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Brutal Imagination
Finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry
Brutal Imagination is the work of a poet at the peak of his considerable powers, confronting a crucial the black man in America.
“A hymn to all the sons this country has stolen from her African-American families.”— The Village Voice
This poetry collection explores the vision of the black man in white imagination, as well as the black family and the barriers of color, class, and caste that tear it apart. These two main themes showcase Cornelius Eady’s his deft wit, inventiveness, and skillfully targeted anger, and the way in which he combines the subtle with the charged, street idiom with elegant inversions, harsh images with the sweetly ordinary.
Includes poems that inspired the libretto for Eady’s music-drama Running Man, a 1999 Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Brutal Imagination is the work of a poet at the peak of his considerable powers, confronting a crucial the black man in America.
“A hymn to all the sons this country has stolen from her African-American families.”— The Village Voice
This poetry collection explores the vision of the black man in white imagination, as well as the black family and the barriers of color, class, and caste that tear it apart. These two main themes showcase Cornelius Eady’s his deft wit, inventiveness, and skillfully targeted anger, and the way in which he combines the subtle with the charged, street idiom with elegant inversions, harsh images with the sweetly ordinary.
Includes poems that inspired the libretto for Eady’s music-drama Running Man, a 1999 Pulitzer Prize finalist.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2001
18 people are currently reading
651 people want to read
About the author
Cornelius Eady
47 books34 followersLike Joyce and Tolstoy, Cornelius Eady is an American writer focusing largely on matters of race and society, His poetry often centers on jazz and blues, family life, violence, and societal problems stemming from questions of race and class. His poetry is often praised for its simple and approachable language.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
November 29, 2018
I found this book on my office bookshelf and read it while waiting for my computer to update, so I didn't know anything about it going in. Although this was written in 2001, I had to access my 1994 pop news brain file for a proper reading. The book has 2 very distinct sections which highlight the voices of 2 separate black men that the author creates through his "brutal imagination". Both stories are written in verse.
The first story is written with the voice of the eventually-found-to-be-fictitious black man accused of carjacking and kidnapping Susan Smith's children in 1994. If you recall the outcome, 9 days after reporting the children taken, she admitted to drowning them in her car. But for those 9 days, this black man existed in the minds of news watchers, and he has been given a voice:
There's a small interlude section where the writer laments with various fictitious black characters who were also brought to life without their consent: Uncle Tom, Uncle Ben, Aunt Jemima, Buckwheat, Stepin Fetchit. Of Uncle Ben he says, "Like him I live, but never agreed to it.".
The second story in the book became part of the text to a "roots" jazz opera called The Running Man which seems to be about an intelligent, well-read black man who chooses a life of crime because it chooses him.
I think this is the message of the stories--that white men (and women) have created and believed a narrative of what a black man is, creating this in both fiction and reality through their words and actions. Break something enough times and it stays broken. I wanted this book to end with a solution. But it doesn't. 18 years after this was written, we still haven't arrived at a solution. The author says of the "running man" of the 2nd narrative, "what pushes him up will keep him down." Basically, the circumstances which create him keep him from overcoming. Perhaps we're progressing as a society. Maybe there eventually will be enough voices to change the narrative, but we still have a long way to go. These narratives still don't have happy endings when, in 2018, a black security guard can be assumed by a policeman to be the perpetrator because he's black. Why? Because the policeman created a fictitious black shooter that needed to be stopped, and he stopped him. Solution? Let me know when you find one.
The first story is written with the voice of the eventually-found-to-be-fictitious black man accused of carjacking and kidnapping Susan Smith's children in 1994. If you recall the outcome, 9 days after reporting the children taken, she admitted to drowning them in her car. But for those 9 days, this black man existed in the minds of news watchers, and he has been given a voice:
A few nights ago
A man swears he saw me pump gas
With the children
At a convenience store
Like a punchline you get the next day
There's a small interlude section where the writer laments with various fictitious black characters who were also brought to life without their consent: Uncle Tom, Uncle Ben, Aunt Jemima, Buckwheat, Stepin Fetchit. Of Uncle Ben he says, "Like him I live, but never agreed to it.".
The second story in the book became part of the text to a "roots" jazz opera called The Running Man which seems to be about an intelligent, well-read black man who chooses a life of crime because it chooses him.
Nothing can run when you've broken its legs.
Nothing can fly when you trim its feathers
With a knife, a stone...
I am young
And they think
Maybe I'll escape
Becoming a certain type
Of man...
I can read the white
Man's voodoo,
Powerful spells
Which have eaten
The world,
And prevented
Anything good from sticking here,
I am young
And they hope
I will hone my studies
Into a terrible blade.
