Point Blank: Poems

by Alan King

"In Point Blank, we are given an intimate look at one man's inner and outer life, but there's no navel-gazing nonsense. There's always an awareness, implied or explicit, of the sociopolitical crucible. With language both tough-minded and celebratory, Alan King ignites the important details of his experience, compelling us to ask what-plus-what added up to our own lives." TIM SEIBLES, author of Fast Animal and One Turn Around the Sun

"Alan King is one of my favorite up-and-coming poets of his generation. His poems are not pop and flash, rather more like a slow dance with someone you're going to love forever. Here you will find poignant slices of life, so bright in a rough age of race killings and hate speech. He reminds us that what matters has always mattered." JOY HARJO, poet, musician, performer, and teacher

Genres: Poetry

102 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 2017

About the author

Alan King is a Caribbean American, whose parents emigrated from Trinidad and Tobago to the U.S. in the 1970s. He’s a husband, father, and communications professional who blogs about art and social issues at alanwking.com. A Cave Canem graduate fellow, he holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the Stonecoast Program at the University of Southern Maine. He’s a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee and was also nominated three times for a Best of the Net selection. He lives with his family in Bowie, Maryland.

Reviews

[Tori (InToriLex) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating 3.5

Content Warning: Racism

I really enjoyed these eclectic poems about coming of age and experiencing adversity and tragedy. The author does a great job of creating imagery and atmosphere throughout his poems. The dialogue used flowed naturally and allowed me to be more immersed with the topics described. I was engaged in this short collection the whole way through, even when I couldn't directly relate to the experiences described.

"Thats when the world becomes scarier, when you discover the darkness that lurks outside your "Happy Meal" life, when you learn danger needs little to combust and consume whatevers's in its way."

I was happy to gain more insight on the authors life.Throughout the poems themes and topics I appreciate the candidness involved. Although there were a few poems I didn't get I understand that poetry is meant for different audiences and reaches people differently. I would recommend this collection to readers who enjoy well thought out reflections on how black men survive tragedy and face our unwelcoming world.

Lawd, this world's too ugly for sober eyes. All those souls outside of paradise, anticipating the other side

Recommended for Readers who
- enjoy poetry that explores important social topics
- want to learn more about the experiences of black men
- appreciate perspectives shared by own voice writers

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan King is one of our nation's lesser-known poetic voices, but his is a voice that should be broadcast widely. Listen to his musical stanzas, his rapping rhythms, his laser-sharp cultural insights, his passionate heart beating, and I dare you to forget his message or his unique wisdom. I've been a fan since Drift. A poet to watch.

[Jawanza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan King has a unique voice. His poems are jam-packed with the everyday struggles of black men growing up and trying to survive in America. Every one of his poems tells a beautiful, funny or painful story. There are frequent references to hip-hop, racial profiling, Caribbean food and comic book characters. I have never read anyone quite like him, but his work bears a family resemblance to the work of Tim Seibles, Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib, John Murillo, Marcus Wicker and Roger Reeves.

[Scot Ehrhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

King's poetry is accessible and heightened at the same time. His language is direct and sharply-crafted. There's bitter truth in here, and humor. It's a lovely balance of saying something important and not being self-inflated. My high school students (of different races) resonate with this book.

[Katy Vendetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book by the poet author, Alan King, to review. I think these kinds of poems are timely and needed at this moment in our history. King invites his readers into his life in such a vulnerable and authentic way.
I loved a lot of the references and metaphors. Food is probably my favorite of his imagery. I can almost smell the food cooking in the kitchen - the coconut and okra. His parents are immigrants from Trinidad and Tobago which seems to play heavily in with the food. It made it feel welcoming and homey, nostalgic for family.
Some of my favorite poems were about his family. "The Hostess" about his mom welcoming his dad home with food. "The Listener" about his aunt and how her memories live on in the small reminders around him.
But they also described his perspective on racism and racial profiling. "Striptease" is not what it sounds like it would be like. It's about his cousin being accused of shoplifting. But the vulnerable wordplay is raw and honest.
Also, he has some comic book references, which I can relate to, as I like the superhero comics. "Hulk" which is the first poem in the book was really good about stereotypes put on black men (and I love the twist at the end).
There are a few poems with profanity, and there is some sexual and violent content in some of the poems as well, but as a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend it to those who want to broaden their perspective and understand what it is like for black males and immigrants and sons of immigrants. Very good work.

[Elliot · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in all a really enjoyable collection. I especially enjoyed the poems contrasting what it means to be black in America as opposed to Trinidad & Tobago where his parents grew up. There are many astute observations about race in here, but there are also plenty of poems about youth, manhood, family, romance, and even several about comic books. A well rounded collection with a strong voice and snappy metaphors. Well worth the read.

[Nancy Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Point blank took me on a journey of beauty and truth through the disciplined keen eye of King’s observation, reflection, and personal life experience. A moment-to-moment account not unlike meditation seeking to engage the reader in the full smorgasbord of life with all its searing pain and exhilarating joys. Reading this work brought me closer to humanity’s points of connection while the differences faded away. There is a quiet power in King’s work that made me want to pay more attention to life and experience it with the magnifying glass that King utilizes on himself and the world around him. King’s work is a delight to read encouraging the reader to develop roots in the here-and-now.

[Cortney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this! From the shuddering trees that gripped me in King's opening poem, to the carefree tree shrugging at the end, the poems in Point Blank held me with their honesty, beauty, and playfulness. This collection gets right at it.

[Joseph Spuckler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan King is a poet. He wants to be known as a poet. He seems to be recognized as an African-American poet with the emphasis on African American. This comes out early with "Sure, You Can Ask Me About Hip Hop" and re-enforced with "The Brute" about the boss who asked him, by the wrong name, to read poetry at a company function but "Don't get too Black with it." It is the stereotypes that run through society from police stops to being served in restaurants that prevent someone from being accepted as simply a person without hyphens. King wants to be recognized by the commonalities:

...I am from charcoal scented
summers and whiskey breathed evenings
when the wind stumbles on its way
to the next barbecue...

He focuses on relationships and family. Childhood memories come flooding back. He also thinks of his health and things we all do that we shouldn't  -- from soda to greasy foods. But apples and bananas do come to the "rescue."  King's heritage softly comes into play through his parents and food, especially curry.  The poems are real poetry and not current platitudes that are played off as poetry.  There is art in King's writing and unity in his voice. 

[Courtney LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of poetry with themes of family, racism, police violence, growing up and surviving while being a Black man in America.

from Hulk: "Even the trees shudder / at the sight of me walking / the streets at night. // They tremble / as if I'm a defect."

from Bloom: "My mind became a house / I tried to get in order: / what I didn't know about myself / were unlabeled boxes / waiting to be hoisted / into a delivery van"