This unusual poetry anthology is a compilation of 43 contemporary poets’ responses to self-selected images, ranging from photographs to sculpture. The poets may tell a story inspired by the art, assume the voice of the subject, describe the piece, or explore some technical aspect of the work. Poems are written in traditional forms, free verse, or patterns. Greenberg (Frank O. Gehry: Outside In, 2000, etc.) contributes a poem in the shape of a diamond to accompany Chuck Close’s self-portrait in diamond shapes. Jacob Lawrence’s “Barber Shop,” a colorful, jazzy gouache on paper, inspires Peter F. Neumeyer to match the feelings engendered in the painting with words that describe the barbershop as a “shrewd skeptic joshing where the brothers meet.” William Jay Smith reacts to Elie Nadelman’s wooden sculpture “Woman at the Piano” with a story beginning, “When the tall thin lady started to play the notes flew up and out and away.” Artists represented include Georgia O’Keeffe, Red Grooms, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Hopper, Faith Ringgold, Mark Rothko, and Roy Liechtenstein. Poets include Deborah Chandra, Kristine O’Connell George, Angela Johnson, Naomi Shihab Nye, and X.J. Kennedy. The color reproduction of the works from museum slides is excellent, and the varied arrangements of text and art on the page lends interest. Some of the works are accessible to young children; others are more sophisticated. An index and biographical notes on the poets and artists are useful additions. A beautiful volume that brings words and pictures together in wonderful tributes from artist to artist. (Nonfiction. All ages)
Pub Date: April 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8109-4386-7
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2001
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION
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A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
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Deaf, trans artist Man meditates on his journey and identity in this brief memoir.
Growing up in conservative central Pennsylvania was tough for the 21-year-old Deaf, genderqueer, pansexual, and biracial (Chinese/White Jewish) author. He describes his gender and sexual identity, his experiences of racism and ableism, and his desire to use his visibility as a YouTube personality, model, and actor to help other young people like him. He is open and vulnerable throughout, even choosing to reveal his birth name. Man shares his experiences of becoming deaf as a small child and at times feeling ostracized from the Deaf community but not how he arrived at his current Deaf identity. His description of his gender-identity development occasionally slips into a well-worn pink-and-blue binary. The text is accompanied and transcended by the author’s own intriguing, expressionistic line drawings. However, Man ultimately falls short of truly insightful reflection or analysis, offering a mostly surface-level account of his life that will likely not be compelling to readers who are not already fans. While his visibility and success as someone whose life represents multiple marginalized identities are valuable in themselves, this heartfelt personal chronicle would have benefited from deeper introspection.
Best enjoyed by preexisting fans of the author. (Memoir. 12-18)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-22348-2
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
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