I think this is the message of the stories--that white men (and women) have created and believed a narrative of what a black man is, creating this in both fiction and reality through their words and actions. Break something enough times and it stays broken. I wanted this book to end with a solution. But it doesn't. 18 years after this was written, we still haven't arrived at a solution. The author says of the "running man" of the 2nd narrative, "what pushes him up will keep him down." Basically, the circumstances which create him keep him from overcoming. Perhaps we're progressing as a society. Maybe there eventually will be enough voices to change the narrative, but we still have a long way to go. These narratives still don't have happy endings when, in 2018, a black security guard can be assumed by a policeman to be the perpetrator because he's black. Why? Because the policeman created a fictitious black shooter that needed to be stopped, and he stopped him. Solution? Let me know when you find one.
November 27, 2017
This is an absolutely incredible collection of poetry that centers on the experience of being a black male in white America. The first section - titled the same as the overall collection, Brutal Imagination - is written from the perspective of the black male that Susan Smith, a white woman who murdered her two children, made up to lay the blame on. The poems within this section are so intricate and breathtaking. I also enjoyed the second section, Running Man.
November 30, 2024
okay that was the most amazing premise for a story everrrrr
and the second story had me tearing up the whole way through
and the second story had me tearing up the whole way through
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2021
Great narration, but sad retelling of a woman lying about her children. Secondly, how innocent black men are always blamed for crimes they didn't do.
November 17, 2025
read this in an hour. there's so much i love about this poetry.
July 24, 2025
This was brilliant. I loved the first part the most. It felt like an original way to explore trauma and racism that I hadn't read before. I'm also not a huge fan of poetry but I felt that this was possible to follow and understand while also grasping the sad complexity.
Based on true events, the first 60 or so pages is told from the perspective of an imagined black man a white woman made up and blamed for the death of her children who she murdered. A shocking thing for someone to do, Eady creates a man whole cloth whose sole purpose is to defend this woman. He has a complex relationship with her but deeply dislikes her.
The second part features poems that Eady wrote for a libretto. This also told a story, similar to the first part, but about a family in Virginia with the son, Running Man at the center.
Honestly this whole book was moving and beautiful.
Based on true events, the first 60 or so pages is told from the perspective of an imagined black man a white woman made up and blamed for the death of her children who she murdered. A shocking thing for someone to do, Eady creates a man whole cloth whose sole purpose is to defend this woman. He has a complex relationship with her but deeply dislikes her.
The second part features poems that Eady wrote for a libretto. This also told a story, similar to the first part, but about a family in Virginia with the son, Running Man at the center.
Honestly this whole book was moving and beautiful.
April 9, 2014
Cornelius Eady was a huge influence on me--he did a poetry workshop at my elementary school when I was very young and he has loomed large in my mind ever since.
This book includes two collections of poems which each narrate a story. "Brutal Imagination" is from the point of view of the fictional black man invented by a white woman who blamed him for drowning her children. "Running Man" is a series of family recollections post-death as they speculate, justify, mourn and try to understand who their brother/son really was. His ghostly voice is interspersed, spilling dark secrets.
Spare, brilliant, heart-wrenching and utterly real.
This book includes two collections of poems which each narrate a story. "Brutal Imagination" is from the point of view of the fictional black man invented by a white woman who blamed him for drowning her children. "Running Man" is a series of family recollections post-death as they speculate, justify, mourn and try to understand who their brother/son really was. His ghostly voice is interspersed, spilling dark secrets.
Spare, brilliant, heart-wrenching and utterly real.
August 29, 2016
holy shit. an incredible premise written beautifully. will be thinking about these poems for months.
October 13, 2024
Cornelius Eady's "Brutal Imagination" is a powerful and evocative collection that immerses readers in the depths of the black experience in America. At a time when African Americans still struggle to be heard, Eady gives voice to a fictitious black man accused of kidnapping two small children. Although written in 2001, current headlines make these dialogues all the more raw and heartbreaking.
The second collection focuses on a black family and how it is disrupted and broken by barriers of color. The poems blend personal narratives with broader social themes, exploring issues of race, identity, and the intricacies of the imagination. The voice throughout the poems resonates with authenticity and raw emotion, drawing readers into a world where pain and beauty coexist.
Eady's work is not just a reflection of struggle. It is also an exploration of resilience and hope. The poems resonate on many levels, inviting readers to grapple with difficult truths while also celebrating the strength of the human spirit. The emotional range of this collection is impressive as it navigates through sorrow, anger, longing, and, ultimately, a sense of redemption.
The second collection focuses on a black family and how it is disrupted and broken by barriers of color. The poems blend personal narratives with broader social themes, exploring issues of race, identity, and the intricacies of the imagination. The voice throughout the poems resonates with authenticity and raw emotion, drawing readers into a world where pain and beauty coexist.
Eady's work is not just a reflection of struggle. It is also an exploration of resilience and hope. The poems resonate on many levels, inviting readers to grapple with difficult truths while also celebrating the strength of the human spirit. The emotional range of this collection is impressive as it navigates through sorrow, anger, longing, and, ultimately, a sense of redemption.
January 11, 2022
WOW! READ!
Painful. Real. Horrifyingly true yet delivered with eloquence immersed with sarcasm. Beautifully captures the soulful feelings of raw absurdity, anger, injustice, sentencing without a crime even before a finger is pointed.
In interactive, jaw dropping poem between a mother (Susan Smith) who murders her 2 young children and lays the blame on a black man giving vague, stereotype descriptions. I think the audio version may be more impactful. I didn't move through the entirety nor for some time afterward.
Once in S.F., I saw a man that used only scraps of cardboard and spray paint create the most AMAZING portrait of the sun setting, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the buildings with its surroundings all in minutes. He brought life & beauty to canvas before my eyes in a manner I'd never seen before. That is what this reminded me of. A form of art that speaks on a completely different level. I highly recommend it! 👍
Painful. Real. Horrifyingly true yet delivered with eloquence immersed with sarcasm. Beautifully captures the soulful feelings of raw absurdity, anger, injustice, sentencing without a crime even before a finger is pointed.
In interactive, jaw dropping poem between a mother (Susan Smith) who murders her 2 young children and lays the blame on a black man giving vague, stereotype descriptions. I think the audio version may be more impactful. I didn't move through the entirety nor for some time afterward.
Once in S.F., I saw a man that used only scraps of cardboard and spray paint create the most AMAZING portrait of the sun setting, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the buildings with its surroundings all in minutes. He brought life & beauty to canvas before my eyes in a manner I'd never seen before. That is what this reminded me of. A form of art that speaks on a completely different level. I highly recommend it! 👍
January 29, 2023
3.5 — despite the fact that this is a story all black people have heard before, the poems really are exquisite and expertly detail the black experience of being inherently evil in the white mind; but i just hate that it is still so bleak. i love how this begs us to look within our own brutal imaginations and consider that this is how we may see ourselves, but i can’t shake the fact that this is a book written to our oppressors, it showcases the reality of how we are “seen” in society but doesn’t show how black people see ourselves in a way that isn’t one-dimensional and honestly, quite trite (it does make itself a mirror, but it still blocks out the joyful parts of being black). i think that’s a distasteful way to end a book with a premise like this one. i think black people should stop trying to teach white people about themselves — because we’ll always know them better then they know them.
June 15, 2019
Wow, this was tough and good. Its two poem cycles, the first one is the thoughts of an imaginary black man whom a white woman blamed when she killed her kids. As such, it lets you into the many ways in which the other and the black man is a scapegoat and all the fears put on him and how that feels to him (as they are undeserved).
The second cycle is Running Man about a smart kid who becomes a killer.
These are intense but also readable. These poems let us enter into a fuller world ... the one we all live in.
The second cycle is Running Man about a smart kid who becomes a killer.
These are intense but also readable. These poems let us enter into a fuller world ... the one we all live in.
May 9, 2021
Excellent audio production about the 9 days after Susan Smith falsely accused an imagined kidnapper of taking her 2 sons. The production creates the perpetrator, who Smith said was "a Black male," and gives "him" a voice. His voice takes us through all the stereotypes and ignorant beliefs of the brutal imagination of society and how this belief has hindered African American males for years. Fascinating listen, excellent writing, and a great performance. Please note: it's a dramatic performance. Keep that in mind while you listen.
April 30, 2024
A collection of poems from the viewpoint the imaginary Black man Susan Smith created to cover up the murder of her children.
from How I Got Born: "When called, I come. / My job is to get things done. / I am piecemeal. / I make my living by taking things."
from My Face: "If you are caught / In my part of town / After dark, / You are not lost; / You are abandoned."
from What I'm Made Of: "Susan fills my lungs with air, / But what do I breathe out? / Parchment, ink, low growls, the / Blank gap between words."
from How I Got Born: "When called, I come. / My job is to get things done. / I am piecemeal. / I make my living by taking things."
from My Face: "If you are caught / In my part of town / After dark, / You are not lost; / You are abandoned."
from What I'm Made Of: "Susan fills my lungs with air, / But what do I breathe out? / Parchment, ink, low growls, the / Blank gap between words."
