That’s one of several poems dedicated to the irresistible idea of infatuation, a topic Durden handles with a fizzing sense of yearning and possibility. A related rhythm also powers “My Type,” which considers the traits of Durden’s ideal partner (“A man / A strong black man / A no-nonsense type of man”) with much engaging internal rhyme and stanza-ending declarations of “That’s right.” The tone is more rarified in the powerful “My King,” where a repeating structure and simpler language makes clear the urgent weight of the message. She writes, “Black men, you are strong / Black men, you are cherished and / Black men, you are loved.”
The collection also includes tributes to Durden’s mother and grandmother, a stage-ready call for unity and change, (“Let us unite to dismantle slavery, / Mental imprisonment, debt, physical bondage of jails and prisons”), and a celebration of having paid off student loans that shares a title with an Eric B. & Rakim classic and kicks off with the memorable couplet “Navient, it was you [or] the rent.” Readers looking for poetic straight talk with heat and bounce will find much here that engages.
Takeaway: Pulsing poems of love, life, unity, and cherishing Black men.
Comparable Titles: Evie Shockley, Jessica Care Moore.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
