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Denn Schweigen ist ein Gefängnis
Aaiún Nin debuterer med digtsamlingen På min huds sorthed. Digtene kredser om kroppen – den sorte krop, queer-kroppen, kroppe på flugt og den vold og undertrykkelse, kroppen konfronteres med.
På min huds sorthed bevæger sig fra Angola, hvor kolonitiden stadig trækker spor gennem familien og samfundet, over Middelhavet til Europa og København. Udspændt mellem to geografier skriver Aaiún Nin om at være sort i verden og om at føle sig hjemløs i den. Om overlevelse og om at forsøge at leve sit eget liv. Om seksualitet og sprog som steder at være, når man ikke har noget hjem. Aaiún Nin skriver politisk og med vrede, mod og håb. Det er poesi, der lyser af talent og protest.
På min huds sorthed er oversat til dansk af Mette Moestrup i samarbejde med Aaiún Nin.
”Et stort digterisk talent … Vi har brug for flere af den her slags bøger, flere af den slags stemmer og kroppe i dansk poesi.” – Politiken
”Aaiún Nins digte har en enorm energi, de viser poesien som en demokratisk kunstform, som en politisk kamp. Og så er der ømheden, som Aaiún Nins digte også har.” – Dagbladet Information
"... bogens (fascinations)kraft er netop dens uforfærdede protestgestus, dens vilje til hårdnakket at insistere på sin stemme, sin anklage, sin retfærdige vrede." – Jyllands-Posten
"Rasende, sårbart, stærkt og sanseligt manifest over den sorte kvindes virkelighed og kampen mod stilheden, umenneskeliggørelsen og afmagten. (...) Aaiún Nin skriver med alle sanser, så vi ser, føler og mærker." – litteratursiden.dk
På min huds sorthed bevæger sig fra Angola, hvor kolonitiden stadig trækker spor gennem familien og samfundet, over Middelhavet til Europa og København. Udspændt mellem to geografier skriver Aaiún Nin om at være sort i verden og om at føle sig hjemløs i den. Om overlevelse og om at forsøge at leve sit eget liv. Om seksualitet og sprog som steder at være, når man ikke har noget hjem. Aaiún Nin skriver politisk og med vrede, mod og håb. Det er poesi, der lyser af talent og protest.
På min huds sorthed er oversat til dansk af Mette Moestrup i samarbejde med Aaiún Nin.
”Et stort digterisk talent … Vi har brug for flere af den her slags bøger, flere af den slags stemmer og kroppe i dansk poesi.” – Politiken
”Aaiún Nins digte har en enorm energi, de viser poesien som en demokratisk kunstform, som en politisk kamp. Og så er der ømheden, som Aaiún Nins digte også har.” – Dagbladet Information
"... bogens (fascinations)kraft er netop dens uforfærdede protestgestus, dens vilje til hårdnakket at insistere på sin stemme, sin anklage, sin retfærdige vrede." – Jyllands-Posten
"Rasende, sårbart, stærkt og sanseligt manifest over den sorte kvindes virkelighed og kampen mod stilheden, umenneskeliggørelsen og afmagten. (...) Aaiún Nin skriver med alle sanser, så vi ser, føler og mærker." – litteratursiden.dk
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First published February 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
February 17, 2022
Don't read these poems if you have a hard time fathoming that people might reject your white supremacy or your religion, or maybe do read these poems if you haven't gotten it yet. These poems declare Blackness, Africanness, Angoleseness, queerness, and confront the narrative that white culture and religion should be the dominant/only. The poet does this in ways both serious and lighter ("Find Some Real Chilies" was one of my favorites.) They also embody reclamation of bodily autonomy in a number of ways.
"...what strength we must have to hold secrets inside the body..."
The poet is now living in Denmark in asylum and many of the poems discuss borders and refuge, and the many ways seeking refuge has been made illegal.
"...what strength we must have to hold secrets inside the body..."
The poet is now living in Denmark in asylum and many of the poems discuss borders and refuge, and the many ways seeking refuge has been made illegal.
