The New York Times
It's when Smith finds a center of gravity between primal emotion and moral conviction -- as in her arresting series of ''Gospels'' spoken by dispossessed Mexican migrants, and in elliptical meditative sequences like ''Self-Portrait as the Letter Y'' and ''Night Letters'' -- that she finds her most incisive voice.
— David Barber
Library Journal
Winner of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize for a first collection by an African American poet, this is a rich collection of stories, histories, and moments that glow with the clean, direct language of a charming new voice. Attuned to the music of the streets-and to her heart-Smith is nevertheless attentive to craft, always aware of the integrity of the line. The result is poetry that is seductive yet powerful, subtle yet certain: "There's a story told here/ By those of us who daydream/ To the music of crystal and steel." Though she explores themes of family, race, and loss, her poems exude a sense of joy or prayer. Her language is what William Carlos Williams would recognize today as being "in the American grain," touched as it is with Spanish, Spanglish, and the varying rich talk of the streets-"Not the flame, but what it promised." This is a rewarding book for any reader but will be especially of interest to African American and contemporary poetry collections.-Louis McKee, Painted Bride Arts Ctr., Philadelphia Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
