★ 02/19/2024

Ma¯ori poet Tibble (Poukahangatus) meditates on the turbulence of youth and the spiritual guidance of her ancestors in her sagacious and impishly outspoken second collection. These poems engage with overt and overlooked subjugation, the weight of expectation, and the quest for self-containment in piquant, virtuosic stream of consciousness fused with ripe sensuality and robust lyricism. Playful slang, refreshing impropriety, and the Ma¯ori language establish an aura of authenticity and relatability that Gen Z and Millennials specifically will appreciate. Hilarious, punchy one-liners are ubiquitous—from the vision of AI strippers and the concept of “slutty food” to “taking boyfriends/ like appointments with a doctor.” Indulgence is epitomized in a summary of nights out, employed by exquisite wordplay: “Hoarded invitations to swanky lobotomies/ where I sipped Dom Perignon and rolled my eyes in divination.” In the collection’s denouement, Tibble basks in the embrace of her ancestors: “They gas me full tank and/ yas me in the mirror/ as I summon them out of me with/ my mascara wands and glitter.” Refulgent moons, fevered trysts, and racing cars backdrop the speaker’s search for true fulfillment. These poems pulsate with the heightened emotions of formative years. (Apr.)

"The fresh, funny and immensely skilled voice of a generation...'[Tayi Tibble's] poetry just has this huge, wild energy,' said Hera Lindsay Bird, a New Zealand poet...'You read her and think, this is a person who’s possibly read Edward Said, and also watches ‘The Kardashians,’ said Nicholas Wright, a lecturer in English literature at Canterbury University...[An] undercurrent of pride and defiance appears throughout [her] work...[Now,] her work, her high-octane Instagram presence and a certain sparkly star quality have made her something of an 'it girl' and style icon in New Zealand, as well as a renowned poet. "—Natasha Frost, The New York Times

"When Tayi Tibble was eight, she decided she’d be a writer...Despite a slew of accomplishment at just 28—including, but not limited to, being the first Māori writer published in The New Yorker and an appearance in in Lorde’s Solar Power music video—she remains miraculously humble....Rangikura, her incendiary second collection, hits bookshelves this week in the States...[In it] Tibble nimbly zig zags from comedic lines about the Kardashians to reflections on ancestral trauma, colonization and love affairs." —Eloise King-Clements, Interview Magazine

"There’s a reason why U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo calls Tayi Tibble 'one of the most startling and original poets of her generation.' The Māori writer’s sophomore collection of poetry [Rangikura] is nothing short of gripping and fearless. And if that wasn’t enticing enough, Tibble also counts Lorde as one of her biggest fans."—"April 2024's Must-Read Book Releases," Nylon

"Māori poet Tibble (Poukahangatus) meditates on the turbulence of youth and the spiritual guidance of her ancestors in her sagacious and impishly outspoken second collection. These poems engage with overt and overlooked subjugation, the weight of expectation, and the quest for self-containment in piquant, virtuosic stream of consciousness fused with ripe sensuality and robust lyricism. Playful slang, refreshing impropriety, and the Māori language establish an aura of authenticity and relatability...Hilarious, punchy one-liners are ubiquitous...These poems pulsate with the heightened emotions of formative years."—Publishers Weekly, starred review*