Silencer: Poems

by Marcus Wicker

Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Oddisee meet traditional verse in this urgent collection of poems by Pushcart Prize winner and NAACP Image Award finalist Marcus Wicker.

A suburban park, church, a good job, a cocktail party for the literati: to many, these sound like safe places, but for a young black man these insular spaces don’t keep out the news—and the actual threat—of gun violence and police brutality, or the biases that keeps body, property, and hope in the crosshairs. Continuing conversations begun by Citizen and Between the World and Me, Silencer sings out the dangers of unspoken taboos present on quiet Midwestern cul-de-sacs and in stifling professional settings, the dangers in closing the window on “a rainbow coalition of cops doing calisthenics around/a six-foot, three-hundred-fifty-pound man, choked back into the earth for what/looked a lot, to me, like sport.”

Here, the language and cadences of hip-hop and academia meet prayer—these poems are crucibles, from which emerge profound allegories and subtle elegies, sharp humor and incisive critiques.

Genres: Poetry, Race, African American, Fiction

70 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 5, 2017

About the author

Marcus Wicker is the recipient of a Ruth Lilly Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation, a Pushcart Prize, The Missouri Review's Miller Audio Prize, as well as fellowships from Cave Canem, and the Fine Arts Work Center. His first collection Maybe the Saddest Thing (Harper Perennial), a National Poetry Series winner, was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. Wicker's poems have appeared in The Nation, Poetry, American Poetry Review, Oxford American, and Boston Review. His second book, Silencer—also an Image Award finalist—was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2017 and won the Society of Midland Authors Award, as well as the Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for New Voices. Marcus teaches in the MFA program at the University of Memphis, and he is the poetry editor of Southern Indiana Review.

Reviews

[Roxane · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is not a moment in this book when you are allowed to forget the complexities of a black man's life in America. These poems evoke so much--strength, beauty, passion, fear. There is the quiet, ironic pleasure of life on a cul-de-sac juxtaposed with the tensions of always wondering when a police officer's gun or fists might get in the way of the black body. The stylistic range of these poems, the wit, and the intelligence of them offers so much to be admired. There is nothing silent about Silencer. What an outstanding second book from Marcus Wicker.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is it like to be a black man in midwestern America? Marcus Wicker answers that question in these poems, from microaggressions at a party to interactions with a colleague. He is in deliberate conversation with many writers, but specifically the works Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine. Both of these works are specifically mentioned on the notes page to this volume of poems, where you will also find the context for each poem and a playlist.

I fully expect this to be on the National Book Award list this upcoming year. It is relevant and manages to be both universal and an individual experience. The poems are dense and sometimes abstract, and demand your focus.

You can preview a few on the digital EP but the entire volume comes out September 12.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy through Edelweiss!

[Jonfaith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found these staggered experiments in verse to be challenging. Thematically I found them to be about perception, the enhanced aura of the consumer and its attendant prestige. There is also the daily micro aggressions which enrage. There is finally the lethal suppositions that regard all black people as criminal offenders, and what consequently becomes a proportionate response. This was probably a 2.5 star collection for me.

My curiosity was engaged when I discovered that the poet was from southern Indiana, though I only explored as far as The Paris Review interview.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"... No black mass
incarceration rate because, no whit-masked
grandparents. No wide masts. No hoods
but neighbors. Just us. All of us left
with the age-old problem of how best to
love each other."

[Hapzydeco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using quick-flowing, inspired verse, Marcus Wicker portrays the life of today’s African American. These poems are best read aloud.

[Tammy V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up browsing in the library in the poetry section. When I sat down to read it, I flipped through to the back and the poem didn't make sense to me. So I started at the beginning and was having the same problem until I realized that some of these are spoken work/rap poems and you have to "hear" them differently in your head than the poetry I'm used to reading.

So i read them again.

A 2nd read put me in a more receptive frame of mind.. I persisted just for the experience. And once I'd read a few and had the rhythm going in my head, it was much easier.

There is spoken word/rap, "regular" versed and prose poetry in the collection. You get a pretty good taste of his writing. Feels like a lot of anger just behind/below the words. That tension makes it a good read.

excerpt:
No chain link fences leapt in a single bound. No juke
move Nike Commercial, speeding bullet Skittles-hued
Cross Trainers. No brown skin Adonis weaving trails of
industrial Vaseline down a cobblestone street. Heisman-shucking
trash receptacles. Grand Jete over the little blue recycling
bin, a prism of clouds rising beneath his feet. Nobody all fucked
in boot cuffs wide enough to cloak court-appointed thethers....

