Brown

Kevin Young has become a major figure in poetry--among other jobs, he's the poetry editor for THE NEW YORKER--and this self-narrated audiobook helps listeners understand why. While the poems are thoroughly grounded in the African-American experience, there are few cultural references that will be obscure or alien to other Americans. Young draws on the common ground of music, sports, and high school. His readings are clear and not overdramatized, with line breaks marked by phrasing so we can more easily understand the structure of this free verse. An author's reading of poems is always interesting, more so when the reading is as fine as this one. D.M.H. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine