Grace NicholsI IS A LONG-MEMORIED WOMAN

Brilliant

A must read for anyone interested in Caribbean Literature.

This was a rewarding read that I enjoyed. Some of the poems aren't to my taste, but some were fantastic, and the story arc feels utterly righteous! I think that the poems got better as they went on - during the first section I was a little unimpressed, and considered putting it down and moving on, but by the third section I was hooked. I will read more of Ms Nichols' work in the future.My favourite poems: Ala; Drum-Spell; ...Like Clamouring Ghosts

Grace Nichols is a different type of poet from, lets say the African American poets of the Harlem renaissance or before, (e.g. Countee Cullen, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Langston Hughes). She is influenced by the caribbean more than (or as much as) the US. Some of her poems are written in dialects but they are all powerful, full of imagery and always makes me reflect on history and life. The poems also cover a wide range of topics such as (1) being a woman struggling for survival through hardships, (2) poverty, (3) the heritage of motherhood, and the marvelous miracle of life and living. She is a fantastically clever poet.