August 16, 2021
Speaking of our current times in an urgent way, if somewhat on the nose. Men, the church and white people figure as token bad actors; something if maybe not unjustified in the eyes of the author, at least not done in any kind of subtle or thought provoking way.
pray for skin light enough to be loved
I requested this bundle because of the evocative title, beautiful cover and the fact Nin as a poet brings several underrepresented voices to the table. However quite soon I felt rather disappointed.
The fleeing war is repetition of a sentence over one and a half page felt rather easy and the genuineness of feeling is not done justice in my view by a rather non-sensical closing sentence like:
Activist spaces littered with non-Black people of color who have not reckoned with their internalized white supremacy and silence the shit out of Black people are as good as used condoms at a skinhead barbecue.
- We are the bodies who fled
A better example of Nin their poetry, and what the goal seems to be of the whole bundle, is captured in:
Who will mourn for us
If we don’t do it ourselves?
Who will make us human,
if we don’t do it ourselves?
- Mourning is movement
The sound of it is “Waweh” is a very moving poem on grief, except for the last sentence that introduces Christianity once more as a seeming root cause of all losses. The below fragment of another poem definitely shows flashes of brilliancy, with this poem being noteable both very raw and intimate:
How do you measure loss?
tell me of the things you hope to forget.
of the things you hoped you would become before you were taken from yourself.
of the things that made you cruel.
tell me when you realized
that going forward means letting go of the parts of yourself you once loved.
- Tell me of the first time you were poisoned
I have run out of space to further mutilate myself - I am thinking of killing myself is another example of the poet at the most visceral. But to counter this immediately, there is a poem like I write to slow the passing of time that in my opinion completely derails to a declaration of awesomeness, of celebration of toughness, in preservering, instead of showing vulnerability or any deeper insight into the poet. The same can be said of Find some real chilies which basically is a bashing without nuance of anything that could be in a stereotypical manner be said to be “white culture”, whatever that might in reality entail.
This metronome of easy outrage of others in statement/manifesto like manner, versus real emotional, touching poems continues throughout the bundle.
Casualties of ejaculations
Of the wrong types bodies
….
We learnt early that to exist is to feel discomfort
- If we happen to meet on this road
I want to love the people whom I love is another achingly gorgeous poem, perfect in epitomizing the feeling of growing up in a world that at least feels partly hostile to you. And immediately Don’t touch my hair throws us back to stereotyped reflections on “white culture”. Which again is a counter reaction that is maybe understandable but just very dull, repetitive and cringeworthy to read. And then to boot Nin does the trick again of repeating a sentence over the surface of two pages in all caps.
An uneven bundle with sparks of brilliance embedded inside of it. Maybe speaking out doesn’t need to be perfect, or even subtle, refined or nuanced, in the face of structural injustices as reflected by the poet in the below poem.
But I as reader certainly would have liked more of those qualities in Broken Halves of a Milky Sun - 2.5 stars rounded down.
information as memory
stored on the body
language as a motor skill
speech as contraction of muscle
release must not be silent
bodies are not concrete
- A door left ajar
pray for skin light enough to be loved
I requested this bundle because of the evocative title, beautiful cover and the fact Nin as a poet brings several underrepresented voices to the table. However quite soon I felt rather disappointed.
The fleeing war is repetition of a sentence over one and a half page felt rather easy and the genuineness of feeling is not done justice in my view by a rather non-sensical closing sentence like:
Activist spaces littered with non-Black people of color who have not reckoned with their internalized white supremacy and silence the shit out of Black people are as good as used condoms at a skinhead barbecue.
- We are the bodies who fled
A better example of Nin their poetry, and what the goal seems to be of the whole bundle, is captured in:
Who will mourn for us
If we don’t do it ourselves?
Who will make us human,
if we don’t do it ourselves?
- Mourning is movement
The sound of it is “Waweh” is a very moving poem on grief, except for the last sentence that introduces Christianity once more as a seeming root cause of all losses. The below fragment of another poem definitely shows flashes of brilliancy, with this poem being noteable both very raw and intimate:
How do you measure loss?
tell me of the things you hope to forget.
of the things you hoped you would become before you were taken from yourself.
of the things that made you cruel.
tell me when you realized
that going forward means letting go of the parts of yourself you once loved.
