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A Love Song, A Death Rattle, A Battle Cry
One part mixtape, one part disorientation guide, and one part career retrospective, Kyle "Guante" Tran Myhre's debut looks you directly in the eye and doesn't let you flinch. Ranging from justice to love, community action to personal reflection, A Love Song, A Death Rattle, A Battle Cry is a dedication to a craft. Clocking in before the rest of us are even awake, the book wastes no time. It does the work and beckons you to follow. A compilation of poems, lyrics and essays from the UN presenter, MC, and two-time National Poetry Slam champion, this book is a love song tucked into a grenade, a necessary call that demands a response.
- GenresPoetryNonfictionPolitics
180 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2016
53 people are currently reading
848 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 24, 2018
Five years ago, a pair of composition students stayed behind after a class discussion and showed me a series of "slam poems" on Youtube. ( I think we had discussed gender stereotypes that day.)
The poems those students shared with me included "OCD" by Neil Hilborn, "21" by Patrick Roche, "Hierarchy" by Miles Walser, and "Ten Responses to the Phrase Man Up," by Guante.
These poems blew me away. I had never seen or heard any of them. (Although I was familiar with and fond of a slam poet by the name of Patricia Smith and was already using her poem "What It's Like to Be a Black Girl" in my classrooms as both a discussion piece and writing assignment.)
These two students couldn't get enough slam poems. They were amped, far more amped about these poems than the composition textbook we were using that semester. Go figure.
What ensued was an hour-long discussion about what the poets had done with their art, the hows and whys, and I have since then brought these (and other contemporary spoken word poems) into my composition and creative writing classrooms in hopes of provoking critical thinking and empowering creative expression. It works. They work. Students react. Positive. Negative. They react. They respond. They want to write. Finally. They want to share their writing with each other.
Moving forward, I will use Guante's book as a primary text.
Here, we have transcripts of the poet's most famous spoken word poems as well as corresponding discussion questions and writing prompts. The essays in this book also provide thinking points. (As an aside, I am already teaching a "Ten Responses to . . ." (Fill-in-the-Blank) assignment that is both popular with students and successful as an example of "persuasive writing." I encourage other educators to give it a shot.) I am grateful for A Love Song, A Death Rattle, A Battle Cry. I am grateful for this artist and activist. I am grateful for this artistic platform. I am grateful for the all the learning opportunities and outcomes. I am also grateful to that pair of students five years ago.
Thank you.
XO.
The poems those students shared with me included "OCD" by Neil Hilborn, "21" by Patrick Roche, "Hierarchy" by Miles Walser, and "Ten Responses to the Phrase Man Up," by Guante.
These poems blew me away. I had never seen or heard any of them. (Although I was familiar with and fond of a slam poet by the name of Patricia Smith and was already using her poem "What It's Like to Be a Black Girl" in my classrooms as both a discussion piece and writing assignment.)
These two students couldn't get enough slam poems. They were amped, far more amped about these poems than the composition textbook we were using that semester. Go figure.
What ensued was an hour-long discussion about what the poets had done with their art, the hows and whys, and I have since then brought these (and other contemporary spoken word poems) into my composition and creative writing classrooms in hopes of provoking critical thinking and empowering creative expression. It works. They work. Students react. Positive. Negative. They react. They respond. They want to write. Finally. They want to share their writing with each other.
Moving forward, I will use Guante's book as a primary text.
Here, we have transcripts of the poet's most famous spoken word poems as well as corresponding discussion questions and writing prompts. The essays in this book also provide thinking points. (As an aside, I am already teaching a "Ten Responses to . . ." (Fill-in-the-Blank) assignment that is both popular with students and successful as an example of "persuasive writing." I encourage other educators to give it a shot.) I am grateful for A Love Song, A Death Rattle, A Battle Cry. I am grateful for this artist and activist. I am grateful for this artistic platform. I am grateful for the all the learning opportunities and outcomes. I am also grateful to that pair of students five years ago.
Thank you.
XO.
August 20, 2018
I picked up this book because Guante is on my list of favorite MCs from the Midwest & I loved the reading his responses to his songs & poetry. The poetry was excellent & Guante is one hell of a motivator & activists for the arts.
The mock panel discussions were hilarious, but I stuggled with the essays merely because that type of writing has always been hard for me to read. Parts of this book felt like it was written for a college course. At first I was into it because it had been so long since I'd read anything like that, but by the end I remembered why I don't read essays consecutively about similar topics.
