum, by a certain G.V.--interesting, pointed, a bit obscure--but it's poetry, so you can usually infer the emotional intent.
And the emotional intent behind most, if not all, these poems, is melancholic, tragic, a bit lovelorn. One, I do believe, is about molestation, and utterly heartbreaking.
I will continue to hunt down Mr Williams' writings.
I discovered him totally by accident on Pandora. And I liked what I heard. And then friends recommended him to me. So I hunted down this book. And it's a lovely little book.
The poems vary in length. Some are a few pages (never very many), and some are a line or two. The shorter ones reminded me of the Waukegan Pepsodent Conundrum, by a certain G.V.--interesting, pointed, a bit obscure--but it's poetry, so you can usually infer the emotional intent.
And the emotional intent behind most, if not all, these poems, is melancholic, tragic, a bit lovelorn. One, I do believe, is about molestation, and utterly heartbreaking.
I will continue to hunt down Mr Williams' writings.
December 26, 2008
i mean to like poetry, but i am easily disappointed. i have come to the conclusion that i am too cynical and judgmental. i expect certain people to be intelligent enough to make me feel like an idiot: my boss, my professor, my president, and definitely, my author. "mine", yes. my biggest, and i'll admit most immature, critique of someone is that they're "stupid". it's very hard to write poetry for someone like me. you go out on a limb and i reply with a, "well, that was dumb." so when say i like saul williams's poetry, it means i really, really liked it. "and how many thoughts perish before they hit the page?", he asks. what sadder thought is there when you truly like an author, to think of all the thoughts they did not write down?
March 28, 2021
I came across this collection outside a (closed) library on the lip of Victoria Park. I had 0 context when diving it but thoroughly enjoyed the voice on display.
I have learned that Williams is also predominately a musician, and I look forward to delving into his discography as well as any further literature.
The weatherbeaten copy I obtained is signed by Saul Williams - a gratifying surprise!
I have learned that Williams is also predominately a musician, and I look forward to delving into his discography as well as any further literature.
The weatherbeaten copy I obtained is signed by Saul Williams - a gratifying surprise!
December 23, 2016
2.5 stars
December 16, 2022
I’m probably not the intended audience for this; I’m not really a poetry fan. Mainly due to not understanding what is being said most of the time. I tend to need it to be a lot more direct, or at least have colourful enough imagery to get into the atmosphere. I love Saul’s music, so I was hoping to also get along with his poetry, but alas.
Some of the poems I liked, but for the most part they were just meh. I didn’t even grasp what the topic was until about halfway through. I can see why people would like this, but it’s too cryptic for my liking.
I will try again with his other books and see if it fares any better, hopefully it will.
Some of the poems I liked, but for the most part they were just meh. I didn’t even grasp what the topic was until about halfway through. I can see why people would like this, but it’s too cryptic for my liking.
I will try again with his other books and see if it fares any better, hopefully it will.
February 16, 2019
There were a few poems that I thought were beautiful. Overall though, I didn't very much care for this collections. Not because of the quality of his work, his messaging was just not for me. There was too much selfishness disguised as concern, like being vulnerable is an excuse for being an asshole.
December 5, 2015
I really enjoyed this. I, honestly, wasn't sure what to expect, but once I started rolling with the Williams, his words and rhythms and implied story drew me in completely.
In particular, I loved his "snapshot" poems that were no more than a few lines. These, often, resonated more than the longer work. Thought that being said, my other favorites tended to be the pages-long poems, so I guess you can take away that I liked it all.
Sure, a few poems were slightly lackluster, and he does tend to write in more abstracts than I normally enjoy. As a whole, though, this is an excellent collection--at least to someone that doesn't read too much poetry in the first place.
In particular, I loved his "snapshot" poems that were no more than a few lines. These, often, resonated more than the longer work. Thought that being said, my other favorites tended to be the pages-long poems, so I guess you can take away that I liked it all.
Sure, a few poems were slightly lackluster, and he does tend to write in more abstracts than I normally enjoy. As a whole, though, this is an excellent collection--at least to someone that doesn't read too much poetry in the first place.
