Bitter Melon

by Elvis Alves

In this debut poetry collection, Elvis Alves uses bitter melon as a metaphor for life's experiences. He does more than ruminate about the bitterness of life and seeks to locate the truth in the adage "life is what you make of it." He plays with the notion that modes of relating (i.e. to self, God, nature, other human beings) are at the core of what it means to take ownership of life

Genres: Poetry

102 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2013

About the author

Elvis Alves (www.elvisalves.com) was born in Guyana and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He is a graduate of Colgate University and Princeton Theological Seminary. His work has appeared in several journals and magazines including Poetry Magazine, Sojourners, Transition, Caribbean Writer Journal, and The Applicant. Elvis is a Pushcart Prize nominated poet. He is the author of Bitter Melon (2013), Ota Benga (2017), I Am No Battlefield But A Forest Of Trees Growing (winner of the Jacopone da Todi Poetry Book Prize) (2018), Black/White: We Are Not Panic (Pandemic) Free (2020), Blackfish (2022), and This Is What I Know (2023). His latest book is Exile Is Home (2025). In 2025, he was a finalist for the Poetic Justice Institute Editor's Prize (Fordham University).

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written debut poetry collection, "Bitter Mellon" connects the reader in the beginning to the African coastal village where the poet Elvis Alves parents were from, where he was born and spent a portion of his childhood before immigrating to the US, living in Harlem or surrounding areas near NYC. The poems capture the mix and spirit of storytelling, that make this a treasure. Many thanks and appreciation for the e-ARC in exchange for this review.

The themes of the poems celebrate the wonders of the earth, sea, and nature. A favorite poem: "Birthing" was exquisite: "Yes. Out of the bowels of the churning ocean/come the souls once thought dead/lost, gone but now forever rising along with the tide." The birth of the land is described as a "divinely inspired dance".
The poetry is divided into the following parts: I. Bitter Melon... II. A Morning in Harlem... III. Hip-Hop... IV. QUETZALCOATL... V. Panatheon of Angels... VI. Incapability of the Suspension of Moral Judgment When The Topic is Race...

The poems portray the extreme differences between culture, customs, and ideas of Alves people in Africa to his life in America: from the full energy of the "Yoruba Woman" dressed in white, to the rap, break dancing, art graffiti expressions of American Hip-Hop. The people left behind in his village, to the masses of strangers in the concrete rat race of NYC.
There are themes of spirituality, (scripture from the Bible is quoted) race, and how people are all connected. Readers will find inspiration from this great collection. Elvis Alves writings and poetry have been featured in many notable publications, he lives and teaches in NYC.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free through Goodreads First Reads.

This book contains a good collect of beautifully written poetry. While reading, you really connect with the characters. My favorite poems had to be "Moon Love".

[Katie Harder-schauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I need to ruminate on these poems further before I write my full review. There are things I need to ponder, and poems I need to revisit before I can write a review to do this book any sort of justice, but that's really the nature of poetry (when it's not silly rhymes like those written by Shel Silverstein at least). A full, more in-depth review will be posted in a few days.

[Iris Nevers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this anthology through First Reads
It's very difficult to describe how I feel about this poetry collection, I just don't have the same talent with words as Elvis Alves but here is to trying. The poems were beautifully written and thoughtfully placed throughout the book. I definitely look forward to reading more of Alves's work.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to send my thanks to Elvis Alves and Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for the copy of Bitter Melon that I won in the Giveaway.

Bitter Melon is a book of poetry full of passion. The poems are about the feelings, experiences and passions of the author. They are written in free form and most of them have a message for the reader.

[Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can typically not get myself to be hooked on any type of poetry although I found myself so lost in "Bitter Melon". His descriptions of personal experiences and outlooks could be repeatable to any age. My favorites were “Soul City”, “Pruitt Igoe”, and “American Apocalypse.

I will definitely be rereading!

[Nicole Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

I instantly got connected with the poems the characters. Such good work. Everything was beautifully written and i'm looking foward to reading more stuff about this author.

[Susie Spizzirro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book, words of wisdom. Thank you.