- Tell me of the first time you were poisoned
I have run out of space to further mutilate myself - I am thinking of killing myself is another example of the poet at the most visceral. But to counter this immediately, there is a poem like I write to slow the passing of time that in my opinion completely derails to a declaration of awesomeness, of celebration of toughness, in preservering, instead of showing vulnerability or any deeper insight into the poet. The same can be said of Find some real chilies which basically is a bashing without nuance of anything that could be in a stereotypical manner be said to be “white culture”, whatever that might in reality entail.
This metronome of easy outrage of others in statement/manifesto like manner, versus real emotional, touching poems continues throughout the bundle.
Casualties of ejaculations
Of the wrong types bodies
….
We learnt early that to exist is to feel discomfort
- If we happen to meet on this road
I want to love the people whom I love is another achingly gorgeous poem, perfect in epitomizing the feeling of growing up in a world that at least feels partly hostile to you. And immediately Don’t touch my hair throws us back to stereotyped reflections on “white culture”. Which again is a counter reaction that is maybe understandable but just very dull, repetitive and cringeworthy to read. And then to boot Nin does the trick again of repeating a sentence over the surface of two pages in all caps.
An uneven bundle with sparks of brilliance embedded inside of it. Maybe speaking out doesn’t need to be perfect, or even subtle, refined or nuanced, in the face of structural injustices as reflected by the poet in the below poem.
But I as reader certainly would have liked more of those qualities in Broken Halves of a Milky Sun - 2.5 stars rounded down.
information as memory
stored on the body
language as a motor skill
speech as contraction of muscle
release must not be silent
bodies are not concrete
- A door left ajar
June 7, 2025
I liked the poems about Angola. But the activist poems read like your standard leftist chronically online Gen Z/Millennial stuff.
June 3, 2025
A really nice collection of poems from queer Angolan poet Aaiún Nin. For my, the strongest poem was God Gave Man Word, I found it a really moving poem on how people use religion as a scapegoat for homophobia, racism, and xenophobia.
There were a few poems that felt a little too "social media activist" to me where the piece felt more like it wanted to be clipped for Instagram rather than for impact on the reader. Still, a really solid debut and I'm definitely reading the next collection they publish.
There were a few poems that felt a little too "social media activist" to me where the piece felt more like it wanted to be clipped for Instagram rather than for impact on the reader. Still, a really solid debut and I'm definitely reading the next collection they publish.
October 30, 2021
Powerful og den fortjerne genlæse!
September 4, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This was a gruesome and raw collection of poems that hit really hard. It was a great collection that I loved reading, and for a debut poetry book, it was a solid collection and I really hope the author writes more!
This was a gruesome and raw collection of poems that hit really hard. It was a great collection that I loved reading, and for a debut poetry book, it was a solid collection and I really hope the author writes more!
February 7, 2022
Sadly, there wasn't much to these poems that could impress or bring something new to the table. They were repetitive and were content with reiterating slogans and ideas that we find on on activist pages on social media, without much poetic reworking. It had tons of potential but eventually fell flat. However, I expect there will be many non-poetry-readers to praise it.
The present is rage
The present is protest
The present is necrotic
The past is homophobic
So is the present
And we inhale the same air as crows.
The present is rage
The present is protest
The present is necrotic
The past is homophobic
So is the present
And we inhale the same air as crows.
September 25, 2024
This is a very angry, in your face collection of poetry. Depending on who you are as a reader, this may or may nor resonate. I think I prefer my poetry a little more intricate, a bit more to decipher but something like this totally has its place and some pieces clicked with me, too. It’s just that overall and especially the opening pieces I found somewhat underwhelming. I like poetry about social issues but I also like a bit of marvel and a bit more play in the style these issues are attacked with.
Nin uses a lot of repetition and straight up statements. She shouts the issues she is calling out often right at your face. A part of me wants to be the kind of reader who nods and says “You go girl” but I am more the reader who wonders if we could have made these points in more interesting, dare I say more poetic way. The further I read through this collection the more I appreciated the poems though and was happy to discover some more nuanced writing. The title (which is the intro to one of the poems) led me to believe this would have more imagery and similes in the writing, it's there but more on rare occasions, but usually those pieces became the ones that hit with me more.
Also: no titles but only first lines? Hm...
Favorites: My mothers face set inwards/ Language may be adequate/ There are two bodies with no heads/ Find some real chilies/ Do not touch my hair.
2.5*
Nin uses a lot of repetition and straight up statements. She shouts the issues she is calling out often right at your face. A part of me wants to be the kind of reader who nods and says “You go girl” but I am more the reader who wonders if we could have made these points in more interesting, dare I say more poetic way. The further I read through this collection the more I appreciated the poems though and was happy to discover some more nuanced writing. The title (which is the intro to one of the poems) led me to believe this would have more imagery and similes in the writing, it's there but more on rare occasions, but usually those pieces became the ones that hit with me more.
Also: no titles but only first lines? Hm...
Favorites: My mothers face set inwards/ Language may be adequate/ There are two bodies with no heads/ Find some real chilies/ Do not touch my hair.
2.5*
Read
August 6, 2023„Lyrik ist kein Luxus, Lyrik ist überlebensnotwendig“, schreibt Audre Lorde über die revolutionäre und befreiende Kraft von Dichtung. Diese Worte hallen im Debüt von Aaiún Nin, queere Schwarze Künstler*in, Dichter*in und Aktivist*in, wider. In „Denn Schweigen ist ein Gefängnis“ schreibt Aaiún Nin über Erinnerungen an die Kindheit und Familie in Angola, über Migrations- und Fluchterfahrungen, über Entwurzelung, Fremdheit und Zugehörigkeit. Es sind Gedichte gegen das lähmende Schweigen: Sie klagen Rassismus, Sexismus und Queer-Feindlichkeit ebenso an wie die Auswirkungen von (Neo-)Kolonialismus, Ausbeutung und Unterdrückung. Aaiún Nin findet klare Worte für die menschenverachtende Asylpolitik der europäischen Staaten: „Wer geflohen ist, wurde zurückgeschickt. Es ist inzwischen illegal, Zuflucht zu suchen. Die Black- and Brown-Quote in Europa ist erreicht. Das Mittelmeer ist ein Massengrab.“ Im Mittelpunkt steht der kolonisierte Körper, an dem Gewalt geübt wird, der von Grenzen durchzogen und fragmentiert ist. Wie lässt sich über Trauma dichten? Die Gedichte handeln vom Trauern, jedoch nicht als individuellem, einsamen Akt, sondern als kollektive Handlung, die (Ver-)Bindungen unter Betroffenen schafft. „Ich schreibe, weil ich verdammt wütend bin.“ Wut schafft Handlungsfähigkeit, ist Quelle von Widerstandskraft und Empowerment. Aaiún Nin bedient sich einer Sprache, die nichts beschönigt, die von Schmerz ebenso zeugt wie von Begierde, von der Schwierigkeit zu (Über)leben ebenso wie von der Lust am Lieben. Metaphorische, dichte Sprachbilder wechseln sich mit Zeilen ab, die sich wie anklagende Streitschriften lesen. Aaiún Nins Gedichte sind persönlich-politisch, sind Protest und Sichtbarmachung.
February 3, 2022
*Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“a crucified man condemned us all”
An absolutely gorgeous poetry collection about the way western "civilization" messed up the world, but also about desire, hurt, lust, the need to love and the wish to be loved back, through some really outstanding lyrics. Feel like this is one of the poetry collection that came out in 2021 that really stood out to me!
“abandoning the living
knowing it's the dead that teach us how to count”
“a crucified man condemned us all”
An absolutely gorgeous poetry collection about the way western "civilization" messed up the world, but also about desire, hurt, lust, the need to love and the wish to be loved back, through some really outstanding lyrics. Feel like this is one of the poetry collection that came out in 2021 that really stood out to me!
“abandoning the living
knowing it's the dead that teach us how to count”
March 4, 2022
***Note: I received a free digital review copy of this book from NetGalley and Astra House in exchange for an honest review.***
In their daring and evocative debut, Aaiún Nin leaves absolutely nothing left unsaid. Theirs is a fiercely political poetics which centers the Black Queer experience and names the many violences committed by Western governments in the name of Christianity, “progress”, and the status quo. Where other writers would dance on the line between truthful testimony and placating respectability, most likely due to a reflexive need for self-preservation, Nin forges a path of their own through a tangled web of desire, trauma, history, and their personal immigrant experience—in their case, one that has been rife with racism, homophobia, and other intersecting axes of oppression.
