Joy in the Belly of a Riot: Poems

by Barbara Fant

The acclaimed poetic force celebrates the practice of poetry as healing and prayer in this vital, life-affirming collection about surviving the void and touching the divine—the second book in a creative collaboration between Amistad and Moore Black Press.

At age fifteen, Barbara Fant tragically lost her mother, and her world was suddenly upended. “I became an angry teenager. I was mad at the world.,” she recalls. “I even stopped praying, but I began to write. Poetry became my way of communication, my way of processing . . . it became my way to pray.”

Rebirth, renewal, and healing are the heart of Joy in the Belly of a Riot. Fant’s monumental collection is a continuation of her lifelong project of using poetry as prayer; this is healing-informed poetry to restore herself, her community, and the world. Exquisitely lyrical and boldly resonant, Fant’s poems excavate the nightmares of a childhood marked by poverty, violence, racism, and the loss of countless loved ones. Suffering seemed endemic to neighborhoods like hers, and yet, in Fant’s own words, “I keep trying to write about the trauma, but the joy won’t let me.”

Steeped in a rich Black Christian tradition and drawing on Scripture for artistic inspiration, Fant’s verse offers solace and guidance for all, from the devout to the skeptical. In these poems Fant demands that we see her, and her community, throug more than our grief. As she closes this profound collection, Fant gently preaches that we choose life and reminds us that “wholeness is our birthright.”

Joy in the Belly of a Riot is a healing balm in times of sustained uncertainty and a rock upon which we can build and sustain a foundation of joy. Fant’s essential message demands to be heard, now more than ever.

Genres: Poetry

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2025

Reviews

[Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful poetry collection that reflects on grief, trauma, faith, love, and healing. We follow the poet across different stages of her life as she navigates growing up in a neighborhood that offered little promise of a stable future to coping with the deaths of her mother and brother, and eventual struggles to form safe and healthy relationships in the aftermath of so much trauma and grief.

Fant situates these personal experiences within a broader, systemic context, carefully unpacking the intergenerational trauma that shaped her own family as well as the families around her. She also thoughtfully examines the role of religion within Black American communities. While faith is a recurring presence, the collection never feels preachy. Instead, it encourages more general inner reflection and remains accessible to readers of varied beliefs in my opinion.

Ultimately, this was a moving story of Fant's life capturing not only the highs and lows of it so far, but also the ongoing process of healing and showing how joy and hope are possible in spite of the sorrow.

Thank you to the publisher, Amistad, for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions shared in this review are my own!

[Rhina M. Finley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Fant has written a collection of deeply moving poems. She processes and reflects the trauma within and outside of herself. Many of the poems are profound and stands out! So take a deep dive into the Joy In The Belly Of A Riot!

[Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Fant has some very powerful poems in this collection; the poem "House of Dust" is my favorite. Twenty-five other poems stood out to me. I plan to read this book again.

[Rhiley Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad for the E-ARC! This E-ARC was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

Exceptional. Heartbreaking. Soul-finding.
It took me awhile to read this because I simply didn't want it to end. Every time I put it down I had a hard time picking it up because I knew how short the collection was.
Every poem was a love note on grief, on someone the author had known/knows, on being black in America, on finding your faith and freedom as a woman. I wanted more and yet every one was perfectly structured. No more needed to be said but I craved MORE.
I will be needing a copy for my shelves.

[Settare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful collection of poems. I find it difficult to write reviews of poetry. Poetry evokes emotions, makes you feel, and I felt all the feelings, and don't know what more to say. I came across this book browsing the poetry section of a bookshop, and was deeply moved by one particular poem, which seemed to find me in a time of my life when I really needed it. Weird how poetry does that. Here it is:

I KEEP TRYING TO WRITE ABOUT THE TRAUMA
but the joy won't let me
bend into anything other than the light
i keep stretching myself into a thousand midnights
and i awake amidst a million stars
sometimes the journey towards healing
is louder than healing itself
the walk towards becoming whole
is often the fight of your life
...

(wish I could recite the entire poem here but don't think that's copyright friendly)

[Yvette Sapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and Amistad Books for the advance reader's copy of Joy in the Belly of a Riot.

This lovely book of poetry has its roots in restoration after a huge loss. Fant losing her mother had a great impact on her early life, but her resolve to move forward by practicing the form of poetry brought her to a season where she could recognize and embrace the joy while still navigating the grief process.

My favorite from the book is "we could be a Sunday, a Hallelujah, and an Amen, but all of the poems in the book were special and a joy to read. This collection of poetry was very uplifting and I have gone back to reading some poems over and over; a reinforcement of the joy and peace found in the words.

[Michelle Glogovac · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book of poems that I savored as part of my morning routine. Barbara Fant invites us into her world — her healing, her prayers, her love, her trauma, and her rebirth — through verse that feels both intimate and universal. Each poem felt like a sacred exchange, a window into what it means to live, hurt, and hope as someone other than myself.

Reading Joy in the Belly of a Riot felt like receiving a gift — a gift of empathy, of understanding, of shared humanity. Fant doesn’t just write poems; she writes pathways toward feeling, grieving, and believing again. Her words linger long after the page, a reminder that joy can exist even in the most riotous parts of our souls.

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a poetry collection that honors the small joys in life and Barbara Fant didn’t disappoint. From the dedication (which reminded me of Ross Gay’s work) to the beautiful imagery and fluid, musical language I was hooked. I’m excited to share these prayers, meditations and poems with my students.

My fave was We could be a Sunday, a Hallelujah, and an Amen!! I re read it every morning.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
📚 Book Title: Joy in the Belly of a Riot
✍🏽Author: Barbara Fant
📕 Format: 📱
⭐️ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕What I Loved:
This is a beautiful book of prose that speaks of love, social justice, grief and loss, community violence, nostalgia for the past, and the integration of faith, hope, and healing.

My favorites were:
- And the bullets still got caught in my grandmother’s hair
- I keep trying to write about trauma, but the joy won’t let me
- Running
- I Am Not My Grief Not
- There must be angels walking with me
- Be the Joy

💭Final Thoughts:
I was happy to have the opportunity to read ARC. I can definitely see myself gifting this to others. I highly recommend Joy in the Belly of a Riot: Poems, Prayers, Memories, and Meditations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad for this advanced reader copy.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt I was looking into her soul

I couldn't read this all at once. It was something that took time to absorb, it seemed so personal and deep. I'm glad I read it. I will never be the same.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this one...

This is a collection that could be dipped into many times, each time answering a different need. Standout poems (for me) included: "one day he will be waiting for me" and "here is the surrender in forgiveness". As I was reading I was definitely tracing connections to other media like Nicole Glover's Murder & Magic series and Mary J. Blige's song "Therapy".