I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times: Poems

by Taylor Byas

Inspired by The Wiz , this debut, full-length poetry collection celebrates South Side Chicago and a Black woman’s quest for self-discovery—one that pulls her away from the safety of home and into her power

I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times takes its inspiration and concept from the cult classic film The Wiz to explore a Black woman’s journey out of the South Side of Chicago and into adulthood. The narrative arc of The Wiz—a tumultuous departure from home, trials designed to reveal new things about the self, and the eventual return home—serves as a loose trajectory for this collection, pulling readers through an abandoned barn, a Wendy's drive-thru, a Beyoncé video, Grandma's house, Sunday service, and the corner store. At every stop, the speaker is made to confront her womanhood, her sexuality, the visibility of her body, alcoholism in her family, and various ways in which narratives are imposed on her.

Subverting monolithic ideas about the South Side of Chicago, and re-casting the city as a living, breathing entity, I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times spans sestinas, sonnets, free-verse, and erasures, all to reimagine the concept of home. Chicago isn’t just a city, but a teacher, a lingering shadow, a way of seeing the world.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Audiobook, African American

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 22, 2023

Reviews

[Dona's Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found an audiobook copy of I DONE CLICKED MY HEELS THREE TIMES on Libby. Written and read by Taylor Byas.

This is a gorgeous book of poems. I listened instead of read this one and I'm so glad I did. Read by the poet, this mode creates a deeply intimate reading experience. I loved the rhythm of the whole collection and the progression of the theme from front to end, this loss of girlhood to the places that make us. The divisions between poems and sections wasn't always clear to the ear but I ended up loving this, as I experienced the whole body of poems as a cohesive narrative about the artist and by the artist. Like poetic memoir, just gorgeous.

I recommend this collection to fans of FOR COLORED GIRLS... and PULLING THE CHARIOT OF THE SUN.

[Katherine D. Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

CW: sexual assault, sexual harassment, alcoholism

Yes, I know Taylor and I’m grateful to be her friend, but I also wish that I didn’t know her so I could discover her work for the first time and go “WHO THE FUCK IS TAYLOR BYAS AND WHY IS SHE SO BRILLIANT?” But I know her so maybe I’m #totallybyased.

Maybe it’s because I’m a Black woman who grew up in Chicago, but boy do these poems ring home for me. I remember sitting on the ground while my grandma did my hair. I remember going to the corner store. I remember being in love and discovering myself and my body when I was younger. Its a collection for the ages.

Byas doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. There’s sexual assault, alcoholism, loneliness and more. The book is heartbreaking and heartwarming and hopeful and horny and just a whole bunch of everything and that’s what makes it sing.

This book made me want to travel back in time and let myself know that that the things that I feel are valid and worth feeling. This book is going to be a new favorite. And no, that’s not me being Byas ❤️

[df parizeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a triumph. All too often I’m guilty of speeding through poetry books but this one will make you slow your pace and savour each chapter, each poem.

[Ebony (EKG) · Rating 4 out of 5]

marked up so many lines/poems in this collection!! taylor byas you are the queen of extended metaphors

poems on chicago, love, belonging, and complicated father-daughter relationships.

[Books Amongst Friends · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection deserves all of the praise and then some.

[Ally Ang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Byas is one of the most skilled and artful formalists of our generation.

[Kiran Bhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times is a poetry collection centered on the black Chicago experience. Byas used a closely hewn and personalized style to give voice to a very particular community’s experience. The poems revel in the family histories and choir songs of black experience, and a lot of the poems are political as well. Byas gives a good update to the contemporary black experience. You really feel the 2020s in her work, as well as the beauty of everyday life in one particular girl’s experiences.

[Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sealey Challenge 2024: 8/31

There was something about this collection that felt so familiar. I'm not sure how to describe it, but these poems deeply resonated with me and provided a sense of reflection and comfort that I wasn't entirely prepared for. Although, I guess I should have known I would love this after Danez Smith's endorsement as my favorite poet's favorite poet. Regardless, this collection was amazing and I will now be on a spiral to find all of Taylor Byas's other work!

[Josiah Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this in a day for class is just a fat bummer because every damn poem here deserves AT LEAST a day to ruminate.

[Abigail Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

She’s done it again 🙂‍↕️

[gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

byas strips herself bare in this collection, stringing the darkest parts of herself together and turning them into something beautiful.

isn’t that what poetry is about, after all? getting naked? like, emotionally!

anyway. enjoyed this.

a few gems within jt: “you from ‘chriaq,’” “jeopardy! (the category is birthright),” “tender-headed,” and “drunken monologue from an alcoholic father’s oldest daughter”

[Sophie Cornwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Like mother like daughter. What then, if mother is a rag doll, fresh canvas to ink?” Every poem in this was so visceral and gripping.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I love how this book of poetry is narrated by the author! It really brings the words to life to hear them read how she wrote and envisions them! Many of the poems have a much deeper meaning involving relationships, friends, and family, and discovering who you are. I truly enjoyed her work and look forward toward to reading what she releases in the future!

[Jessie Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a shame I gobbled this book up too quickly—I need to go back this summer and ration it so I can savor each poem and the masterful craft and form work. I’m so excited to meet and talk with the author when she comes to visit my university next week!

[rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. this is entirely beside the point but here’s a list of all the food mentioned:

- blackberries
- harold’s chicken
- porkchops smothered in onion gravy
- mac n cheese and greens
- wendy’s honey mustard sauce
- jolly ranchers
- walking tacos
- garrett popcorn mix
- cheez-its
- carne asada tacos, dripping with juice from the meat & lime
🍋‍🟩🍋‍🟩🍋‍🟩 (i love the lime emoji)

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy pub day to I DONE CLICKED MY HEELS THREE TIMES by Taylor Byas! I loved this poetry book! It was inspired by The Wiz and each section is titled a song from the musical. These poems revolve around the south side of Chicago, family, relationships and sadness. I loved the references to Beyoncé, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z and Urban Outfitters. I loved the emotional poems that explored how some men imposed on her womanhood, body, and sexuality. I loved the varied forms which included an elegy, free verse and erasure. My fave poems are This Kill Bill Scene Has Me Thinking About Weave and Girl-Fights and Men Really Be Menning. This is one of my fave poetry books of 2023!

Thank you to Soft Skull Press for my gifted review copy!

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

A bit of a disappointment, but that's mostly because I was expecting something different having been reeled in by the clever title. I haven't seen The Wiz but was always under the impression that it was pretty faithful to the plot of The Wizard of Oz, and pretty much none of those references came through for me in this collection. I will say it started off fairly strong but quickly devolved into clichéd love/sex poems by the second half. I don't have a problem with repetition in poetry and often enjoy it if it's done in an interesting way, but if you're using words/phrases in exactly the same manner over and over... well, it gets boring. The collection ends up feeling overly long and bloated as a result.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taylor Byas invented the sonnet. Shakespeare? Her son.

[Emma McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m floored. What visceral, tangible work. Everything poetry should be.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poems which celebrate the south side of Chicago, even as they deeply mourn or quietly rage against family and interpersonal violence and the trying legacy of substance abuse. Read for Poetry with Pat (alas - not in person). Favorite poems, with autobiographical details as indicated, include:

The South Side collection (I-VII) - shout out to my Papa!!!
Corner Store - stay away from Roy!
The First House - Drexel Blvd anyone?
The Early Teachings - thank you BVMs
Jeopardy! (The Category Is Birthright) - fabulous choral reading
This Kill Bill Scene Has Me Thinking About Weave and Girl-Fights - cuz, Kill Bill, come on!
Wreckage
Although - Mama does not knock ✊
A Diagram with Hands
How to Pray - perfect instant download
Men Really Be Menning - another great choral reading
The Mercy Hour
Don’t Go Getting Nostalgic
The Therapist Asks Me, “What Are You Afraid Of?” - for it’s excellent titular punctuation
Yellow Dress
Lump
Rooftop Monologue
Dear Moon 🌕

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The remembering hurt
more than the living because shame dials
in. You hearing me? I was naive enough
to think I could control a life. Even mine."
-"The Therapist Asks Me, "What Are You Afraid Of?""