What Nin refuses to do in Broken Halves of a Milky Sun is cater to an audience that would never listen to them anyway, at least not in any substantive or constructive way. In fact, they anticipate the not all men and not all white people responses and throw it back in the faces of their would-be detractors. This is not a space for the oppressors to have a say. Sit down. They are not accepting questions or comments at this time.
So moved was I by the poems in this collection that when I made it to the end, breathless and aching, only one response would suffice: Amen.
Broken Halves of a Milky Sun: Poems was published by Astra House on February 1st, 2022 and is available to purchase wherever books are sold.
***Note: This review appears in slightly different form on my blog The Voracious Bibliophile at https://thevoraciousbibliophile.com/2...***
In their daring and evocative debut, Aaiún Nin leaves absolutely nothing left unsaid. Theirs is a fiercely political poetics which centers the Black Queer experience and names the many violences committed by Western governments in the name of Christianity, “progress”, and the status quo. Where other writers would dance on the line between truthful testimony and placating respectability, most likely due to a reflexive need for self-preservation, Nin forges a path of their own through a tangled web of desire, trauma, history, and their personal immigrant experience—in their case, one that has been rife with racism, homophobia, and other intersecting axes of oppression.
What Nin refuses to do in Broken Halves of a Milky Sun is cater to an audience that would never listen to them anyway, at least not in any substantive or constructive way. In fact, they anticipate the not all men and not all white people responses and throw it back in the faces of their would-be detractors. This is not a space for the oppressors to have a say. Sit down. They are not accepting questions or comments at this time.
So moved was I by the poems in this collection that when I made it to the end, breathless and aching, only one response would suffice: Amen.
Broken Halves of a Milky Sun: Poems was published by Astra House on February 1st, 2022 and is available to purchase wherever books are sold.
***Note: This review appears in slightly different form on my blog The Voracious Bibliophile at https://thevoraciousbibliophile.com/2...***
May 22, 2022
Av, denne her bog! Digtene er fulde af den vold, farvede kroppe udsættes for. De rummer smerte, udsathed, vrede, men heller ikke kun det. Digtene er også queer kærlighed, liderlighed, livsbekræftende omsorg og nærhed. Det er svært ikke kan trække en "politisk" hat ned over digtene, hvilket selvfølgelig er hamrende irriterende. Hvordan kunne man skrive digte, der ikke handlede om al den smerte og uretfærdighed, sorte kroppe udsættes for, når forfatteren er afvist asylansøger i Danmark? Hvordan kan man undgå at være vred på hvidhed, kristendom og hyggestemning? Men digtene fortjener at blive taget seriøst som mere end det. De er også sanselige, ømme og meget vigtige.
August 31, 2021
Rent litterært mødes Akwaeke Emezi, Michael Strunge og Audre Lorde. Stærke sager.
Men På min huds sorthed er jo ikke bare litteratur. Der er en større kamp - om køn, seksualitet, sorthed, religion, vesten - og en personlig kamp der handler om fucking overlevelse.
Jeg oplever det samme som hos Lorde. Det er svært bare at læse digtene som digte. Og det er svært bare at læse det politiske at face value. Man skal rumme begge dele. Nogle gange som et kompromis. Nogle gange som et velfortjent spark i røven.
Men På min huds sorthed er jo ikke bare litteratur. Der er en større kamp - om køn, seksualitet, sorthed, religion, vesten - og en personlig kamp der handler om fucking overlevelse.
Jeg oplever det samme som hos Lorde. Det er svært bare at læse digtene som digte. Og det er svært bare at læse det politiske at face value. Man skal rumme begge dele. Nogle gange som et kompromis. Nogle gange som et velfortjent spark i røven.
January 28, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title. These poems are not for the faint of heart, they are raw and direct and powerful examinations of identity, race, sexuality, gender, among many other things. I like to see rage in poems, it doesn't all have to be pretty, though there is gorgeous language throughout.