***
The danger in consuming the Grey Poupon is believing
that you, too, can be a first-generation member of the elite,
turning your nose up at soul music, simple joy, fried foods,
casual Fridays - essentially everything I'm made of. But because
it feels mischievous I sometimes indulge the Dream. Pretend
as if I'm one of the gang given over to rigorously lazy readings
of Foucault, Foster Wallace, or whoever -the-fuck, because
being true only to the concerns of my own choosing could prove
to be a welcome luxury. Because I'll always favor the mirage
to a mouth, booted in by spurs.....

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful book of poetry that had my mind all over the place. I was questioning things throughout the entire book and would recommend this work to any poetry lover.

[Wyntir White · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
I so badly want to give this book five stars. But I rated it right after I finished it, mear hours before I left to meet Mr. Wicker himself. It is because of this encounter with the poet that I have a much higher appreciation for the poems than I did before.
I feel it is important to say that I do not enjoy poetry on any given day. This book was gifted to me and since I was going to meet the man who wrote it I felt it was the least I could do to read it in it's entirety.
Frankly I struggle reading poetry but reading this book out loud gave me the opportunity to expirament with how I read in general.
Then learning about Marcus Wicker and how he wrote this book I feel it is truly worthy of five stars. My reason for not changing it is because this is how I felt after reading it, when Wicker was nothing more than a semi-faceless author.
The poems in the book deal with the most relevant of topics to today; such as racism, religion, and police shootings. I enjoyed his use of wording and thought he painted a brilliant picture.
I wouldn't have looked twice at this book had I seen it in a book store but I love that it was forced upon me.
I recommend this book to those who love poetry and are (at least vaguely) well versed in the struggles of today and want to read some brutally honest and beautiful works of literary art.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I metabolize rage,/ almost all of the time.”

“& you think I can stop praying? When my lover locks/
our pinkies in a crowded art gallery, I praise the body, praise/
every kissable knuckle, every painstakingly etched wave/
in a fingerprint, & you think I could take a host for granted/
o center of every body? O, all-knowing ebbless red sea/
I want to look in your face & live this beautifully always./
O metacarpal, proximal, o distant phalange, all-powerful finger/
In a breastplate, touch me light as a feather, please, jog in place.”

Two pillars of this astounding collection, polar but not opposite, transversed between and often inhabited simultaneously by Wicker in the space of a poem. Full of salt and spit and tender grace. I raged and laughed and swooned with him.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marcus Wicker created something so special with Silencer. Every poem leapt off the page, and each stanza was filled with so much intention and gravity, no matter the subject matter. I often try to read collections like this in a few sittings so that I can think about each piece longer, but I couldn't put this one down.

Also, I'm still reeling as I think about that Will Smith poem. It was so short and yet every single line was BITING!!!!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Olivia Bacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really inventive poetry, especially the crown of sonnets. Loved the language and the description, really made me think. Not what I usually read, but the author has a great voice.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incisive poems, mostly focused on the nature of faith or the inherent struggle between blackness and suburbia. Gorgeous, evocative, and powerful.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this poetry collection that never lets you let your guard down. The author touches on the personal, political and pop-cultural with equal defiance.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not good at reviewing poetry. How do you review feelings and aren't emotions what good poetry touches? This collection of poems covers many hard (and some light) topics, ones that I cannot understand the way the author does. But they make me think, to try and see life through his lens of his experience which is so different from mine. In particular, his poem "Watch Us Elocute" was troubling for me to read. Written following the AME church shooting in 2015 the poem highlights some of the slights that African American's face by well-meaning, but oblivious whites. It made me pause and think what slights have I done, unintentionally but still hurtful, maybe even in this review? We can be so unaware of what we do. One think poetry can do is act as a mirror, a special mirror that highlights a small snapshot of a life, event or time and these poems are particularly good at doing this.

I won this book in a Goodreads' giveaway, but the opinions are all my own.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a collection of poetry in years; the only reason I did now is due the reading challenge I'm participating in. I was blown away by the lyrical nature of Marcus Wicker's writing. As a middle class white woman, I don't know what it's like to be a black man, so I loved seeing the world from a different perspective, as difficult as that perspective may be. However, Wicker's writing did resonate with me. I may be middle class and white, but I'm from the Ozarks and speak with a southern accent; those two things, in the eyes of many, make me stupid and a hick. In fact, a recent Washington Post article, the area I live was openly disparaged in such a bigoted way, it was disheartening. However, this is just a taste of what men like Wicker live with every day.

I could relate to his writing, yet was pushed out of my comfort zone. This is one of the best books I've read in years.

[Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marcus Wickers writes poems about being a black man in America and living in the Midwest suburbs, working in academia. I have no experience with any of this, but his writing still reaches you. Maybe you, like me, cannot relate or understand his day-to-day, but you can definitely appreciate his poems (that often read like lyrical journals). His writing is personal and expressive, two things vital for poetry, and this collection is one of the most original things I've read in quite a while.