April 18, 2021
Great little book, I'm new to poetry so although I really enjoyed this I probably need to re-read it at some point to understand it more.
I caught a book at Bookcrossing.com!
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1...
I caught a book at Bookcrossing.com!
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1...
January 9, 2017
Well, this was seriously underwhelming and actually very confusing at times. How do we define poetry now days?
October 21, 2018
Overrated, spoiled, contemporary pseudo-academic poetry, which makes no difference to me.
June 6, 2023
Gorgeous. Heartbreaking. Saul Williams knows how to break you down, build you back up, then break you down again until you're six feet deeper into the ground than you ever thought you could be. I'm neither Christian nor do I belong to any religious denomination, though I felt a certain kinship with Williams' words that invoked spirituality and ways of being and belonging—this volume of poetry is perhaps one of the most accessible and moving works I've read in a long while.
Just going to leave my favorite page below for your enjoyment and savoring:
"she asked that i remove my dreams
before entering her home
one cannot enter a courtroom bearing arms
i had decided
to sharpen the edges
of a certain childhood fantasy
and tuck it away in my sock
emotional lavishness
can deplete memory banks
although her parents saved and saved
she knew no baptism
which is no fault
unless you have
a Christian name
i do not trust her
my plan was to attack
in the 43 seconds
that it takes eyes
to adjust to moonlight
after lights out
no one told me
that dreams glow in the dark"
Just going to leave my favorite page below for your enjoyment and savoring:
"she asked that i remove my dreams
before entering her home
one cannot enter a courtroom bearing arms
i had decided
to sharpen the edges
of a certain childhood fantasy
and tuck it away in my sock
emotional lavishness
can deplete memory banks
although her parents saved and saved
she knew no baptism
which is no fault
unless you have
a Christian name
i do not trust her
my plan was to attack
in the 43 seconds
that it takes eyes
to adjust to moonlight
after lights out
no one told me
that dreams glow in the dark"
January 26, 2020
This was an engaging read. Centered around the tiniest of occurrences throughout the course of interaction with one another, in a sense. As I took it, in the scope of things unsaid; there are many interpretations of the actions of others that could be absorbed if we're willing to take notice of them. Spoken by a true poet, Saul Williams has effectively blended the complexities of compassion for one another with the intensity of someone who is actively trying to make sense of it all.
Wonderful read. Even when I finished it, I could not put it down!
Wonderful read. Even when I finished it, I could not put it down!
February 2, 2018
Saul Williams was inspirational for me when I first was truly developing my voice in poetry many years ago. This was one of his books I never got to read and I'm glad I did now. His poetry is something you can keep reading over and over and come away with something new. Love his use of wordplay and imagry.
August 4, 2018
This was gorgeous. Like most poetry I read, I don't know if I completely understood everything I was reading, but I did FEEL everything that I was reading. Saul Williams taps into the heart so well with his beautiful words. I especially liked the focus on femininity this collection has, especially the authors own.
September 23, 2018
I love Saul Williams, but this book was underwhelming. It has a few good poems (none of which are named, which made me confused as to whether or not this was 1 long epic about a breakup, or several poems about a breakup. Of course I only really know Saul Williams from 2007 onward, and this was about 10 years before, so clearly he developed as a poet. I'm glad.
August 22, 2025
3.5 stars really.
Love Saul Williams but did not love this one as much as some of his other works. The first half was great and had soooo many great passages with his signature wonderful wordplay but the second half dragged.
Love anything Saul does
Love Saul Williams but did not love this one as much as some of his other works. The first half was great and had soooo many great passages with his signature wonderful wordplay but the second half dragged.
Love anything Saul does
June 21, 2017
Needed pared down. Too many 'meh' pieces here that could have easily been trimmed from the 120-page collection, but the tops here are tops.
August 10, 2017
"two autumns
and I have not
changed enough"
and I have not
changed enough"
October 18, 2017
cemeteries
are our only
tended gardens
we tend to die
are our only
tended gardens
we tend to die
November 6, 2017
Simple concept; no center of gravity; but still some gorgeous lines. And love the interplay between the text and image.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews