Magic Enuff: Poems

by Tara M. Stringfellow

Radiant poems that celebrate Black Southern womanhood and the many ways magic lives in the bonds between mothers, daughters, and sisters, from the bestselling author of Memphis .

" God can stay asleep / these women in my life are magic enuff "

An electrifying collection of poems that tells a universal tale of survival and revolution through the lens of Black femininity. Tara M. Stringfellow embraces complexity, grappling with the sometimes painful, sometimes wonderful way two conflicting things can be true at the same time. How it’s possible to have a strong voice and also feel silenced. To be loyal to things and people that betray us. To burn as hot with rage as we do with love.

Each poem asks how we can heal and sustain relationships with people, systems, and ourselves. How to reach for the kind of real love that allows for the truth of anger, disappointment, and grief. Unapologetic, unafraid, and glorious in its nuance, this collection argues that when it comes to living in our full humanity, we have—and we are—magic enough.

Genres: Poetry, Audiobook, Feminism, Nonfiction

112 pages, Paperback

Published June 25, 2024

About the author

Former attorney, Northwestern University MFA graduate, and Pushcart Prize nominee Tara M. Stringfellow’s debut novel Memphis (Dial Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House) is a multi-generational bildungsroman based on the author’s rich Civil Rights history.

A recent winner of the Book Pipeline Fiction Contest, Memphis was recognized for its clear path to film or TV series adaptation and is due out in 2022. Third World Press published her first collection of poetry entitled More than Dancing in 2008.

A cross-genre artist, the author was Northwestern University’s first MFA graduate in both poetry and prose and has been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes, as well as Best of the Net.

Her poems have appeared in Collective Unrest, Jet Fuel Review, Minerva Rising, Women’s Arts Quarterly, Transitions and Apogee Journal, among others.

If she isn’t writing, she’s gardening. If she’s isn’t in Memphis, she’s in Italy.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.


Now this poetry collection was the definition of exquisitely beautiful. I don't review a lot of poetry on my NetGalley shelf but I enjoyed the author's novel Memphis. To revisit her writing in a different art form was a real pleasure.



#MagicEnuff #NetGalley.
Expected Publication 25/06/24

[RiRi💌 (back in January) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a poetry book that honor Black Southern womanhood and the various ways that magic exists in the relationships between sisters, mothers, and daughters.

One of my goals for 2024 is to read more books by POC authors, so this is my third read written by a black woman in 2024, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!!!

Alone the acknowledgement bought literally tears to my eyes!!🥲

Let me give u some quotes:

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦.”

“𝘞𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘰 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘩.”

“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘮, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘪𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯' 𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.”
—𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳


Side note: If you have read some good books written by POC authors, then please feel free to recommend them to me. I would love to try some out!🫂

💌
!!𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 & 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 & 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗠. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗰 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!!
💌

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read and enjoyed Tara Stringfellow’s novel, Memphis, I was happy to have the opportunity to read an ARC of Magic Enuff, her book of poetry. Here she presents the many faces of Black womanhood in American society, with the personal hopes and fears, the losses and loves, the celebrations and mourning. And also the anger barely held in check. These poems take place in kitchens, in bedrooms, at parties, on streets at night, everywhere a Black woman might be. There are also others written in response to events that have been happening too regularly over recent years, events you will recognize.

While I admittedly cannot fully relate to her experiences since I am a white woman, Stringfellow has given me such a good map to follow, such descriptive language that allows me insight into her life. For that I thank her. I hope to read more from her as novelist and poet.

After her poetry, Stringfellow provides an excellent summary of her background and some of her motivation to create. It’s truly inspiring and not to be missed.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for access to an early copy of this book. This review is my own.

[Felicia Davin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an Advance Review Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which I am posting today (June 25), the book's release date. The poems are political and intimate, taking on cruelty and mourning, but also love and heartbreak and bourbon and Al Green records and sitting on the porch in the evening chatting with neighbors.

Here is one of the poems, because what am I going to say that has more clarity or depth of feeling than this? (Any formatting infelicities are on me.) The one below showcases a lot of what the book reflects on: Black womanhood in the US South, Black endurance and resilience in the face of white violence, and the poet’s love, admiration, and respect for her mother.

THIS WOMAN

my mother
was ten when she got her first black eye
some white man at the counter of a North Memphis
deli fixed her with a square jab that sent her flying
off her stool, ketchup adorning her mother’s head
in a blood crown

my mother was inconceivably calm

among the chicken bones on the floor

still as a stone wall

mustard in her hair

while whites screamed at her to go back

to the Memphis zoo

she knelt there on her hands

and knees and tried to breathe

fought the blackness seeping into her vision

the dizziness trying to overtake her

she said she mouthed the Lord’s prayer

this woman asks me for anything,
anything at all,
I give it

Magic Enuff is beautiful and powerful, with stunning poems and an incisive essay in the acknowledgments section about what it means to write about Black life in our current moment of banning books. You should read it.

[Monica Hills · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this author's first novel, Memphis. I am not really a poetry fan but I decided to try this collection because I did like her book. The poetry did not disappoint. It gave a great perspective and I could really feel the pain and the struggles resonate through the words. It reads very quickly but the poetry will stay with me. The collection of poems are very eye opening and thought provoking.

I also really enjoyed reading the acknowledgments. I think what the author discussed is so important and needs to be talked about more. As a teacher myself, I agreed with everything she said.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Shelby (catching up on 2025 reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

POETRY SPOTLIGHT

Thank you #partner @thedialpress @penguinrandomhouse for my #gifted copy. 💕

Magic Enuff: Poems
Tara M. Stringfellow
6/25

📖 An electrifying collection of poems that tells a universal tale of survival and revolution through the lens of Black femininity. Tara M. Stringfellow embraces complexity, grappling with the sometimes painful, sometimes wonderful way two conflicting things can be true at the same time. How it’s possible to have a strong voice but also feel silenced. To be loyal to things and people that betray us. To burn as hot with rage as we do with love.

Each poem asks how we can heal and sustain relationships with people, systems, and ourselves. How to reach for the kind of real love that allows for the truth of anger, disappointment, and grief. Unapologetic, unafraid, and glorious in its nuance, this collection argues that when it comes to living in our full humanity, we have—and we are—magic enough.

💭 Profound, impactful, and deeply moving, this collection of poems is a tribute to Black girlhood and womanhood, exploring themes of family, love, loss, God, beauty, police brutality, and so much more. As someone who's only recently gotten into poetry, I can confidently say this is one of the more accessible collections I've read. Highly recommend!

**Don't skip the acknowledgements**

📌 Available Tuesday!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poetry collection is ✨excellent✨

It took me a while to get through this collection because i was so stunned by each poem I couldn’t just continue to the next one. Tara’s way with words stop you in your tracks. Im in awe of what she has done. This collection is revolutionary, and would pair so well with both contemporary and classic black literature. If I were a high school lit teacher teaching African American literature, I would make this apart of my curriculum. It’s that important.

Magic Enuff is a beautiful exploration of southern black womanhood and what it means to be a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend, a wife etc… everything about what it means to be enough and the magic within us. It explores the complicated nature of the black woman’s relationship with black men. Some of the poems are dark and heartbreaking. Some are joyful. This collection is out today and I definitely recommend picking it up! I also think this would make for a GREAT gift for any black woman in your life.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the Arc!

[Summer Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an impactful and important collection! It had beautiful writing that packed a punch and had so much to say about feminism, grief and being a black woman in America. I also especially loved the acknowledgements. I found myself wanting to highlight all of the poems that I liked/made me feel something, but then I was just highlighting every poem lol My most favorite poems were: Hot Combs Catfish Crumbs and Bad Men, Poem at 35, Kristen, I Don’t Know Why and For My Ex.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short book of poems. I finished it in just under an hour.
There were several poems I absolutely adored.
For Harriet page 26 was beautiful.

Overall the poems are about the life of a black women. Overcoming her father leaving them, her mother never being the nurturing kind, her rape, her divorce, and her finding strength through it all.
3/5 stars!

[Sacha · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Like many folks who may be drawn to this title, I'm an incoming fan of Stringellow's _Memphis_. I've been burned before by novelists whose forays into poetry leave me less than enthusiastic, but this is not one of those times. Stringfellow DELIVERS here.