January 6, 2025
Strong collection of poems that discuss heavy topics with beautiful writing.
CW for racism, homophobia, misogyny, religious trauma, SA.
CW for racism, homophobia, misogyny, religious trauma, SA.
April 18, 2025
Den første digtsamling jeg frivilligt har læst. Nogle af digtene indeholdte både stærkt sprog og budskab, mens andre af dem blev for unuancerede. Overordnet set god læsning:)
September 15, 2021
a beautiful, painful, and brutal exploration of identity, race, and queerness. i found this to be an incredibly fresh and sharp approach to poems that explore lesbian identity and racial inequality. i especially loved the repetitive passages that emphasized the same message for several pages--they were in your face in the best way. i think the comparisons to Ocean Vuong and Natalie Diaz were well earned and accurate, and i highly recommend this collection with attention to trigger warnings.
August 5, 2022
Lol um the goodreads descriptions made comparisons to both Ocean Vuong and Natalie Diaz so I knew i had to check this out and while this collection does not match the works of either Vuong or Diaz (granted, those are HUGE shoes to fill), it's still pretty good for a debut collection. Nin's use of repetition to hold together the themes and stories of the collection were very well done. Am curious to see what else Aauin Nin has in store for us.
Read
April 1, 2022Bare wow... Stærk og insisterende.
May 3, 2023
4.25 stars!
What a powerful poetry collection! So many important themes covered, such as racism, sexism, homophobia, the struggles of immigration, sexual assault, and the celebration of being Black. I think most of the poems conveyed these themes in a deep and meaningful way, written with simple yet powerful prose. There was so much said in only a few words - this is the power of poetry. Some quotes:
"Mourning is to not forget
As people whose history has been erased
We cannot afford to forget...
Mourning is an act...
In mourning we exist."
"How do you measure loss?
tell me of the things you hope to forget.
of the things you hoped you would become
before you were taken from yourself.
of the things that made you cruel.
tell me when you realized
that going forward means letting go
of the parts of yourself you once loved."
These are only a few snippets of the poems that I highlighted, of which there were a lot. I even highlighted whole poems that lasted several pages. My favorites probably are "God Gave Man the Word", "Luanda Smells of Heat", "Find Some Real Chilies", and a few more. These poems are evocative and descriptive, rich with culture, identity, and a sense of home. This is my first piece of literature from Angola and it left me wanting more. And then there's "I Want to Love the People Whom I Love", which is an ode to vulnerability and simplicity in romantic relationships and it made me homesick for something I don't have. I loved it.
The only few gripes I have with this collection are that some poems are a bit too abruptly-paced (I prefer longer sentences) and feel disjointed from the rest of the collection, and some are just repeats of a specific phrase over an entire page (reminded me of modern poetry inspired by Tumblr). They took me out of the reading experience. But overall, what a great poetry collection with beautiful and thought-provoking words.
What a powerful poetry collection! So many important themes covered, such as racism, sexism, homophobia, the struggles of immigration, sexual assault, and the celebration of being Black. I think most of the poems conveyed these themes in a deep and meaningful way, written with simple yet powerful prose. There was so much said in only a few words - this is the power of poetry. Some quotes:
"Mourning is to not forget
As people whose history has been erased
We cannot afford to forget...
Mourning is an act...
In mourning we exist."
"How do you measure loss?
tell me of the things you hope to forget.
of the things you hoped you would become
before you were taken from yourself.
of the things that made you cruel.
tell me when you realized
that going forward means letting go
of the parts of yourself you once loved."
These are only a few snippets of the poems that I highlighted, of which there were a lot. I even highlighted whole poems that lasted several pages. My favorites probably are "God Gave Man the Word", "Luanda Smells of Heat", "Find Some Real Chilies", and a few more. These poems are evocative and descriptive, rich with culture, identity, and a sense of home. This is my first piece of literature from Angola and it left me wanting more. And then there's "I Want to Love the People Whom I Love", which is an ode to vulnerability and simplicity in romantic relationships and it made me homesick for something I don't have. I loved it.
The only few gripes I have with this collection are that some poems are a bit too abruptly-paced (I prefer longer sentences) and feel disjointed from the rest of the collection, and some are just repeats of a specific phrase over an entire page (reminded me of modern poetry inspired by Tumblr). They took me out of the reading experience. But overall, what a great poetry collection with beautiful and thought-provoking words.
December 14, 2021
3 stars (coming out Feb 1, 2022, by Astra House)
**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
Pros
+ Black poet from Angola (currently in asylum in Denmark)
+ Nin is nonbinary and uses they/them
+ themes: racism, war, queer sexuality, and queer love
+ found the descriptions of life in Angola fascinating and the descriptions of war heart-breaking
+ 4 stars (5 poems): "Have You Forgotten? We Were in a Room," "We consume the Body During Sex," "I Am Thinking of Killing Myself," "Find Some Real Chilies," and "If We Happen to Meet on This Road"
Neutral
/ Nin's writing style isn't my cup of tea (I'm a fan of rhyme and/or some form of meter, usually) but writing style is hugely subjective so you may like it more than me if you don't need rhyme
/ 3.5 stars (7 poems): "Luanda Smells of Heat," "My Mother's Face Set Inwards," "The Sound of It Is "Waweh"," "Language Must Be Adequate," "Life Will Hit You, But You Already Know That," "There Are Two Bodies with No Heads," "Write to Slow the Passing of Time"
/ 3 stars (12 poems)
Cons
- 2 stars (4 poems)
- 1 star (2 poems)
TW: war, death, homophobia, suicidal ideation, child death
**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
Pros
+ Black poet from Angola (currently in asylum in Denmark)
+ Nin is nonbinary and uses they/them
+ themes: racism, war, queer sexuality, and queer love
+ found the descriptions of life in Angola fascinating and the descriptions of war heart-breaking
+ 4 stars (5 poems): "Have You Forgotten? We Were in a Room," "We consume the Body During Sex," "I Am Thinking of Killing Myself," "Find Some Real Chilies," and "If We Happen to Meet on This Road"
Neutral
/ Nin's writing style isn't my cup of tea (I'm a fan of rhyme and/or some form of meter, usually) but writing style is hugely subjective so you may like it more than me if you don't need rhyme
/ 3.5 stars (7 poems): "Luanda Smells of Heat," "My Mother's Face Set Inwards," "The Sound of It Is "Waweh"," "Language Must Be Adequate," "Life Will Hit You, But You Already Know That," "There Are Two Bodies with No Heads," "Write to Slow the Passing of Time"
/ 3 stars (12 poems)
Cons
- 2 stars (4 poems)
- 1 star (2 poems)
TW: war, death, homophobia, suicidal ideation, child death
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April 7, 2023Jeg har aldrig læst en digtsamling før, så jeg synes, det er svært at vurdere den her. Jeg blev dybt rørt af de digte, der handlede om relationerne til forfatterens søster og mor. Jeg elskede også Nins brug af sætninger i parentes i nogle af digtene - det var et meget virksomt greb for min oplevelse af mening. Men der var meget, som jeg ikke føler, var rettet mod en læser som mig og hvor jeg næsten følte, at jeg trængte mig ind på en historie, der ikke var til mig. Dette er ikke nødvendigvis dårligt, og jeg vil gerne behandle det med respekt. Jeg sidder tilbage med en generel følelse af at ønske at vise mere respekt overfor sorte mennesker og deres vilkår.
April 16, 2025
“Don’t you ever feel grateful that all we want is equality and not revenge”
Aaiún Nin’s Broken Halves of a Milky Sun is a short collection, but it pulses—urgent, electric—with life. These poems are not still. They move through grief, memory, and resistance, carving space for truth-telling about colonialism, racism, religion, and the relentless toll these forces take on one.
Nin writes: “we exists, in mourning we exists”—a line that echoes like a heartbeat through the entire book. The language is raw and radiant, always challenging, always pushing forward.
“Going forward is letting go of the parts of you you might have loved.” This collection is about what survival costs—and who pays.
Aaiún Nin’s Broken Halves of a Milky Sun is a short collection, but it pulses—urgent, electric—with life. These poems are not still. They move through grief, memory, and resistance, carving space for truth-telling about colonialism, racism, religion, and the relentless toll these forces take on one.
Nin writes: “we exists, in mourning we exists”—a line that echoes like a heartbeat through the entire book. The language is raw and radiant, always challenging, always pushing forward.
“Going forward is letting go of the parts of you you might have loved.” This collection is about what survival costs—and who pays.
January 25, 2022
Det er grove løjer. En skarp, rå og provokerende stemme i racismedebatten. Digtene spænder fra at handle om den sorte kvindes underkuede rolle i Afrika som mor i en familie, på markedet, til seksualakten og til en sort persons møde med Vesten. Digtenes komposition og sprog veksler, og noget ramte mig hårdere og bedre en andet. Det lyriske jeg føler en stor smerte og hjemløshed - det ramte mig. Jeg blev også voldsomt provokeret andre steder.
Til slut i samlingen placeres sorg som en aktiv handling - jeg synes dog ikke helt, at digtene formår at fjerne det sorte menneske fra en offerrolle.
Til slut i samlingen placeres sorg som en aktiv handling - jeg synes dog ikke helt, at digtene formår at fjerne det sorte menneske fra en offerrolle.
February 27, 2024
A beautifully raw collection of poems, addressing the black experience in modern day America. I borrowed the audiobook because it was the only version available in any of the libraries I have connected to my Libby account but I desperately wish I'd had a paper copy to read and reread and savor every line, to go back and underline and highlight. I will read this again, as soon as I get my hands on a physical copy.
September 21, 2024
I feel bad but I did not like this very much. I listened to the audiobook of these poems and I just didn’t like the word combinations. Some poems felt like they were taking on too many different topics at once which left the exploration of each feel kind of shallow. I didn’t like the use of repetition through the collection. There were some poems that explored interpersonal relationships more and I liked those more than the others.
August 6, 2025
“We are the broken halves of a milky sun
Who do not dream the same dreams”
I really enjoyed the intersection of religious themes and allegories alongside critiques of colonialism and white nationalism on an international stage and how that has impacted black identity globally in Africa as well as for black people living in western nations.
I will be looking to see if Aaiún has any longer pieces or essays because every one of their words was measured and every poem was impactful.
Who do not dream the same dreams”
I really enjoyed the intersection of religious themes and allegories alongside critiques of colonialism and white nationalism on an international stage and how that has impacted black identity globally in Africa as well as for black people living in western nations.
I will be looking to see if Aaiún has any longer pieces or essays because every one of their words was measured and every poem was impactful.
January 7, 2026
This was a beautiful collection of poetry that I would 100% read again. Nin is wildly talented and I'll definitely read more of their work as its published.
I can't choose just one or two favorite poems from this book - I've got about half a dozen.
My favorites in this collection were,
"God Gave Man the Word,"
"Mourning is Movement.,"
"A Crucified Man Condemned Us All.,"
"Language Must Be Adequate.,"
"Find Some Real Chilies,"
"Do Not Touch My Hair."
and "Don't You Ever Feel Grateful".
I can't choose just one or two favorite poems from this book - I've got about half a dozen.
My favorites in this collection were,
"God Gave Man the Word,"
"Mourning is Movement.,"
"A Crucified Man Condemned Us All.,"
"Language Must Be Adequate.,"
"Find Some Real Chilies,"
"Do Not Touch My Hair."
and "Don't You Ever Feel Grateful".
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January 1, 2022“Shame is learned behavior
Silence and fear become culture
Silence then becomes a prison
and I have hates myself the the shame I have felt…”
Very powerful poems. They are poems of healing and release. I think there’s a poem here that can resonate with many. Author tackles colonization, immigration, oppression, the church, trauma, lust, and womanhood loudly and unapologetically.
Silence and fear become culture
Silence then becomes a prison
and I have hates myself the the shame I have felt…”
Very powerful poems. They are poems of healing and release. I think there’s a poem here that can resonate with many. Author tackles colonization, immigration, oppression, the church, trauma, lust, and womanhood loudly and unapologetically.
April 26, 2024
The title peaked my interest, the author is not the voice for the narrator for the audiobook. Great flow, besides the 2 poems that are repetitive like a toddler, asking the same thing over and over again. The author is quite angry understanding the background of rape/molestation that spiraling her decisions in life out of control.
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