Want to read some poetry? Read this

[Godfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit it; I bought this book because of the beautiful Kehinde Wiley painting on the cover. But I love it because of the content. To spend an afternoon with Wicker's work is, in his own words and taken out of context, "to be baptized in palpable comfort."

[Lindsay Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I mean. WOW. WOW. WOW.

[Courtney LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of poems about identity, being Black in America, survival, pop culture, and family.

from Prayer on Aladdin's Lamp: "Grant me / a Moleskin pad & a ballpoint pen / with some mass. Grant me your gift / of this voice. Pages & pages / of this voice, in a good book / from a loving press. & grant me / a great love, too. Grant a way / to provide for my love. Like, / a tenure-track job / at a small college in the Midwest. / The kind with poems / & papers to read. With hoodies / running in & out of my office. / Deadlines, paychecks, & / an OK 401(k). Grant me / everything, Lord. Not today. / But before 28. Be Bulldozer. / Genie. Let every prayer avalanche / me into dust, blank matter. Debris. / Make me worthy. O Lord, make me me."

from On Being Told Prayer Is a Crutch: "We know // too much, or want to. / Not the Bible, but the i- / Phone tells us so. // Devotion doesn't work / that way but it does."

[Elliot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really solid collection from Wicker. The language has punch, the metaphors are fresh, and the poems are emotionally resonate. This was a fantastic collection to read right now, while movements like Black Lives Matter bring more coverage to topics like police violence, which this book addresses. Wicker really brings home his experiences as a black man in America, and his words cut me to the quick. I'm thankful to have read this. The only reason I'm not rating this higher is just a matter of personal taste - there are numerous poems in here that speak to faith and God, and I just don't connect to that experience. If you are looking for quality poetry collections that speak about race Silencer should absolutely be included on any list.

Many thanks to Mariner for the review copy.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silencer is lyrical, passionate poetry about what it means to be an African American male while also talking about his faith. Perhaps we cannot understand what Wicker has lived or how he can have faith after what he lives but it cries out that if we are to change anything we must try.

I don't often read poetry but I'm trying to read more out of my regular genres. I saw this one in a local store and the cover looked intriguing and the description on the back called to me that I had to buy and read.

Read this if you are open to new ideas, if you want to be moved, or if you are called to begin a dialogue of change. Don't read if you hate poetry, hip-hop or race issues.

[Brendan]

Rating: 3 1/2

Poetry about being black in America, God, life in suburbia, etc. A lot of references to hip hop musicians: L.L. Cool J., Kendrick Lamar, Tupac Shakur, etc.

Favorites:
"Ars Poetica Battle Rhyme for Really Wannabe Somebodies"
"Stumped Speech on the Internet"

Cashier holding my twenty up to the light to see if it's real money. Like I'd be shopping at Walmart if I could counterfeit money.
- "Blue Faces"

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dont usually read poetry, so this read was very out of my comfort zone and i find it difficult to rate. It was a very challenging and an emotional experience, i cried a few times. There was imagery so vivid it stunned me, and at other points i simply didn't understand anything, i'm unsure if this was due to english being my second language (i learned so many words with Silencer!) or experiences not being my own, references being out of my scope. Would strongly recommend.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the hip-hop rhythms and the intense play with sound in these poems. Wicker's craft is tight and impressive. My favorite poems were the ones detailing microagressions toward the speaker and the ones about the speaker's struggle with faith. I wanted more emotional depth and more relationships, thus the three stars. A good read overall.

[Rich Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some really powerful poems in here that ask questions around what it means to be black and live and work (in academia) in white suburbs. There is a lot of good things going on in this poetry as far as poetically identifying inequalities and challenging views on safety here. This is one that I'd like to reread with a more critical eye.

[Bryan Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like your contemporary poetry in the style that could be read at an open mic poetry slam, or over a slow, bass-heavy hip hop beat, then you'll enjoy this collection. I do, and I did. Wicker overs some weighty ground here, deftly navigating cultural/political/economic themes in tightly-wound verse that almost requires multiple readings to fully appreciate.

[Sharon Layburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a slim collection of poems, Silencer certainly packs a punch.
Touching upon history, current events, and future hopes, Wicker has a voice that needs to be heard.

With thanks to Mariner Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I come from a long braid of dangerous men who learned to talk their way out of small compartments."

Everything that needs to be said about the current situation in our world pieced together in beautiful verse.

[Shanique Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

The poems here run the gamut of the (American) black male experience, touching everything from respectability politics, police brutality, love, emotion, racism, family, and the American dream. So real.