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The book of light / Lucille Clifton, foreword by Ross Gay, and afterword by Sidney Clifton.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Clifton, Lucille, 1936-2010, author.
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- American poetry--20th century.
- American poetry.
- Poetry.
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource (83 pages)
- Place of Publication:
- Port Townsend, Washington : Copper Canyon Press, [2023]
- Summary:
- With a powerful introduction by Ross Gay and a moving afterword by Sidney Clifton, this special anniversary edition of The Book of Light offers new meditations and insights on one of the most beloved voices of the 20th century. Though The Book of Light opens with thirty-nine names for light, we soon learn the most meaningful name is Lucille--daughter, mother, proud Black woman. Known for her ability to convey multitudes in few words, Clifton writes into the shadows--her father's violations, a Black neighborhood bombed, death, loss--all while illuminating the full spectrum of human emotion: grief and celebration, anger and joy, empowerment and so much grace. A meeting place of myth and the Divine, The Book of Light exists "between starshine and clay" as Clifton's personas allow us to bear the world's weight with Atlas and witness conversations between Lucifer and God. While names and dates mark this text as a social commentary responding to her time, it is haunting how easily this collection serves as a political palimpsest of today. We leave these poems inspired--Clifton shows us Superman is not our hero. Our hero is the Black female narrator who decides to live . And what a life she creates! "Won't you celebrate with me?"
- Contents:
- Intro
- Title Page
- Note to the Reader
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword
- Light
- reflection
- climbing
- june 20
- daughters
- sam
- my lost father
- thel
- imagining bear
- c.c. rider
- 11/10 again
- she lived
- for roddy
- them and us
- the women you are accustomed to
- song at midnight
- won't you celebrate with me
- lightning bolt
- it was a dream
- each morning i pull myself
- here yet be dragons
- the yeti poet returns to his village to tell his story
- crabbing
- the earth is a living thing
- move
- samson predicts from gaza the philadelphia fire
- january 1991
- dear jesse helms
- if i should
- further note to clark
- begin here
- night vision
- fury
- cigarettes
- final note to clark
- note, passed to superman
- the rough weight of it
- splendor
- seeker of visions
- nothing about the moment
- atlas
- sarah's promise
- naomi watches as ruth sleeps
- cain
- leda 1
- leda 2
- leda 3
- far memory
- 1. convent
- 2. someone inside me remembers
- 3. again
- 4. trying to understand this life
- 5. sinnerman
- 6. karma
- 7. gloria mundi
- brothers
- 1. invitation
- 2. how great Thou art
- 3. as for myself
- 4. in my own defense
- 5. the road led from delight
- 6. "the silence of God is God."
- 7. still there is mercy, there is grace
- 8. "………… is God."
- Afterword
- About the Poet
- Copyright
- Special Thanks.
- Notes:
- Description based on print version record.
- ISBN:
- 1-61932-289-7
- OCLC:
- 1394122068
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