May 20, 2024
One is cautious approaching a book titled, "Brutal Imagination." But after the very first poem, I get it. It examines much in our current history and treatment of people of color. Here is part of the first poem:
Intro: The speaker is the young black man Susan Smith (remember her?) claimed kidnapped her children.
How I Got Born
Though it's common belief
That Susan Smith willed me alive
At the moment
Her babies sank into the lake.
And this mother needs me clothed. (Susan's description of me, my insert only.)
In hand-me-downs
And a knit cap
Intro: The speaker is the young black man Susan Smith (remember her?) claimed kidnapped her children.
How I Got Born
Though it's common belief
That Susan Smith willed me alive
At the moment
Her babies sank into the lake.
And this mother needs me clothed. (Susan's description of me, my insert only.)
In hand-me-downs
And a knit cap
April 3, 2021
The first section of the book is wonderfully written and very in-depth. The combination of criminology with the art of perspective in the poetry was incredible to read. However, the selection of poems to portray a portion of Running Man didn’t explain enough of the story in my opinion. I understand that he still wants you to enjoy that on its own, but I feel as though the selection could have made a bit more sense. Overall a wonderful book and poet.
February 15, 2019
this has moments of genius, but every. single. line is capitalized irregardless of whether the sentence is over which is just a huge pet peeve of mine? also i feel like the last section really needs some context bc it was a play suddenly but like, without any setting or characters. first half was great, though.
July 29, 2020
I always have a hard time rating poetry but yet I still enjoy poetry.
I also like using it as a between from one book to the next.
The first part is a black man accused of crime he didn't commit.
The second half is a black man that chose crime as though he had no other choice.
It was interesting poetry and very interestingly done.
I also like using it as a between from one book to the next.
The first part is a black man accused of crime he didn't commit.
The second half is a black man that chose crime as though he had no other choice.
It was interesting poetry and very interestingly done.
February 2, 2021
This collection of poems is inspired! I have never before read a collection of poems that build on each other to form a story. I couldn’t put it down! Eady’s language is so simple and stripped down yet rich with meaning, symbolism, and scorching observations on race in America. I highly highly recommend this poet!
January 16, 2023
I think this book may have made Eady my favorite poet. I had never heard of him before picking this book up at my local library's used book sale and I will be forever grateful that I did. This is one of those books that makes you want to become a better writer because you can feel the emotion behind every word. I am definitely going to have to look into some of his other poetry collections!
August 21, 2023
This was amaaaaazing!
What an intriguing concept. And I agree with the people who, at the time of the murders, thought, well, maybe they don't find the guy, but they damn sure would find that car. The whole nation was looking for it!
I love, love, LOVE the concept of how the black guy came into being/was created when Susan Smith opened her mouth and lied.
What an intriguing concept. And I agree with the people who, at the time of the murders, thought, well, maybe they don't find the guy, but they damn sure would find that car. The whole nation was looking for it!
I love, love, LOVE the concept of how the black guy came into being/was created when Susan Smith opened her mouth and lied.
January 23, 2024
I often reread this book, and it always takes my breath away. Why it didn't win every award given in 2001 is beyond me. The first cycle of poems in the book tells the story of Susan Smith murdering her children (true story from the time period) from the point of view of the Black man she made up and accused of the murder.
July 29, 2018
A collection about race and the repercussions of lying, these poems are complex and deep. The poet is a brilliant writer and the way he wrote these out makes you feel the pain he wants to express over being black and how it is living in this country.
May 16, 2021
This a chilling account of the Susan Smith murder of her two sons. Rotating between the actual words of Smith and the imaginings of every Black man it will transport you to the time and place of the crime. Less than an hour, this audio book, it is worth your listen.
September 2, 2021
“Since her fear is my blood
And her need part mythical,
Everything she says about me is true.”
That’s how page 6 ends. Bang.
This is powerful. And although it’s from 2001, it feels ripped from the headlines.
And her need part mythical,
Everything she says about me is true.”
That’s how page 6 ends. Bang.
This is powerful. And although it’s from 2001, it feels ripped from the headlines.
July 21, 2018
a book of poetry i actually liked
October 27, 2019
When the invented black murderer of Susan Smith tells the story of his "birth" in the form of poetry, you take notice. Thank you, Cornelius.
February 2, 2020
I have no words! This book left me breathless and without words. I find myself often returning to to think with and through it, especially the poem, sex by running man. Very powerful read.
May 11, 2021
This was a very random read...had no idea what it was going in but it was free on audible plus. Wow...I'm not generally a fan of books written in this style but this surprised me. Very powerful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews