Acolytes

December 18, 2006
The extraordinarily popular Giovanni got that way as a black militant during the 1970s, known for her inspirational, fiery live and recorded performances. This first volume since her 2003 Collected Poems
loses the fire but keeps the inspiration: "Poetry says No to destruction and Yes to possibility," Giovanni declares. Her mix of lineated and prose poetry says yes over and over—to the glories of children and grandmothers, to "the men with hopes and dreams and talents," as well as to the memory of the African-American cultural heroes who died in the last few years. Many pages are, in effect, orations: "We will miss June Jordan. For her courage, her insight, her love of us all. We will miss this poet." Some of the strongest and most detailed works are short, not especially lyrical, pieces in prose. One remembers meeting Gwendolyn Brooks; another shows a grandmother's strong support for Virginia Tech Hokies football. Giovanni's most serious verse and prose link her own struggles—as a black woman, as a latter-day icon, as a cancer survivor, as a teacher—to the larger patterns of black American history, of striving toward freedom always: "I choose always as best I can to keep truth and compassion in my life."

January 1, 2007
Once again, Giovanni ("Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea") takes it upon herself to tell stories, in histories and memories, in eulogies and celebrations, and in poetry and prose and bits that blur genre. She remembers kindergarten and grade school, trips to the library, even her first datewith Herbert Albright: "He was so cool." She sings to praise June Jordan, Mari Evans, and Gwendolyn Brooks, on whom she wrote a seventh-grade book report and earned an A. She eulogizes Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, and Nina Simone. She elucidates on the underground railroad, blues and jazz, and the sacred act of poetryeven providing a recipe for the "best ever midnight snack." She cries and cries out in the face of Hurricane Katrina, the cranky storm that was Marge Schott, and the sad doldrums surrounding the death of Emmett Till: "I am in the water/I cannot swim/I am brave and unafraid/The waves are not daunting." Giovanni is our conscience and our heart. "Poems are not advertisements braying/For the good life/They have serious work to do." Highly recommended for all contemporary literature collections.Louis McKee, Painted Bride Arts Ctr., Philadelphia

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2006
A living legacy of the female and African-American experience, Giovanni has published countless books, been honored with numerous awards, and been heralded as a poet of social conscience. Her latest book presents 80 poems that embody the main element that propelled Giovanni's emergence as a powerful voice during the Black Arts Movement: the drive to keep slavery, injustice, and the struggle for civil rights alive in America's consciousness. For this, Giovanni has become an important cultural figure. Yet, from a poetic and literary standpoint, this collection disappoints. Giovanni retraces old ground, and offers more straightforward memoir than imagistic, rhythmically sophisticated poetic song. That said, Giovanni has a dedicated audience, and though this isn't her best work, Giovanni stands as a poet who opens our minds, eyes, and hearts.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)