Still a great read & I'll be passing it along to friends!
The mock panel discussions were hilarious, but I stuggled with the essays merely because that type of writing has always been hard for me to read. Parts of this book felt like it was written for a college course. At first I was into it because it had been so long since I'd read anything like that, but by the end I remembered why I don't read essays consecutively about similar topics.
Still a great read & I'll be passing it along to friends!
October 5, 2018
A great resource for teachers of poetry or social justice issues.
I particularly loved the poetry section, especially since I was already a fan of Guante's work and have taught his poem "Ten Responses to the Phrase 'Man Up' in comp and poetry classes. I was excited to discover new work from him on toxic masculinity, rape culture and white supremacy; such poems were compelling. They explain these issues through use of metaphors and examples in a way that seems both accessible and perceptive. I know I have sometimes struggled for language to express these issues I am passionate about to an audience who might not be familiar with them; thus, Guante's work is not only great for student engagement but more conversations with friends and family and colleagues. Overall, I am excited to bring more of his work into my classroom. The poems hit hard and my students have really identified with his work in the past (often reluctant poetry / comp students respond really well to slam) and the discussion questions included in the book look quite helpful.
What's more, I am excited to include some of the essays into my comp or creative writing classroom. Currently, my comp students are writing papers on hip hop songs to learn more about social justice movements, and many of them are grappling with the question about pop culture's power or the choices we make about the art we consume.
I skimmed quite a bit though through the lyrics section though. I would have preferred that it be shorter or even not included at all. This might be my own bias, but I often think such lyrics seem cheesy on the page even though they can be extremely powerful when performed as intended. Likewise, a lot of the imagined interviews/roundtables felt flat to me. Interesting ideas, but overall not as thought provoking as the poems or more traditional essays.
I particularly loved the poetry section, especially since I was already a fan of Guante's work and have taught his poem "Ten Responses to the Phrase 'Man Up' in comp and poetry classes. I was excited to discover new work from him on toxic masculinity, rape culture and white supremacy; such poems were compelling. They explain these issues through use of metaphors and examples in a way that seems both accessible and perceptive. I know I have sometimes struggled for language to express these issues I am passionate about to an audience who might not be familiar with them; thus, Guante's work is not only great for student engagement but more conversations with friends and family and colleagues. Overall, I am excited to bring more of his work into my classroom. The poems hit hard and my students have really identified with his work in the past (often reluctant poetry / comp students respond really well to slam) and the discussion questions included in the book look quite helpful.
What's more, I am excited to include some of the essays into my comp or creative writing classroom. Currently, my comp students are writing papers on hip hop songs to learn more about social justice movements, and many of them are grappling with the question about pop culture's power or the choices we make about the art we consume.
I skimmed quite a bit though through the lyrics section though. I would have preferred that it be shorter or even not included at all. This might be my own bias, but I often think such lyrics seem cheesy on the page even though they can be extremely powerful when performed as intended. Likewise, a lot of the imagined interviews/roundtables felt flat to me. Interesting ideas, but overall not as thought provoking as the poems or more traditional essays.
July 2, 2020
I just finished this book of poetry, lyrics, and essays by Kyle Tran Myhre (Guante). A Love Song, A Death Rattle, A Battle Cry. This book definitely helped push my thinking about myself and the world around me in the direction it was heading. I definitely can fully understand the way I’ve branded myself for so long may not have been in the best interest for those around me. My jokes and humor were mostly at the expense of myself or people like me but I also used edgy humor at the expense of my friends that don’t look or act like me. Even though I’m almost always able to get people to laugh with me, is it always necessary to use offensive language to get people to like me? For this, I apologize to anyone I may have ever hurt. Even if it didn’t hurt you at the time or realized it hurt you and maybe you laughed or understood what I was doing with my positions, it’s not the best approach to convey my message or understanding. We all having changing within ourselves that we need to do or maybe we also just need to do more of what we’re doing well now, but I seek to help others change for the better because I know that I can change as well.
I recommend this book to everyone. This book could make a difference and I know by reading it, it appears has made a difference within me. I want to leave with a quote from one of the last essays as well as his website below where he has poems, videos of his music, poetry, and other items that are useful. Please at least try.
“Offensive images and words, over time, do help shape the world, especially when those images or words correspond with institutions that systematically oppress people.” from Eight Invalid Arguments Regarding Pop Culture and Offensiveness when discussing the argument that it’s just a song/movie/book/commercial/etc.
www.guante.info
I recommend this book to everyone. This book could make a difference and I know by reading it, it appears has made a difference within me. I want to leave with a quote from one of the last essays as well as his website below where he has poems, videos of his music, poetry, and other items that are useful. Please at least try.
“Offensive images and words, over time, do help shape the world, especially when those images or words correspond with institutions that systematically oppress people.” from Eight Invalid Arguments Regarding Pop Culture and Offensiveness when discussing the argument that it’s just a song/movie/book/commercial/etc.
www.guante.info
November 8, 2019
I was first introduced to Guante through Button Poetry's YouTube channel. They featured an amazing piece by him called, "10 Responses to the Phrase 'Man Up'". From there, I followed his social media and began to watch other pieces of his. When I saw that he had a book published I had to get it.
His poems are some of my favorites I've ever read - most times colourful, usually playful, and thought provoking, always. The essays here are great points of reflection also. The lyrics, I admit, I didn't read. I wanted to leave them for me to consume through his music.
Guante's commitment to community and a more self-reflective population as a whole is unrivaled. His exploration of self through a politicised lens of the world around him is never anything but humble and on point. This book was beautiful in its Art and strong in its messages. An amazing read especially if you value social justice and equality. This work is open and honest about not having all the answers but creating discussion and valuing the difficult process of growth.
His poems are some of my favorites I've ever read - most times colourful, usually playful, and thought provoking, always. The essays here are great points of reflection also. The lyrics, I admit, I didn't read. I wanted to leave them for me to consume through his music.
Guante's commitment to community and a more self-reflective population as a whole is unrivaled. His exploration of self through a politicised lens of the world around him is never anything but humble and on point. This book was beautiful in its Art and strong in its messages. An amazing read especially if you value social justice and equality. This work is open and honest about not having all the answers but creating discussion and valuing the difficult process of growth.
April 21, 2020
A love song is a book worth experiencing.
The first part is the poems section that deals with masculinity, passion, heritage, love, racism, and education among others.
Smalltalk is an incredibly powerful piece that gets the book off to the races. Its a quintessential Guante piece that encapsulates why he is a poet in the first place.
Then comes some beautifully written word in the form of The family business, which makes an analogy of our lives with chess.
We keep moving with some more unique topics in Starfish, and The spill. After which we get what's probably his most famous poem - Ten responses to the phrase Man Up.
To give you an idea of what it's like, here's the first response.
Please look for it on youtube and listen to the whole thing. It's worth your time.
The book is filled with such unique and incredible poems. Each with their own strengths and beauty.
Like Handshake
Or A prayer for indie rappers
Beyond the poems, the song and the essay sections didn't really cut it for me. They were weak, especially coming off the dazzling brilliance of the first hundred pages. Because of this, it was a lot more bloated than it should have been. But I won't take a star away because this book deserves nothing less than a perfect rating. Gift this collection to every man you know.
The first part is the poems section that deals with masculinity, passion, heritage, love, racism, and education among others.
Smalltalk is an incredibly powerful piece that gets the book off to the races. Its a quintessential Guante piece that encapsulates why he is a poet in the first place.
When my girlfriend’s parents ask me what I do for a living…
I pull a straight razor out of my back pocket
Give me ten dollars and I will let you keep this.
Not the finger. The moment. Give me ten dollars as tribute to the truth
that we once stood here, that I did something worth remembering; that
you, on this day, witnessed something larger than traffic, or storm clouds,
tell yourself that this day did not blur by, that this journal entry would be more
than an absent-minded doodle. For ten dollars, I will carve my initials into
your brainstem.
Then comes some beautifully written word in the form of The family business, which makes an analogy of our lives with chess.
I think the reason pawns can’t move backwards is
because if they could, they’d kill their own kings in a heartbeat.
Instead, we are forced to keep moving, believing we can get to the other
side and become royalty ourselves, but most likely dying on the way there,
sacrificed for a cause we don’t even understand
We keep moving with some more unique topics in Starfish, and The spill. After which we get what's probably his most famous poem - Ten responses to the phrase Man Up.
To give you an idea of what it's like, here's the first response.
1. Fuck you.
Please look for it on youtube and listen to the whole thing. It's worth your time.
The book is filled with such unique and incredible poems. Each with their own strengths and beauty.
Like Handshake
Some men, however, prefer a grip like a battle-axe mid swing, like ripping the
head off an antelope by tugging on the antlers. Some men treat every hand-
shake like a gladiator’s death-match, a test of strength, a test of will.
Is there a teddy bear, somewhere in your history, being ripped away from a pair
of hands that just aren’t strong enough.
Or A prayer for indie rappers
A good write-up in Pitchfork is nothing compared to a good obituary.
Beyond the poems, the song and the essay sections didn't really cut it for me. They were weak, especially coming off the dazzling brilliance of the first hundred pages. Because of this, it was a lot more bloated than it should have been. But I won't take a star away because this book deserves nothing less than a perfect rating. Gift this collection to every man you know.
February 27, 2018
Startling, intimate and tender imagery that shows insight into critical social issues.
March 30, 2018
A Must Read!!
There aren't words better put together into the poetry of the human soul, than those recorded in this book and spoken on the stage by Guante. He is, in my opinion, the voice of understanding about what hurts and heals the world today. A must read! Do not miss out on a better understanding of yourself through these poems.
There aren't words better put together into the poetry of the human soul, than those recorded in this book and spoken on the stage by Guante. He is, in my opinion, the voice of understanding about what hurts and heals the world today. A must read! Do not miss out on a better understanding of yourself through these poems.
March 8, 2019
A Love Song, A Death Rattle, A Battle Cry is a provocative and valuable read that became an instant favourite of mine. Through his collection of poems, songs and essays Guante tackles topics such as gender roles, privilege, rape culture and activism.
As Guante says in the introduction, the poems and songs included in this book are transcripts so I highly recommend listening to his music and watching his spoken word videos on YouTube for the full impact of the work.
Guante doesn't claim to have all of the solutions to the world's issues; instead he asks questions and opens up discussion. He inspires the reader to think about difficult topics, to consider their own privilege (or lack of) and how gender roles and rape culture effects them.
My (current) favourite poem in the book is 'Handshakes', which explores concepts of masculinity. A close second is 'Quicksand', which is paired with an essay entitled 'A Framework for How I Think About Social Media Supporting Social Movements' - Guante also performs 'Quicksand' as part of a Ted Talk where he discusses the relationship between art and activism which I highly recommend watching (link below).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zex8...
As Guante says in the introduction, the poems and songs included in this book are transcripts so I highly recommend listening to his music and watching his spoken word videos on YouTube for the full impact of the work.
Guante doesn't claim to have all of the solutions to the world's issues; instead he asks questions and opens up discussion. He inspires the reader to think about difficult topics, to consider their own privilege (or lack of) and how gender roles and rape culture effects them.
My (current) favourite poem in the book is 'Handshakes', which explores concepts of masculinity. A close second is 'Quicksand', which is paired with an essay entitled 'A Framework for How I Think About Social Media Supporting Social Movements' - Guante also performs 'Quicksand' as part of a Ted Talk where he discusses the relationship between art and activism which I highly recommend watching (link below).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zex8...
April 16, 2018
Loved it. His work is pretty much always phenomenal. I think it really helped to watch a few of his videos before reading the book because then I was able to picture him and the sort of tone he uses while I was reading. If you haven't heard his work before, I would suggest starting with "Ten Responses to the Phrase "Man Up" and just continuing down the rabbit hole after that. There's this one part that stuck with me from "The Family Business"; he states "Sometimes, I see that face and imagine that we are the servants entombed alive with the pharaoh, polishing someone else's gold while our oxygen runs out, dutifully preparing a grand feast for a god that will never be hungry."
I got this book from the library and normally when I do that, I don't end up buying the book. This one is going to be an exception.
I got this book from the library and normally when I do that, I don't end up buying the book. This one is going to be an exception.
April 29, 2023
What a gorgeous, unique collection of poetry, spoken word, essays, and songs. This was my first exposure to Guante and I absolutely love his style, talent, imagery, and emphasis on social justice. This poetry book was unlike anything I've encountered. You know those poetry books that you just wish had a bit more explanation after the poem about what the author was wrestling with as they wrote the poem? Guante includes extensive commentary following his poems that help the reader understand more of the context behind the poem. Furthermore, Guante has entire essays, creatively discussing various topics and written in a fun, narrative or prose way. So many of the poems made me rethink everything I knew about poetry. It was untraditional, beautiful, and inspiring. Guante does such an incredible job at challenging his readers/listeners to not just read and learn about social justice but to be a part of the movement of creating a more equal and just society. He uses his talent and his art to inspire a more beautiful society. I highly recommend reading along while listening to the audiobook because Guante's voice is powerful.
July 9, 2018
This book took me 3 whole months to finish and it’s not even that big...
Granted, I just haven’t been reading as much as I was before for some reason (the weather got nice?) but for a book that I’ve wanted for more than a year, seems odd to me.
I first discovered Guante, or Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre, as a baby high-schooler—stumbling down YouTube holes of spoken word videos from Button Poetry. And then he came to my college during my junior year where we dubbed him “Guant-bae” after he followed us all back on Twitter. This book is everything I love about spoken word. How it can be everything anyone wants it to be. There are some of my favorite spoken word pieces in here, one of which I showed at a work training during the privilege section. I “bookmarked” (because I don’t use bookmarks. Don’t @ me.) a song that—I have never listened to any of the actual songs, so I was making the beats and music up in my head—the lyrics were so....*grabby fingers, weird face, unintelligible sounds*. In the best way possible, of course
Guant-bae, you’ve done it again.
Granted, I just haven’t been reading as much as I was before for some reason (the weather got nice?) but for a book that I’ve wanted for more than a year, seems odd to me.
I first discovered Guante, or Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre, as a baby high-schooler—stumbling down YouTube holes of spoken word videos from Button Poetry. And then he came to my college during my junior year where we dubbed him “Guant-bae” after he followed us all back on Twitter. This book is everything I love about spoken word. How it can be everything anyone wants it to be. There are some of my favorite spoken word pieces in here, one of which I showed at a work training during the privilege section. I “bookmarked” (because I don’t use bookmarks. Don’t @ me.) a song that—I have never listened to any of the actual songs, so I was making the beats and music up in my head—the lyrics were so....*grabby fingers, weird face, unintelligible sounds*. In the best way possible, of course
Guant-bae, you’ve done it again.
September 19, 2017
All I can say is WOW. I didn't want the book to end but am excited he has so much more content available to explore in all different forms. I hate how so many of today's performers and other artists are garbage people, yet we throw money at them regardless because they're talented at their craft and we do mental gymnastics to not feel guilty about supporting their abuse of others. (Mayweather, chris brown, Johnny depp, Jeepers Creepers director to name a few current ones off the top of my head)
It's refreshing to see an artist express their responsibility, acknowledge their privilege, call other artists to do the same, and provide the reader with ways to make a difference and a list of other artists doing the same. He expressed everything I've been feeling about the world today that I haven't been able to even process never mind verbalize, and so much more.
Definitely keeping this book for reference and buying copies for my activist circle as well as artist friends.
It's refreshing to see an artist express their responsibility, acknowledge their privilege, call other artists to do the same, and provide the reader with ways to make a difference and a list of other artists doing the same. He expressed everything I've been feeling about the world today that I haven't been able to even process never mind verbalize, and so much more.
Definitely keeping this book for reference and buying copies for my activist circle as well as artist friends.
December 29, 2019
What a great note to end 2019 on!
Guante’s “10 responses to the phrase man up” was the first slam poem I ever listened to. I must’ve listened to it 6 times a day for an entire year. Not only was it my introduction to poetry, it was my introduction to social justice. This year, I had the pleasure of getting to meet him. It was everything I could’ve hoped for. This book illuminates the work that needs to be done. It doesn’t shy away from hard truths. It doesn’t coddle. The poems, the lyrics, the essays — they’re all extremely raw and important and timely and just really good. I can’t recommend this collection more. Especially for my fellow whites, read this, listen to what he’s saying, grow, and work.
Guante’s “10 responses to the phrase man up” was the first slam poem I ever listened to. I must’ve listened to it 6 times a day for an entire year. Not only was it my introduction to poetry, it was my introduction to social justice. This year, I had the pleasure of getting to meet him. It was everything I could’ve hoped for. This book illuminates the work that needs to be done. It doesn’t shy away from hard truths. It doesn’t coddle. The poems, the lyrics, the essays — they’re all extremely raw and important and timely and just really good. I can’t recommend this collection more. Especially for my fellow whites, read this, listen to what he’s saying, grow, and work.