This collection is extremely accessible. I planned to read a couple of poems and then come back to the rest over a few days, but I instead read the entire batch in one sitting and bookmarked the release date so that I can come back then and figure out which of these I'll teach next semester in my college literature courses. If Stringfellow's goal is to - in part - expose more students to varied perspectives (see the fabulous author's note at the end of the collection), well, then this group of poems is going to help many educators (me included) work toward that aim.

Throughout, there's a strong sense of speaker/persona, characterization, setting, and theme, and while the poems stand out individually, I also really appreciate the messaging they reinforce as a group. I truly cannot wait to share these with my students, and I anticipate strong, positive reactions.

*Special thanks to NetGalley; Random House, Dial Press & BBD; and especially Jordan Forney for this widget, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Dre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic Enuff is a collection of poems about Southern Black Womanhood that illustrate both the pain and the magic southern black women possess. As a southern black woman, I appreciate this collection so much. The author writes such captivating poems, you feel them and ingest them, keeping parts of them with you after reading. I've bookmarked quite a few of them that either remind me of my grandmother or another woman in my family. These poems as a collective make you see, make you feel, and may even leave an aftertaste of heartbreak or regret. I enjoyed Magic Enuff and I can't wait to share this one with my dear friends once it publishes.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the eARC!

[Sirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry has a unique power to give readers the chance to feel what the author is feeling, and this book doesn't hold back. There are beautiful and soft moments, but more often, there are moments of asking why the world is the way it is, showing what it feels like to be discriminated against and abandoned. It doesn't offer excuses or hopes or threats; it just is, and somehow, that's even more potent. Some of these poems made me feel things I'd rather not feel, but I appreciate the opportunity to inspect these feelings and empathize. I didn't connect with every poem, but the ones that did hit me will give me something to think about for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an electrifying and glorious collection of poems that tells a universal tale of survival and revolution through the lens of Black femininity. The author highlights poems such as "Exodus," written in memory of Tyree Nichols (a Black artist from Memphis who was killed), and "This Woman," which draws from her mother's experience of racial violence as a child during the Civil Rights Movement.

One passage she wrote said, "We've cradled enough bodies of men we love, bleeding out onto uncaring streets, learned to roll my hair with funeral programs, climbed into sheets that may shroud my children, black rituals, Emmett Till was my Peter Rabbit, my mama only read from Exodus. I am the Lord thy God, which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. I wonder what most Egyptians thought when the Jews cried with locusts and plagues and blood that their lives mattered. My father pulls from McCool not a damn thing, he exhales. Backing out the drive, my mama comes running, gasping. You'll need this, she says, unfolds one long pearl rosary."

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri...

[Brittany E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never been into poetry but if it all made me feel like this, I would be.

I never expected to open this book and weep.

This wasn't written for me and there are things I can truly never understand but I heard it. As a sister, mother, woman, I felt it. I am grateful I read it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Hotmess Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Black woman is the strongest compound God could ever forge." -For Harriet

This collection made me pause, cackle, connect and reflect. The journey that the poet took us on was filled with heartbreak but also reverence for the power and magic of being and being loved by a Black woman. Definitely needed to call/hug my family after reading this one💕

[Elizabeth A · Rating 5 out of 5]

" God can stay asleep / these women in my life are magic enuff "

I'm shaking my head as I type because I honestly do not know what to say. Black Southern woman writes poems about life. All of it. Loved it.

[J R · Rating 4 out of 5]

really nice set of poems. tyssm for the recommended arc as this one worked gorgeously. would recommend.

[Laura A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Tara writes several poems that revolve around her life and the choices she and her ancestors have made. A very informative book.

[Jay DeMoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Men will fail you more than the lord.”
😩🔥 whew!✊🏾💯

[Julia R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best collection of poetry I’ve ever read.

[Jessica Milliner · Rating 4 out of 5]

These collections of poems are like a story. A story of what a black woman has to go through. These poems amazed me is so many ways.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read these poems and do a review.

[Alli Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

“get yo shit together girl . . . if we can be that close so when my children are being killed in the streets you rise up too you cry into my hair screaming those were our sons”

Is there a way to give this more than 5 stars? This was beautiful, empowering, emotional, passionate, influencing and eye-opening among other emotions. A quick read but I cannot think of someone who shouldn’t read this, if just to gain perspective into another humans life.

Thank you to the Author and NetGalley.com for the Advanced Readers Copy. I cannot wait to get a physical copy for my shelf 💛

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poems spoke to me as a Southern Black woman, a sister and a daughter. Tara Stringfellow has painted pictures of Black Southern living that are authentic and beautiful. Her poems are vulnerable and yet celebratory at times. From failed marriages to racism and odes to siblings and strong black women, these poems are a journey that you won't soon forget. Tara's acknowledgments section is even laced with words of wisdom; a true educator until the end.
It's no coincidence that I read this ARC during poetry appreciation month because I surely did appreciate it. Some of my favorites in the collection are: Hot Combs Catfish Crumbs and Bed Men, Only Read from Exodus, This Woman, To Kanye, For Harriet, That One Time My College Boyfriend Hit Me, My Ex-Husband, The Day of My Divorce and Dinner Prep. I affectionately call my closest girlfriends, "The Tribe", and I will definitely be gifting this to "The Tribe" when it is published.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing collection! Every poem is a gem - I had to really stop and process because very heavy topics are handled with such finesse, they snuck up one me. I loved how these poems are heavy and hard but also so transcendent - there is no ego in the words, no “look at me” in the lines - she just writes one amazing poem after another and leaves it there like the total badass she is. This will be the book of poems to beat for me this year.

Greatful for an advance copy from Dial Press Trade Paperback and Random House. This publishes in June and deserves so much hype. ✨✨✨

[Erica Naone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is the poem that made me laugh out loud in the bookstore and decide I had to buy this book:

I Dreamt the KKK Were in My Living Room

and I had made everyone lemonade
they sipped, offered pleasantries
my house, the antiques
how could they see I asked
with only those tiny slits
for eyes, and we all laughed

after a bit, it got quiet
so I broke the silence with
what I thought my mom
and my grandma and hers
would've wanted me to say–

I poisoned y’all lemonade

***

This book felt different than what I normally read. The style was more spare, less focused on imagery. Sometimes I wasn’t sure what I felt about these as poems.

But the impact is undeniable and together they paint a fascinating picture of the poet’s viewpoint, character, family, position in the world. There are sequences that build in interesting ways - poems for milestone birthdays, a recurring theme of the menstrual cycle, of domestic violence, of interracial relationships, of elegies, of the power of women.

I liked this set of two: “Me, Receiving My First Period,” followed by, “My Mother, Receiving Her Last Period.”

The collection is extremely readable. I enjoyed spending time with the author, being challenged by her, mourning with her. There is a fairly extended set of poems about relationship struggles and divorce - I relate to all of that from an interesting angle. I don’t share the poet’s exact experience but I have my own versions of these stories and my own challenging racial and familial background. There is a sharp edge to a lot of the poems that feels necessary:

To White Folk

“If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.”
- President Barack Obama

if we can be sisters
you pressin
hot comb to my hair
while Al Green whispers
in Memphis heat
me fussin
tellin you ain’t no boy
gonna last as long
as a degree
get yo shit together girl…
if we can be that close
so when my children
are being killed
in the streets
you rise up too
you cry into my hair
screaming those were our sons

The author closes the book with an essay on Black poetry and literature, starting out with a focus on Phillis Wheatley and interrogating what is taught to whom and why, speaking powerfully about the erasure of Black women in American literature. I loved the essay and it made me very interested to read the author’s prose as well - particularly her novel.

[Lit_Vibrations · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to the author & @thedialpress for my gifted e-ARC‼️

This was such an amazing collection of poetry that proves only few words are needed to deliver a meaningful message. Magic Enuff delves into the magic and power of Black womanhood, physical abuse from a loved one, celebrating Black boy joy, Black life and how society treats us, and the horrific situations witnessed within the Black community.

There are poems many will find relatable and others that will pull you in because you know someone with a shared experience. A lot of the poems are short and sweet and I found myself rereading them to gain a deeper understanding of the message the author was trying to convey. As the book title suggests, we may go through trials, experience hardships, broken relationships, or even continued acts of oppression but at the end of it all we are still magic enuff. “A͟ B͟l͟a͟c͟k͟ w͟o͟m͟a͟n͟ i͟s͟ n͟o͟ p͟i͟c͟n͟i͟c͟.”

Favorite Poems:
•Only Read From Exodus (for Tyre Nichols)
•This Woman
•Black Boys
•Conversations I Never Had With My Father
•The Whole Sick Mess
•My Ex-Husband
•I DREAMT THE KKK WAS IN MY LIVING ROOM
•A Sonnet
•Route to Freedom

Overall, I loved this and the fact she’s from my city and the book makes references to it. I’m happy to have a copy on my shelf and definitely recommend if you’re into poetry.

[Jackie Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who can resist opening the bright, beautiful cover of “Magic Enuff.” It’s a collection of powerfully written poems by Tara M. Stringfellow to be read over and over again and cherished.

I enjoyed reading her novel, “Memphis,” and this book is another extension of her talents as a Black poet with words that cry out for attention to make us pause. She writes about personal reflections from her late ancestors, mother, father, and other family members – even her ex-husband. Her words are short and carries one into the great beyond which makes us think about our past and hope that someday we will learn to move down a more positive path.

In her acknowledgements, she says it’s discouraging to live in a time when popular and admired Black authors are banned from her home state of Tennessee. “We live in a time in which we’d rather give a teacher a 9mm handgun to defend her classroom than a copy of The Color Purple.”

She has carefully placed each piece together into the hands of readers – those who enjoy discovering special talents of poets. It’s a beautiful book and one that would also make a treasured gift.

My thanks to Dial Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this advanced book with an expected release date of June 25, 2024.

[Phyllis | Mocha Drop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection that reflects on the magical aspects of Black girlhood and womanhood and celebrates the fortitude and resilience that propels them through personal challenges, societal and familial setbacks, and the weight of the world that thrusts them into circumstances beyond their control.

This is an ode to black girls and women who have loved and lost. To Black mothers who have lost sons to police violence (George, Trayvon, Philando). To women who have loved abusive men incapable of loving them back and the girl children who are collateral damage in such relationships. There is a recognition of the weariness from the need to be seen, heard and recognized in a world that refuses to celebrate their brilliance, talents, and beauty. Ultimately, I think the title echoes the call for Black girls and women to rest and know you are enough.

I noticed references to Memphis, the author's debut novel, and the city itself. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection.

Thanks to the publisher, Dial Press Trade Paperback, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t poetry you read to feel warm. This book contains poetics that enlighten you - about lives unlike (or like) your own.

Perhaps you are unsure how to feel; the writing is beautiful so you enjoy it, just as you fear the words on the pages — the feelings underwritten.

This is a collection of poetry about race, about culture, about an experience of blackness - not rare yet not wildly relatable, depending entirely on where you are from.

As a NY-born black woman, living in Brooklyn, birthed as GenZ, my reality looks different. However, I am no less affected - no less sheltered from these words, from these experiences.

I too have been held down by white men, spit on, called nigger. Had white children yell obscenities at me from car windows.

The oppressor matters less than the impact - a husband, a hatred fueled adversary, a former friend. As black women, we share a pain that this book unearths and spreads before you, unwilling to be ignored.

The poetry is beautiful, the feelings are hard.

#NetGalley #MagicEnuff

[C Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy.
Ms. Stringfellow has a great title and poetic lines that resonate and stick with you:
"sprayed mustard all over his shirt like silly string"
"these women in my life are magic enuff"
"We would rather give a teacher a 9mm handgun to defend her classroom than a copy of "The Color Purple"...

Many poems are 5 star: A Black Woman's Heart, A Sonnet (not really a sonnet), In Yo Life, My Ex-Husband, NOLA vs. Memphis, I Dreamt the KKK were in My Living Room, Route to Freedom...
If you like confessional poetry, this is a strong example. She is a poetic griot.

Don't forget to read the introduction and acknowledgements. This is not a book just for Southern magical black women. It has a history to remind us all and the power of poetry. I would however disagree "there is a prayer that this country will finally see me and mine as beautiful and be ashamed" Ashamed is not enough, it's reading this and reshaping (as she states earlier) that is necessary.