Recommended poems:
-"The Gathering Place—Grandma's House"
-"If I Could Love Life into Him"
-"Drunken Monologue from an Alcoholic Father's Oldest Daughter"

[Julia Call · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of poems centers around the author’s experiences growing up in Chicago as a black woman. Byas explores themes of family dynamics, community, abuse, and self-discovery, offering vivid insights into various aspects of life. Her writing is vibrant, bringing each moment to life with emotional resonance. It’s some of the best contemporary poetry I’ve encountered, although admittedly my exposure to the genre is limited. I look forward to seeing more by this author!

Favorite poems:
The Early Teachings
You From “Chiraq”?

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this as part of an audiobook sale on Libro, and I'm so glad I did! I really enjoyed this collection and Taylor Byas has a great voice, so it was only enhanced through her narration. If you're a poetry fan, be sure to pick this one up!

[Mya Matteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous stuff.

[Jenna King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taylor’s poetry continues to be incredible, and I will continue to think about ‘The Early Teachings’

[Hannah (hngisreading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“tell me,/ which constellation / looks like me? Which star / should I follow home?”

Poems that capture a journey out of Chicago. But there’s no place like home.

[Zoē Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't like poetry, and this book kept me engaged the whole time. (I listened to it on audible and that 100% is why I was engaged.) It felt like a story written through poems.

[Ellison · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit depressing.

[pedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

“After a while, I find beauty
in bruising, its iridescence,
the way color dates the hurt—
I tell myself that love is touch
that darkens, bears a purple
Salpiglossis with a yellow navel,
spotted and spreading.”

— from the poem, “Painted Tongue” by Taylor Byas

As I come to the end of a book of poetry, one of my favorite things to do is to look back and see what jumps back at me. Sometimes I have my underlining from my first initial read to aid my search but other times, it takes rereading a second or third time to find just what I’m looking for — a feeling that can sum up the reading experience as I have come to know it. 💜

Taylor Byas’ debut full-length collection takes inspiration from the classical musical The Wiz as it explores a Black woman’s journey through the South Side of Chicago — there’s a departure from home, trials designed to reveal new things about the self, and the eventual return. All of this is said in the back of the book and so I knew I would enjoy taking notes as I followed along. 🤓

Divided into seven sections, this book is masterfully structured. I loved how the “South Side” poems in each section carried on to the next one with the first getting straight to the point in a very tender way: “This is what teaches me love: Your streets… my parents… The handshake half-hug / sacred enough to make a man feel whole / again. The shapeshifting… How we are all / somebody’s grandbaby… Each of our brownstones, side by side— / so there’s nowhere to run, nowhere for us to cry.” ✨

The second “South Side” poem then starts off with the last sentence of the previous poem and goes from there in the telling of the story. How “neighbors know your business… But this is a form of love as well, / the way they judge… and feed you, send you home with a plate, say, Tell / your momma I said hello.” I love that and I see that!! 💗

“To those who come after, this is the law of the town—
the South Side is not a place, but a state of being”

— from the poem, “South Side (V)

^remember that! 🌟 also: “It’s sensory; / the act of remembering, of making memory.”

More thoughts & favorite lines on StoryGraph! 🤓😇

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Copy provided by publisher]

READ IF YOU LIKE...
• Chicago
• Raw examinations childhood, family, and relationships

I THOUGHT IT WAS...
A solid and vivid collection of poetry digging into the journey a Black woman takes into life from her home in South Side Chicago. Loosely inspired by the story of The Wiz, Byas navigates the path from childhood to adulthood through each of the seven parts of this collection. But through it all, she checks back in on Chicago, the city that grounds her, her original home.

I absolutely loved this. Byas' poetry is viseral and tactical, but also artful and literary. In many ways, Byas is reclaiming Chicago just as much as she is reclaiming herself, her womenhood, through this work. One of the poems that prominently sticks in my head is "You from 'Chiraq'?" where Byas first gives into the stereotype of both her and the city, but then realizes that both she and Chicago deserve better, deserve more than this outsider's assumption of danger, violence, the hood, being a gangster. Both Byas and Chicago hold multitudes within them that those who make assumptions just by looking at their exteriors will never, ever be blessed enough to see.