March 16, 2023
This one took me longer to get through but that’s bc I wanted to be super focused every time I picked it up. There’s a lot of good conversations and points of view represented in the book. It’s really nice to see Guante’s thoughtfulness/open-mindedness/awareness be displayed in such an…understandable manner. I mean, we all have some of these thoughts in our heads but for it to be represented through poetry/essay/conversations AND have some tangible things to keep in mind/discussion embedded within makes it a really thought-provoking read. It’s important to be aware of your biases and your privilege and to USE this recognition as part of your reason to go into the world, add to the conversation, and attempt to leave things better than you found it…but please show up!
April 26, 2023
I read this for a book club discussion. This is a valuable project. Guante (Kyle Tran Myhre) is a hip hop artist, a slam poet, an activist and educator who currently lives in Minneapolis. The book is a collection of Guante's works of poems, lyrics and essays, along with a call to action. This was my first experience with spoken word. Guante has multiple missions with this work, making it an important read for all of us regardless of race, gender, social or economic status. A lot to consider. The book was originally self published by Guante, but then got picked up by Button Poetry for the second edition. Thought provoking. I recommend this book to anyone on a path to "read until you understand."
May 26, 2025
I loved "not a lot of reasons to sing" and knew I would love this book as well. I especially enjoyed the poems and the essays, and when I was able to listen to the songs on Guante's youtube then they clicked as well.
Many of the author's works have a strong message but mostly a strong question, what am I doing about this? How am I helping or instead, contributing to the problem? I made my own notes while reading, and when continuing found a piece that elaborates on the topic and even discussing prompts as the end of the collection. I liked that the author dove deeped into the meaning of the poems, but not in a shove it down you throat kind of way, but in a - here is everything you need, now what you gonna do about it?
"Language impacts thought; thought impacts action."
Many of the author's works have a strong message but mostly a strong question, what am I doing about this? How am I helping or instead, contributing to the problem? I made my own notes while reading, and when continuing found a piece that elaborates on the topic and even discussing prompts as the end of the collection. I liked that the author dove deeped into the meaning of the poems, but not in a shove it down you throat kind of way, but in a - here is everything you need, now what you gonna do about it?
"Language impacts thought; thought impacts action."
July 23, 2022
Guante's poetry is so beautiful having it written down in front of you is as magical as listening to it. Some parts just make you think, they make you angry, they fill you with the exact emotions he was feeling when he wrote them, cannot fault his poems at all I reread them all the time. That being said I've docked a star purely because this isn't just a poetry book it has other parts in it which I didn't have a huge interest in reading and when I picked it up I was hoping it would mainly be his poetry. Definitely pick up if important social issues made into beautiful poetry is your thing! It will really make you think about life 🦋
August 15, 2021
This book is incredible. Guante articulates concepts and ideas that have probably been lurking at the back of many people's minds but that the average Jo just cant quite manage to put into words. Guante does it beautifully. He is a modern day genius and I hope he receives the recognition he deserves. He is to poetry what Bill Hicks was to comedy ❤❤❤
August 7, 2018
Wow...a phenomenal mix of spoken word, essays, lyrics, and provocative thoughts. Anyone who is interested in becoming a better citizen of this planet should read and study this...the words regarding topics like feminism and privilege are especially keen and mind-shaping. I highly recommend this!
September 5, 2019
This was awesome!! I've been a huge fan of Guante for years now and being able to read all of his works was amazing, he is such a talented writer, artist, activist, etc. Great work!! I hope for another collection in the future!
November 20, 2020
A combination of poetry, lyrics, and essays, this book gave me a lot to think about in a lot of different ways. Almost every page strikes a deep emotional chord. I'm going to recommend this book to...uh...everybody.
March 6, 2025
Truly excellent (though Kyle’s art isn’t fully experienced until you’ve heard him perform it). I have picked this up once a month for the last 5 years to reread The Spill (Love in the Time of Undeath) & it’s possibly my favorite poem of all time.
May 11, 2017
3 stars -- I'm not sure... I wanted to like it more than I did
May 19, 2017
The poems are intense and thought provoking. I couldn't really get into the essays on hip hop.
September 11, 2018
This book is a remarkable work of art with manual-like clarity on how to impact the world for the sake of equity.
April 12, 2019
Reading this book was like a lesson on being a good person
July 19, 2019
I want to read this 25 more times. I want to buy it and highlight the whole book. A real gem for the poetry world.
October 18, 2019
Powerful poems, songs, essays. Just powerful
Amazing issues presented
Amazing issues presented
February 6, 2020
His poetry is exceptional
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews