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American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin
American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin | Terrance Hayes
A powerful, timely, dazzling collection of sonnets from one of America's most acclaimed poets, Terrance Hayes, the National Book Award winning author of Lighthead In seventy poems bearing the same title, Terrance Hayes explores the meanings of American, of assassin, and of love in the sonnet form. Written during the first two hundred days of the Trump presidency, these poems are haunted by the country's past and future eras and errors, its dreams and nightmares. Inventive, compassionate, hilarious, melancholy, and bewildered--the wonders of this new collection are irreducible and stunning.
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DMC_run8
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Pickpick

Brilliant poetry collection 5/5⭐️

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vivastory
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#NationalPoetryMonth Day 9: The tagged book is one of my favorite sonnet sequences of all time. This book came along at the right time for me when I was in a reading slump. Several months into the pandemic & the BLM protests were beginning after Floyd's murder. It spoke to me like nothing else I'd read at the moment.

Branwen This is INCREDIBLE ❤ 2y
Julsmarshall My goodness, what a powerful poem. 2y
Leftcoastzen I saw this volume in a bookstore, looked interesting. Should have grabbed it 2y
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vivastory @Branwen He's amazing 👏 2y
vivastory @Julsmarshall I'm glad you like it 👍 2y
vivastory @Leftcoastzen I bought a copy for my personal library 📚 2y
50 likes6 comments
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SamAnne
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Watching the NCAA basketball tournament—Go Zags! You can come from behind! Great to see an ad featuring one of my favorite poets, Terrance Hayes. The tag line is “honor black men off the court too.” Thought of you @Mitch ! And thanks so much for the lovely #LitsyLove card.

S3V3N I‘m expecting a great game. I‘m rooting for Baylor. #31 MaCio Teague is my cousin.☺️ 3y
SamAnne @BeaG Baylor played great ball! Congrats on a first championship! Your cousin is amazing. 3y
S3V3N @SamAnne Thanks! 3y
Mitch Very cool xxxx 3y
53 likes5 comments
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Mitch
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Pickpick

I'm not sure I've understood all the poetic bits - why sonnets? Why a repeated title for every sonnet? Why 14 per sub section? But this politically charged work is loaded with emotion. It's sad & angry, questioning & reflective. Its funny & connects us to history both of the recent & distant past. It's full of beauty and terror, fear and family. So much to think about - I‘m going to re read I think! Thanks for pushing me to ‘read harder‘ @SamAnne

SamAnne I don't read a lot of poetry either. But I picked this one up after reading an NYT review and was wowed. Then I picked up a collection by Tracy Smith. Really great. And then moved on to reading Joy Harjo. Her collections Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings and American Sunrise both brought me to tears over certain poems. Now I've been reading a poem or two a day, and revisit the mentioned collections. Glad you liked it! 3y
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Mitch
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I have actual work to do today - and I know I should be super grateful because lockdown means paid work is super scarce - but I‘m loosing focus and being drawn to this instead! #poetrymatters

SamAnne Interested to hear what you think! 3y
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Mitch
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This package has everything I love about swaps - books to positive challenge me ( can‘t wait to delve into the poetry), new to me authors and a book I‘ve been waiting to read for a while. As well as very local things with stories behind them. I love it! Really love it. And the slogan on the T shirt is fast becoming my 2021 anthem. Thank you so much @SamAnne

#blitsyswap
#blitsy

Mitch And thank you @Chelleo for organising this - when you already have a full plate. You‘re much appreciated 😘 3y
SamAnne Enjoy. Yes the art design is from a much loved local artist, Harold Balaz. He did a large public sculpture in Spokane‘s signature downtown park. The top of the abstract sculpture forms the design, unbeknownst to city leaders until someone figured it out. And yes, it was my slogan for 2020! 3y
Chelleo Anthem worthy!! 😍👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 3y
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Mitch @SamAnne love that! 3y
CBee @SamAnne I think I need that shirt and sticker! So awesome 👏🏻 👏🏻👏🏻 @Mitch I owe you a letter, my friend! Missing our letters. 3y
SamAnne @CBee it can be arranged! We can do a buddy swap! I‘ve been spreading that image around the Litsy world this past year. Send me a little something from your town! My email is my Litsy handle plus mace at gmail. 3y
CBee @SamAnne I can do that! I‘m not sure what I‘d send, but I‘ll see if I can find something 😁 3y
SamAnne @Mitch let me know what you think of American Sonnets. I loved it but it might bring back the Trump era. Which sadly is still alive and well in my country... 3y
SamAnne @CBee. Let me know: stickers, coffee mug, t-shirt? 3y
CBee @SamAnne I‘ll let you know! Will email tomorrow. And I‘ll be hunting for a souvenir - probably from Birmingham as I live in Alabaster and don‘t know of anything here I could send 😂 3y
Mitch @CBee 😘 3y
Mitch @SamAnne Im looking forward to it - ive not read poetry since high school - looking forward to the challenge 👍🏼 3y
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rjsthumbelina
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Pickpick

