Monk Eats an Afro

by Yolanda Wisher

Poetry. African American Studies.

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

Reviews

[Basia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jazz scat funk fantastic! Yolanda Wisher’s poems are populous with women who are not, to borrow from Lucille Clifton, “noplace / anonymous girl[s].” Each woman here—aunties, mamas, grannies, friends, especially Phillis, especially Harriet—is “a city / of a woman.” These poems bounce as if on the bus route, shimmy by like the subway, sizzle like spit on the hot comb. Had me laughing and relating.

[Jawanza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It is a masterpiece of blues, jazz, history and love all rolled into one. If you like Sonia Sanchez, Jayne Cortez, Ntozake Shange, Trapeta Mayson or Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie, you will love this book.

[Tristan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally found time to finish Monk Eats an Afro (the semester does that to me)! I really enjoyed it, although my memory isn't serving me terribly well, given how long I spent between reading the first poem and reading the last one.
Wisher plays brilliantly with sound, especially in the various Songs, as well as embodying and presenting various aspects of a Black American women's experience.
My favorite poems were "My Family of Women", "Heather Wore Her Sadness", "English Department Meeting Query", "Dear John Letter to America", "Notes from a Slave Ship", and "Lullaby at Seven Months." They were fluid, emotional, affecting poems that sweep you up, like at the beginning of "Dear John Letter to America"America, you beautiful suitor of indigenous bitches. I am a slaveship and you are a skyscraper. I keep the bottom line, you got the upper hand. We try to make love, but there's a war of flesh and steel going on.and then set you down again in the midst of everything:"Sonia reminded me about cotton underwar
June made a fancy restaurant into a soul shack
Tanya painted pictures holy enough for churches
Heather wore her sadness like a brooch on her lapel.
I would highly recommend Wisher's poetry; I only wish I had been more able to immerse myself in it rather than simply snatch scraps from the jaws of my work.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a powerful, fantastic collection of poetry. As soon as you think you've found your favorite poem in the book, you find another. As soon as I think my favorite song is "Basketball Gypsies", it's "Ancestors"; as soon as think my favorite poem is "5 South 43rd Street, Floor 2", it's "Dear John Letter to America". And then there are pages I dog-eared to come back to so I can try to pull something out of myself anything like what's on them. All of the pages are ones you can come back to.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The flow of Wisher’s words is enthralling in this beautiful collection that takes on the present, history, and motherhood.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was AMAZING. I dog-eared at least a third of the poems, either to teach or just for myself. The last section, about being pregnant and being a mom had me welling up the whole time. And just the language--oh this was spot on.

[Maya Heiland]

Philadelphia poetry! "smoke some Alice Coltrane"