A necessary read. Important poems do not happen in a vacuum and while these poems have the Red Summer of Chicago 1919 as the emotional, intellectual and spiritual center, these poems echo so loudly in a present when politicians create codes to minimize the pain of protesters, or create outrage over having to confront a nation's pain and especially the pain of those terrorized by racism and its offspring of violence. These are voices that could have been heard as loudly today or at any time in between.

The calm of the penultimate poem "I saw Emmett Till this week at the grocery store" has a way of amplifying the pain in a way that takes a true craftsperson.

'I knew him from his hat, one of those
fine porkpie numbers they used to sell
on Roosevelt Road. it had lost its feather but
he had carefully folded a dollar bill
and slid it between the ribbon and the felt
and it stood at attention. he wore his money.
upright and strong, he was already to the checkout
by the time I caught up with him. I called out his name'

Eve Ewing from 'I saw Emmett Till this week at the grocery store.'

A collection worth reading many times over. ( )

Absolutely stunning, emotionally devastating collection of poetry that also functions as a history lesson and a warning that we as a society have not gotten better since 1919 in terms of the systemic abuse and violence against Black people in the United States. I hope people also read Ewing's GHOSTS IN THE SCHOOLYARD which is a non-fiction book about the way the Chicago public school system has failed Black youth. ( )

Powerful. I read this the context of having heard her speak, and also reading her nonfiction and comics around the same time. Taken together, its' an amazing range. These are meant to be read aloud. ( )

I loved this. I absolutely loved this. The mix of photos, excerpts from historical documents, and poetry was so incredibly powerful and beautiful and heartbreaking. I learned so much about events I'd never known existed from this collection. One of my new favorites for sure. Ewing did a phenomenal job. Everyone should read this.
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**This is an amazing book to look into for those looking to diversify their reading list** ( )

Collection of poetry & photos honoring the 1919 Chicago 'Red Summer' race riots. This slim volume is well-worth the time to amplify these events, telling the larger overall story through a street-level view of riots and violence. ( )