Nick Ripatrazone discusses new books from Cleopatra Mathis (After the Body: Poems New and Selected), Alice Oswald (Nobody: A Rhapsody to Homer), Karen Solie (The Caiplie Caves), and Charlotte Pence (Code). Though each collection moves in a distinctive direction, an elegaic contemplation unites them all.
Resources for Supporting and Uplifting the Black Community
African American Cultural Heritage Fund: "The National Trust and its partners are working to raise $25 million to create and invest in the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund—the largest preservation campaign ever undertaken on behalf of African American history."
D.R.E.A.M: "D.R.E.A.M. (Developing Responsible Economically Advanced Model-Citizens) is a cutting edge, financial education and advocacy 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to empowering underrepresented, urban youth by equipping them with the essential knowledge for life’s challenging financial decisions."
Vera Institute of Justice: "We work with others who share our vision to tackle the most pressing injustices of our day—from the causes and consequences of mass incarceration, racial disparities, and the loss of public trust in law enforcement, to the unmet needs of the vulnerable, the marginalized, and those harmed by crime and violence."
Poetry Daily stands with the Black community. We oppose racism, oppression, and police brutality. We will continue to amplify diverse voices in the poetry world. Black Lives Matter.
"Herbert 'not only uses historical allusions to mask references to events in Poland, but in his poetry the past becomes a unity in which events repeat and reflect one another.' In 'Envoy,' mythology becomes a stand-in for the abiding narratives of this world, which are placed in opposition to the mutable, ever-changing narratives of the state (what today we might call alternative facts)."
