Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat

Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat: Poems is a 2021 debut poetry collection by American writer Khalisa Rae. It was released on April 13, 2021, by Red Hen Press and received positive reception from outlets including Publishers Weekly and The Rumpus.

Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat: Poems
AuthorKhalisa Rae
LanguageEnglish
GenrePoetry
PublisherRed Hen Press
Publication date
2021-04-13
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint
Pages90
ISBN978-1-59709-885-4
OCLC1200832439
Websitehttps://khalisarae.com/books/

Summary

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The collection follows a young Black woman's life, as well as other Black people from throughout various points in American history, with attention to experiences of misogynoir and white supremacy. The collection is organized into three sections: Fire, Wind and Water, Earth and Spirit.[1]

Reception

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Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat received positive reception. Bella Morais praised the collection in The Root, "Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat is a searing confrontation of the living and reconciliation with the ghosts that exist deep within Rae as she examines the racism, sexism and bigotry she is subjected to on a daily basis."[2] Nicole Shawan Junior hailed the collection in a review for The Rumpus: "Rae's collection is a spiritual journey replete with trauma, pain, exaltation, transcendence...Through this examination of the tentacles that shackle the necks of Black women and girls, Rae gives us hope. A blueprint for how we can bobby pin pick off the handcuffs, free our larynxes and limbs from America's ghosts, and deliver ourselves into a wild we call our own."[3] Meghan Sterling praised the writing in Entropy: "Through sharp, imagistic tension, Rae’s poems come alive."[4] Publishers Weekly wrote of the collection: "Readers will be taken by the sometimes dangerous world Rae conjures."[5]

Publication history

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2021. Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat, by Khalisa Rae, United States, Red Hen Press ISBN 978-1-59709-885-4. Pub date 2021 April 13, first edition, paperback.

References

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  1. ^ Risley, Chelsea (June 21, 2021). "Khalisa Rae on Making a Home in the South and Her Debut Collection". Southern Review of Books. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  2. ^ Morais, Bella (April 14, 2021). "PageTurners: How Trauma and Love Converge at a Literary Point". The Root. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  3. ^ Shawan Junior, Nicole (May 7, 2021). "Exorcising Whiteness: Khalisa Rae's Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat". The Rumpus. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  4. ^ Sterling, Meghan (May 20, 2021). "Review: Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat by Khalisa Rae". Entropy. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  5. ^ "Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat". Publishers Weekly. February 10, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
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