ONE OF PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'S TOP 10 POETRY BOOKS OF FALL 2017
NPR'S MOST ANTICIPATED POETRY BOOKS OF 2017
A striking, full-length debut collection from Virgin Islands-born poet
Nicole Sealey
The existential magnitude, deep intellect, and playful subversion of St.
Thomas-born, Florida-raised poet Nicole Sealey's work is restless in its
empathic, succinct examination and lucid awareness of what it means to
be human.
The ranging scope of inquiry undertaken in Ordinary Beast--at times
philosophical, emotional, and experiential--is evident in each thrilling
twist of image by the poet. In brilliant, often ironic lines that move
from meditation to matter of fact in a single beat, Sealey's voice is
always awake to the natural world, to the pain and punishment of
existence, to the origins and demises of humanity. Exploring notions of
race, sexuality, gender, myth, history, and embodiment with profound
understanding, Sealey's is a poetry that refuses to turn a blind eye or
deny. It is a poetry of daunting knowledge.