This was good, even if I feel like a good handful of them went over my head. There were some really great lines and images. Not much else to say #wintergames #wintergames2020 #teamreadnosedreindeer @StayCurious 16 points

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Emilymdxn
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Pickpick

This was some of the best poetry I‘ve ever read, absolutely certainly, as well as the most blindingly original modern sonnets I‘ve ever seen. I read almost every poem in the collection twice and I think I‘ll reread it a lot more times. I can‘t even think of adjectives for what the poems did to my mind, all I can say is that they seemed to draw all of life together in such a profound but also effortless way.

SamAnne It is in my short stack next to my bed so I can revisit poems: Hayes and Harjo are two poets I read this year that blew me away. 3y
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KimHM
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SamAnne Such a great collection. Love Terrance Hayes. 4y
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KimHM
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(Every poem in this collection is called “American Sonnet for My Past and Future Assassin.”)

📚💙📚❤️📚💙📚❤️📚💙📚❤️📚💙❤️📚💙

#poetrymatters

TheSpineView 🤩😊😀 4y
SamAnne I love love love this collection. 4y
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WanderingBookaneer
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Reading poetry published 2 years ago. New places, new victims, but nothing much has changed.

Julsmarshall Beautiful 😥 4y
SamAnne Such a powerful collection. 4y
Lcsmcat 😢 4y
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vivastory
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Pickpick

Having read, & loved, Hayes' previous books as well as having an appreciation for the versatility of the sonnet form, I knew I would love this collection. Hayes always addressed social & political issues, & his first volume after the '16 election is no exception. He doesn't only tackle Trump & our current political moment, his poems are also intimate & a handful revel in the musicality of language. I will be buying a hard copy when stores reopen!

SamAnne Best book of poems I read in 2019! 4y
vivastory @SamAnne Do you read much poetry? 4y
SamAnne @vivastory it had dropped off for a decade but last year I started reading more. Loved Tracy Smiths Life in Mars. Read some by Margaret Atwood and Adrienne Rich. Have two books by Joy Harjo waiting for me to pick up curbside at my local indie bookstore. Really want to read more by Hayes. And taking recommendations! 4y
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vivastory
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vivastory
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SamAnne Oh I love that collection! 4y
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parasolofdoom
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Pickpick

I'm trying to read more poetry! I didn't love it as much as last month's pick but it was pretty damn good. A few pieces went over my head but a lot of really striking ones here

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Brooke_H
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Pickpick

This collection of 70 sonnets, all with the same title, packs a brutal punch, although one or two of the poems are a little too on the nose. Hayes is a remarkable poet; I'll be seeking out more of his work.

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SamAnne
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A poem for Trump. Terrance Hayes is my new fave.

Hooked_on_books Oh that‘s good! 5y
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SamAnne
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“In a second I‘ll tell you how little Writing rescues. My hunch is that Sylvia Plath was not Especially fun company. A drama queen, thin-skinned, And skittery, she thought her poems were ordinary. What do you call a visionary who does not recognize Her vision?”

readingjedi Wow! That's a hell of a quote! 😱 5y
SamAnne @readingjedi I‘m only 20 pages in. But what a book. I‘m floored by Terrance Hayes. I just posted a photo of his Trump poem. 5y
Theaelizabet Wow. 5y
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mldkennedy
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The only time I doggy-ear my books are to mark especially good poems in especially good books of poetry

AkashaVampie great poem and love how u made assassin into ass when u folded the corner!! haha 5y
mldkennedy @AkashaVampire Ha! I didn't even notice 5y
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SamAnne
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Book haul today. Two volumes of poetry and a second copy of The Overstory! Lent my out and need to reread!

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Sweettartlaura
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SW-T
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Mehso-so

A few poems were really good, while others were just okay. A couple didn‘t make much sense, and I‘m not one to think something is good just because you don‘t understand it. New to me poet, and while I didn‘t love it, I‘d still give his other work a try.

