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for the love of black girls
Tatiana M.R. Johnson’s first collection of poems is a love letter to black girls everywhere. “for the love of black girls” makes visible the pain and magic that is growing up a black girl in America by recalling her own coming-of-age story and chanting that black women are present, lovable and anything but invisible.
Reviews:
“I know I am alive and important enough to live forever because Tatiana’s poems suggest I am so. Her work exists on a plane that is innately spiritual, black and female. She pours into me a sweetness that is unparalleled; one that breaks open parts of me and allow other parts to feel whole. Each line break and choice in diction sparks a jolt that reverberates long after I’ve left Johnson’s work. Her words remind me of cool morning dew on grass; naturally beautiful, deeply intricate, and designed only by god. Enjoy.”
- Porsha Olayiwola, 2014 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion and 2015 National Poetry Slam Champion, Fog Machine Press
“Tatiana M.R. Johnson’s poetry reclaims the language of faith, so often melded into something reductive against the body. Johnson says we give birth to ourselves, again. again and throughout this collection she does that again and again. She ends on the poem “Psalm for black girls” where she says breathe in this truth of yourself and suddenly, somewhere, there are bells ringing. Do you hear them? She did that. Her forms build upon and call to each other while still leaving room for surprise. There is a femme strength emphasized here, the implication of the christian Madonna and then the reveal of the poet’s self as her own Madonna. Her own Black femme magic making a new church. This book is a realm where the love of the self is the only prayer, and sisterhood is the holiest spirit. I am thankful for the Black women in my life, how they fight for everyone while the world pushes against them. I am thankful for the love Black girls give. I am thankful for Tatiana M.R. Johnson, whose voice is a hymn, arms open. I never want to stop listening.”
- Jess Rizkallah, author of "the magic my body becomes"
“There is a power in naming, in setting the record straight, in saying this is and was not what happened to you; that ultimately, you are not a product of circumstance, not an inherited history, but rather a "forever haunting," an "ever-evolving-black girl," "all the beauty in yourself." Tatiana Johnson's "for the love of black girls" sets the record straight. These are poems to liberate, to extol, to recognize the beauty of black girls and of black girlhood, ever shinning, ever beautiful, ever true. Tatiana Johnson writes again and again into the moments where the world sought to render black girlhood an inadequacy, and finds beauty within herself. This is a must read.”
- Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah, editor, pizza pi press
Reviews:
“I know I am alive and important enough to live forever because Tatiana’s poems suggest I am so. Her work exists on a plane that is innately spiritual, black and female. She pours into me a sweetness that is unparalleled; one that breaks open parts of me and allow other parts to feel whole. Each line break and choice in diction sparks a jolt that reverberates long after I’ve left Johnson’s work. Her words remind me of cool morning dew on grass; naturally beautiful, deeply intricate, and designed only by god. Enjoy.”
- Porsha Olayiwola, 2014 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion and 2015 National Poetry Slam Champion, Fog Machine Press
“Tatiana M.R. Johnson’s poetry reclaims the language of faith, so often melded into something reductive against the body. Johnson says we give birth to ourselves, again. again and throughout this collection she does that again and again. She ends on the poem “Psalm for black girls” where she says breathe in this truth of yourself and suddenly, somewhere, there are bells ringing. Do you hear them? She did that. Her forms build upon and call to each other while still leaving room for surprise. There is a femme strength emphasized here, the implication of the christian Madonna and then the reveal of the poet’s self as her own Madonna. Her own Black femme magic making a new church. This book is a realm where the love of the self is the only prayer, and sisterhood is the holiest spirit. I am thankful for the Black women in my life, how they fight for everyone while the world pushes against them. I am thankful for the love Black girls give. I am thankful for Tatiana M.R. Johnson, whose voice is a hymn, arms open. I never want to stop listening.”
- Jess Rizkallah, author of "the magic my body becomes"
“There is a power in naming, in setting the record straight, in saying this is and was not what happened to you; that ultimately, you are not a product of circumstance, not an inherited history, but rather a "forever haunting," an "ever-evolving-black girl," "all the beauty in yourself." Tatiana Johnson's "for the love of black girls" sets the record straight. These are poems to liberate, to extol, to recognize the beauty of black girls and of black girlhood, ever shinning, ever beautiful, ever true. Tatiana Johnson writes again and again into the moments where the world sought to render black girlhood an inadequacy, and finds beauty within herself. This is a must read.”
- Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah, editor, pizza pi press
52 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 11, 2017
13 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Tatiana Johnson-Boria
3 books14 followersTatiana (she/her) is the author of the forthcoming book Nocturne in Joy (2023). She’s an educator and expert facilitator who uses her writing practice to dismantle racism, reckon with trauma, and to cultivate healing. She’s an award-winning writer who’s received distinguished fellowships from Tin House, The Massachusetts Cultural Council, The MacDowell Residency, and others.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 25, 2018
this was outstanding. i actually enjoyed this collection and understood which seems to be rare these days.
December 1, 2018
my favorite poems were:
- to my 13-year-old self at her purity ball
- high risk heterosexual behavior
- holy women
- there was a black woman once
- origin story of surviving
- to my 13-year-old self at her purity ball
- high risk heterosexual behavior
- holy women
- there was a black woman once
- origin story of surviving
read-in-2017
September 9, 2017A chapbook of love to light up your day.
Read
January 15, 2019Feels a bit too short to properly rate, but enjoyable none-the-less.
May 10, 2018
Magical. Moving. Empowering.
Standout poems for me were:
add half & half for sweetness
to my 13-year-old self at her purity ball
holy women
origin story of surviving
and
psalm for black girls
Standout poems for me were:
add half & half for sweetness
to my 13-year-old self at her purity ball
holy women
origin story of surviving
and
psalm for black girls
December 25, 2022
I really enjoyed this collection of coming of age poems! Also high risk heterosexual behavior HIT ME LIKE A TRUCK I teared up for sure
September 14, 2020
everytime i find a poetry book based on black living i am ALWAYS disappointed and this wasnt any different :'(
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews