Bullets into bells : poets & citizens respond to gun violence / edited by Brian Clements, Alexandra Teague, and Dean Rader ; introduction by Colum McCann.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Clements, Brian, 1965- editor.

Teague, Alexandra, 1974- editor.

Rader, Dean, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gun control--Poetry.

Gun control.

Firearms ownership--Poetry.

Firearms ownership.

Violent crimes--Poetry.

Violent crimes.

Mass murder--Poetry.

Mass murder.

American poetry--21st century.

American poetry.

Mass murderers.

Local Subjects:

Mass murderers.

Gun control.

American poetry--21st century.

Violent crimes.

Genre:

Poetry.

Physical Description:

xxiv, 179 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Boston : Beacon Press, [2017]

Summary:

Focused intensively on the crisis of gun violence in America, this volume brings together poems by dozens of our best-known poets, including Billy Collins, Patricia Smith, Natalie Diaz, Ocean Vuong, Danez Smith, Brenda Hillman, Natasha Trethewey, Robert Hass, Naomi Shihab Nye, Juan Felipe Herrera, Mark Doty, Rita Dove, and Yusef Komunyakaa. Each poem is followed by a response from a gun violence prevention activist, political figure, survivor, or concerned individual, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jody Williams; Senator Christopher Murphy; Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts; survivors of the Columbine, Sandy Hook, Charleston Emmanuel AME, and Virginia Tech shootings; and Samaria Rice, mother of Tamir Rice, and Lucy McBath, mother of Jordan Davis. The result is a stunning collection of poems and prose that speaks directly to the heart and a persuasive and moving testament to the urgent need for gun control. Book jacket.

Contents:

Jordan / Nick Arnold Arnold, Nick 1

Response from Lucy McBath

Morning Shooting / Jimmy Santiago Baca Baca, Jimmy Santiago 3

Response from Antonius Wiriadjaja

I Could Ask, But I Think They Use Tweezers / Aziza Barnes Barnes, Aziza 11

Response from Judi Richardson

When I Think of Tamir Rice While Driving / Reginald Dwayne Betts Betts, Reginald Dwayne 14

Response from Samaria Rice

One Pulse-One Poem / Richard Blanco Blanco, Richard 17

Response from Ladd Everitt

How My Mother Died / Tara Bray Bray, Tara 20

Response from Dennis Henigan

Bullet Points / Jericho Brown Brown, Jericho 22

Response from Michael Skolnik

22 / Brian Clements Clements, Brian 25

Response from Po Kim Murray

Boy Shooting at a Statue / Billy Collins Collins, Billy 28

Response from Nicole Hockley

Natural Causes / Kyle Dargan Dargan, Kyle 31

Response from Daniel Webster

Wednesday Poem / Joel Dias-Porter Dias-Porter, Joel 33

Response from Kiki Leyba

Catching Copper / Natalie Diaz Diaz, Natalie 37

Response from Rev. Henry Brown

In Two Seconds / Mark Doty Doty, Mark 42

Response from Pastor Michael McBride

Meditation at Fifty Yards, Moving Target / Rita Dove Dove, Rita 46

Response from Marie Delus

Gun Poem / Cornelius Eady Eady, Cornelius 50

Response from Ronnie Mosley

Heal the Cracks in the Bell of the World / Martín Espada Espada, Martín 53

Response from David and Francine Wheeler

Aubade with Lemon and Sage / Tarfia Faizullah Faizullah, Tarfia 56

Response from Sharbari Ahmed

A Poem for Pulse / Jameson Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick, Jameson 59

Response from Kevin Hertzog

My Mother Contemplating Her Gun / Nick Flynn Flynn, Nick 63

Response from Ashiyn Melton

Gunning for It / Rebecca Morgan Frank Frank, Rebecca Morgan 66

Response from Lt. Brian Thiem

The Bullet, in Its Hunger / Ross Gay Gay, Ross 68

Response from Dr. William V. Begg III

[11 Gunshots] / Vanessa German German, Vanessa 70

Response from Camiella Williams

Dancing / Robert Hass Hass, Robert 75

Response from Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jody Williams

Poem by Poem / Juan Felipe Herrera Herrera, Juan Felipe 81

Response from Rev. Sharon Risher

Throwing a Life Line / Bob Hicok Hicok, Bob 84

Response from Colin Goddard

The Family Sells the Family Gun / Brenda Hillman Hillman, Brenda 87

Response from Jennifer Mascia

Those Who Cannot Act / Jane Hirshfield Hirshfield, Jane 91

Response from US Senator Chris Murphy, Connecticut

Gatorland / Leanne Howe Howe, Leanne 93

Response from Amanda Gailey

Ferguson / Major Jackson Jackson, Major 97

Response from Amber Goodwin

The Talking Day / Michael Klein Klein, Michael 100

Response from Monte Frank

Shotguns / Yusef Komunyakaa Komunyakaa, Yusef 103

Response from DeAndra Yates

Instructions for Stopping / Dana Levin Levin, Dana 106

Response from Kate Ranta

The Leash / Ada Limón Limón, Ada 109

Response from Caren Teves

Kablooey is the Sound You'll Hear / Debra Marquart Marquart, Debra 112

Response from Jacob and Darchel Mohler

The Gun Joke / Jamaal May May, Jamaal 115

Response from Dan Gross

Afraid / Jill Mcdonough Mcdonough, Jill 117

Response from Kim Parker Russell

Ballad (American, 21st Century) / Wayne Miller Miller, Wayne 119

Response from Lee Keylock

Gun Control: A Triptych / Carol Muske-Dukes Muske-Dukes, Carol 122

Response from Donna Dees-Thomases

In the Dark / Jack Myers Myers, Jack 126

Response from Khary Penebaker

To Jamyla Bolden of Ferguson, Missouri / Naomi Shihab Nye Nye, Naomi Shihab 128

Response from Missouri State Rep. Stacey Newman

Letter Beginning with Two Lines by Czeslaw Milosz / Matthew Olzmann Olzmann, Matthew 130

Response from Shannon Watts

[When a child hears gunshots] / Meghan Privitello Privitello, Meghan 135

Response from Abbey Clements

Self-Portrait in Charleston, Orlando / Dean Rader Rader, Dean 138

Response from Joe Quint

Maggot Therapy / Roger Reeves Reeves, Roger 143

Response from Yvonne Crasso

The First Child Martyr at Illinois Elementary / Liz Rosenberg Rosenberg, Liz 145

Response from Patricia Maisch

The bullet was a girl / Danez Smith Smith, Danez 147

Response from Rev. Michael L. Pfleger

Undertaker / Patricia Smith Smith, Patricia 149

Response from Pamela Bosley

All the Dead Boys Look Like Me / Christopher Soto Soto, Christopher 153

Response from John Grauwiler

Memory with Handgun and Tetherball / Tess Taylor Taylor, Tess 156

Response from Renan Salgado

Repeater / Alexandra Teague Teague, Alexandra 159

Response from Iran Nazario

Articulation / Natasha Trethewey Trethewey, Natasha 161

Response from Eddie Weingart

Always & Forever / Ocean Vuong Vuong, Ocean 164

Response from Clai Lasher-Sommers

Something It's Taken Thirty Years to Write / Afaa Michael Weaver Weaver, Afaa Michael 167

Response from Dr. Leana S. Wen

Kalashnikov Candelabrum / Robert Wrigley Wrigley, Robert 170

Response from Jessica Pollack Mindich.

Other Format:

Online version: Bullets into bells.

ISBN:

9780807025581

0807025585

OCLC:

1003131964