woke up no light: poems

by Leila Mottley Narrated by Leila Mottley

Overview

A poignant, rousing debut book of poetry, full of life, from the former Youth Poet Laureate of Oakland, California

woke up no light is a Black girl's saunter turned to a woman's defiant strut. These are the hymns of a new generation of poetry. Young, alive, yearning. A mouth swung open and ready to devour. A quest for home in a world that knows only wasteland and wanting.

Moving in sections from “girlhood” to “neighborhood” to “falsehood” to, finally, “womanhood,” these poems reckon with themes of reparations, restitution, and desire. The collection is sharp and raw, wise and rhythmic, a combination that lights up each page. From unearthing histories to searching for ways to dream of a future in a world constantly on the brink of disaster, this young poet sets forth personal and political revelation with piercing detail.

woke up no light confirms Leila Mottley's arrival and demonstrates the enduring power of her voice-brave and distinctive and thoroughly her own.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Leila Mottley writes with the introspection of Zora Neale Hurston, the righteous rage of Bobby Seales, and a lyrical wit mirroring Souls of Mischief. Each section of woke up no light is a testimony to living and thriving; and proof that one of Oakland’s mightiest heirlooms has nothing to lose. Mottley aims to free the girlchild from the bindings and blindings as she pens with such eloquent sharpness: ‘California says they might owe us a cent or two / if we can prove the cells that make us.’ 
woke no light is a revolution of words and worlds, readying to become. Poems centering the effect of street scriptures, gender roles, police brutality, and the humanity lost to celebritism; Mottley leaves no rock unturned and aims to set us all free.”  —Mahogany L. Browne, author of Chrome Valley and Vinyl Moon and poet-in-residence, Lincoln Center

JUNE 2024 - AudioFile

Leila Mottley, poet laureate of Oakland, California, delivers her poetry collection with unabashed energy. She addresses the cultural nuances of womanhood, Blackness, love, and futurism. Her narration is vibrant, rhythmic, clear, and straightforward. There are dramatic moments--for example, her use of repetition in the final poem when she says the word "resurrect" repeatedly as a mantra that brings her thoughts together. Although there is a sense of reparations and revivalism throughout this collection, these points are brought home in the last poem in an explosive manner. Mottley's vivid new voice offers a provocative rawness that transforms ways of thinking and speaking about culture, life, and identity. T.E.C. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159344809
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	04/16/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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