#poetry #poetrymatters

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SharonGoforth
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Fiona approves!! 😻. Seriously, this is one awesome book of poetry! Read it! #poetry #poetrymatters #diversebooks #readsoulit #catsoflitsy

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WanderingBookaneer
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Cinfhen Thanks for sharing!! 5y
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iamtoddseal
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Pickpick

There‘s a lot going on here, even skipping racial and political discussions (those alone will keep you thinking for a long time and you should think about them). Past, present, and future. Love, lust, and uncertainty. A desire to live longer matched with a desire to kill yourself. Mom and dad as hero and villain. There are complicated ideas he figures ways to articulate. The repetition of words and images begs you to read this in a single sitting.

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iamtoddseal
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“The names alive are like the names / In graves.”

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merelybookish
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Oh @batsy, what a wonderful collection of poetry and treats! Thank you!! Such a fun mix of old and new, and new-to-me.(I've already dipped into the Pessoa and can tell I will love it! 👍) And the editions are gorgeous! 😍 Now I want to collect all the volumes of Penguin Modern Poetry! And for the sweet treats, bookmarks, and adorable notebook. Love it all!
You have excellent taste! 😘
Thanks @lazydays for organizing an excellent #favoritepoetswap

britt_brooke So nice!! 5y
merelybookish @britt_brooke Litsy swaps are pretty fun! 🙂 5y
Tanisha_A All of it looks fabulous! 😍 5y
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RohitSawant How wonderful! 5y
LazyDays Wow what a wonderful package!💗 I'll be adding a few to my list!😊 5y
TrishB Lovely 💕 5y
mklong What a great package! This swap was too much fun. I already want to do it again. 5y
Kalalalatja It looks wonderful! 5y
LazyDays @mklong if I ever host/see another one I'll remember you!😘😘 5y
hlgreenfield Yay for some Fernando Pessoa love. For sure one of my all time favourites! 5y
youneverarrived Lovely ❤️ 5y
batsy Yay! I was happy to get you as my swappee (? 😂) Had fun picking out books for you, hope you enjoy ❤️ 5y
LeahBergen What lovely gifts! 5y
erzascarletbookgasm Wonderful! 💜👏 Thanks @batsy for putting together such a lovely package for Margot. She deserves it! I love what she puts in my package. 😊 I‘m happy that you‘re so happy with yours Margot. 5y
merelybookish @batsy I was psyched to be your swapee. 😀 I knew you'd pick excellent books! And now i have your address so maybe someday I can return the favor! 5y
merelybookish @erzascarletbookgasm That's so sweet Jessie! I love shopping for you and am pleased you like everything. 💕 5y
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Redwritinghood
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Pickpick

From this year‘s NBA longlist for poetry comes another great collection from Terrance Hayes. This collection is a series of sonnets looking at a culture that continues to allow racially-motivated killing of black Americans to occur. There is both an anger and a sadness evident in these poems, along with a defiance against accepting the status quo. 4⭐️

Trashcanman I like your new profile picture, I can see you. 😊 6y
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ElisabethRose
Pickpick

Okay, gotta say I actually really enjoyed this collection of sonnets. There is so much incorporated in each sonnet and so much to work out and work through. It's incredible. The way the sonnets all connect to each other and create an image of past and present and even future. He shows how the cycles of past, present, and future have repeatedly themselves and will continue to repeat themselves if people can't or won't change the way they think.

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ElisabethRose
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I'm starting this one for my sonnet class. My professor was really excited for it so hopefully I can get into it. I'm not a huge fan of poetry, which I think is the fault of the American education system and the way it drills poetry from a young age and not in an enjoyable way.

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LazyLimaLife
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Finally found this book on a bookstore shelf! #PosmanBooks #poetry

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QuintusMarcus
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Pickpick

Brilliant collection of poems, all harshly critical of the political and cultural here and now. Fiercely anti-Trump: "America, you just wanted change is all, a return /To the kind of awe experienced after beholding a reign /Of gold. A leader whose metallic narcissism is a reflection /Of your own..." Hayes critiques Trump, approaching Spike Lee's Agent Orange: "Are you not the color of this country‘s current threat Advisory?" Exquisite.

vivastory I love Terrance Hayes. 6y
QuintusMarcus @vivastory I had never heard of him - saw a great review, read the book and just loved it. 6y
vivastory I haven't read this one yet, but I loved his other collections. 6y
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kaywa
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🔥🔥🔥

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