Task 7: Read an indie-published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author

[Mary Beth]

Here is a thread to discuss books you’re considering or suggesting for Task 7: Read an indie-published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author.

[Elizabeth]

I read a fair bit of poetry, and most of the poetry I read fits this task honestly. I'm personally leaning towards reading Where the Sea Kuniks the Land by Ashley Qilavaq-Savard (published by Inhabit Media), but I'm probably going to read a number of things that work for this one.

A few I would definitely recommend are There Are Trans People Here by H. Melt (published by Haymarket Books), I am The Rage: A Black Poetry Collection by Martina McGowan (published by Sourcebooks), Don't Call Us Dead by Danez Smith (published by Graywolf Press), Salt by Nayyirah Waheed (self-published), it was never going to be okay by jaye simpson (published by Nightwood Editions), and River Woman by Katherena Vermette (published by House of Anansi Press). There are honestly so many incredible options for this task.

[Cayley]

I recommend Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns and I think I'll be reading Salt for this one!

[The Book Assassin]

Florida Water: Poems by Aja Monet was something I came across today. Would this count?

[Elizabeth]

Marinda wrote: "Florida Water: Poems by Aja Monet was something I came across today. Would this count?"

Yes! Florida Water will be published by Haymarket, which is an indie publisher.

[The Book Assassin]

Elizabeth wrote: "Marinda wrote: "Florida Water: Poems by Aja Monet was something I came across today. Would this count?"

Yes! Florida Water will be published by Haymarket, which is an indie publisher."

Thank you! Loving all your thoughtful suggestions and comments in the different task posts btw!

[Elizabeth]

The Book Assassin wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "Marinda wrote: "Florida Water: Poems by Aja Monet was something I came across today. Would this count?"

Yes! Florida Water will be published by Haymarket, which is an indie publi..."

Thanks! It's a great way for me to think through the tasks for myself, and obviously a huge plus if it helps anyone else think of ideas for a task they might be struggling with. I love seeing the recommendations people always have in these threads.

[Samantha]

for the love of black girls by Tatiana Johnson-Boria is excellent. I read this one a couple years ago for the RHC and she just released a new collection in 2023 (Nocturne in Joy )

[Cheryl]

I special ordered Unexpected Vanilla from my library for this one.

[Jessica]

Ooh I have a lot of options that have been sitting on my TBR for this one:
Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat
Finna
White Blood: A Lyric of Virginia
full-metal indigiqueer: poems
This Wound Is a World
Whereas
Night Sky with Exit Wounds
Blood Dazzler

[Gail]

I'm looking at A History of Kindness, Hogan is a Chickasaw author whose been recommended to me a lot this year (because her book Mean Spirit, which would work for the indigenous historical fiction challenge, is an indigenous counterpoint to Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI)

[Kira]

Where the Jazz Band Plays - The Weary Blues - Poetry by Langston Hughes is my pick for this prompt.

[Audra]

I really do not enjoy poetry. Somebody please tell me what I should read to get through this task!

[Elizabeth]

Audra wrote: "I really do not enjoy poetry. Somebody please tell me what I should read to get through this task!"

A few suggestions, with my reasoning so you can decide what works for you. I picked things that were either unconventional for poetry or short or both in the hopes that you can find something to actually enjoy or something you can at least get through quickly.

Salt by Nayyirah Waheed, it's over two hundred pages, but the poems are very short, which makes it a quick read.

There Are Trans People Here by H. Melt, where the overall collection is quite short and quick to get through.

Unshuttered: Poems by Patricia Smith, the author has a massive collection of 19th century photographs of Black people, and this collection includes many of those photographs accompanied by poems to go with the images about what their lives might have been like, an unconventional merging of history and poetry.

perpetual by Rita Wong, which is under a hundred pages, about climate change and environmental activism, and is poetry in a sort of graphic novel format.

Trailblazers: The Black Pioneers Who Have Shaped Canada by Tiyahna Ridley-Padmore, this one may be harder to find depending on where you are but I read it out of the library, and it's a middle grade nonfiction book where each chapter is about a different historical figure and has illustrations, a short prose bio, and a biographical poem for each one.

Burning In This Midnight Dream by by Louise Bernice Halfe, as it's under a hundred pages and essentially forms a memoir of poetry about the author's experience going through Canada's residential school system.

[Audra]

Elizabeth wrote: "Audra wrote: "I really do not enjoy poetry. Somebody please tell me what I should read to get through this task!"

A few suggestions, with my reasoning so you can decide what works for you. I picke..."

Elizabeth, thank you so much for taking the time to compile this list. I think I'm going to go with There Are Trans People Here. I have always wanted to enjoy poetry, and try as I have, it's just not my thing. I appreciate the artistry but it's the task I always struggle with in these challenges. Glad I'm forced to read a book of poetry every year.

[Elizabeth]

Audra wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "Audra wrote: "I really do not enjoy poetry. Somebody please tell me what I should read to get through this task!"

A few suggestions, with my reasoning so you can decide what work..."

Any time! I'm glad I can help, and it's always nice when reading lots of poetry can come in handy. I love poetry, but I get that it doesn't work for everyone.

[Satrina]

Elizabeth wrote: "A few suggestions, with my reasoning so you can decide what works for you. I picked things that were either unconventional for poetry or short or both in the hopes that you can find something to actually enjoy or something you can at least get through quickly...."

I can't thank you enough! I was in the same position as Audra and your suggestions are so helpful.

I'm leaning towards Burning In This Midnight Dream or There Are Trans People Here

[Elizabeth]

Satrina wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "A few suggestions, with my reasoning so you can decide what works for you. I picked things that were either unconventional for poetry or short or both in the hopes that you can fi..."

I'm so glad I could help!

[Ashu]

This is an oldie but goodie... and a tearjerker. "Let no day dawn that the animals canot share" by Kris Smith (Author is trans and self pub)

[Natalie Piccotti]

A friend suggested that I read How Poetry Saved My Life: A Hustler's Memoir so I'm going to try this one out.

[Carole]

I read “Where the Jazz Band Plays the Weary Blues” a collection of poems by Langston Hughes for this task.

[Aquaria]

I have a prompt elsewhere to read something set in Sri Lanka by someone of that nationality (either native or diaspora), and I rather enjoy Asian poetry. That's why I've chosen The Million-petalled Flower of Being Here by Vidyan Ravinthiran for this 'task.'

[Eleonora]

I got some very good ideas from this thread, thanks!

Someone just gifted me a copy of Home Body by Rupi Kaur.
Would that count?
The copy I have is published by Andrews McMeel but I am no sure it counts as an indie-publisher?

[Elizabeth]

Eleonora wrote: "I got some very good ideas from this thread, thanks!

Someone just gifted me a copy of Home Body by Rupi Kaur.
Would that count?
The copy I have is published by Andrews McMeel but I..."
Andrews McMeel is an indie publisher, you're good!

[Elizabeth]

Elizabeth wrote: "I read a fair bit of poetry, and most of the poetry I read fits this task honestly. I'm personally leaning towards reading Where the Sea Kuniks the Land by Ashley Qilavaq-Savard (pu..."

I'm still planning on reading this one (and I have it checked out of the library), but I ended up getting to something else first:

I read The Good Arabs by Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch. They're a queer Arab poet, and the collection is published by Metonymy, an indie press out of Montreal.

[Erin]

I’m reading Salt by Nayirrah Waheed

[Penny]

Flowers Grow on Broken Walls by Farena Bajwa is a good one for this category.

[Teresa]

I plan on reading Dreaming Into Being by Marcie R Rendon.

[Mandie]

I read the Pulitzer Prize-winning Life on Mars: Poems collection by Tracy K. Smith.

[Erin]

Elizabeth, thanks for all the options. Just bought There Are Trans People Here.

[Elizabeth]

Erin wrote: "Elizabeth, thanks for all the options. Just bought There Are Trans People Here."

I'm glad I could help! I hope you end up enjoying it.

[Sherri]

I read Heart Berries. 5 stars. Very good.

[Leslie]

I hope to use the poetry of Allison Joseph. Lexicon or Confessions of a Barefaced Woman most likely. Or Tracey Smith’s Wade in the Water.

[Katie]

I'm thinking about one of these two.
Build Yourself a Boat
There Are Trans People Here

[Denise]

I re-read a collection of poems written by my students about 10 years ago and published by the PEN/USA organization that worked with them. These Los Angeles based students are all BIPOC