Books by Patricia Smith

Powerful, visionary book by leading African American poet confronts tyranny against the black male body and the tenacious grief of the mothers of murdered African American men. Dynamic sequences, including a compelling chronicle of the devastating murder of Emmett Till, serve as a backdrop for present-day racial calamities and calls for resistance.

Winner of 2013 Wheatley Book Award in PoetryFinalist for 2013 William Carlos Williams Award"e;Patricia Smith is writing some of the best poetry in America today. Ms Smiths new book, Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah, is just beautifuland like the America she embodies and representsdangerously beautiful. Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah is a stunning and transcendent work of art, despite, and perhaps because of, its pain. This book shines."e; Sapphire"e;One of the best poets around and has been for a long time."e; Terrance Hayes"e;Smith's work is direct, colloquial, inclusive, adventuresome."e; Gwendolyn BrooksIn her newest collection, Patricia Smith explores the second wave of the Great Migration. Shifting from spoken word to free verse to traditional forms, she reveals "e;that soul beneath the vinyl."e;Patricia Smith is the author of five volumes of poetry, including Blood Dazzler, a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award, and Teahouse of the Almighty, a National Poetry Series selection. She lives in New Jersey.