Millennial Roost

by Dustin Pearson

What does survival mean? In Millennial Roost, life after trauma is explored through a mixture of poems and letters addressed to a mysterious Mr. Hen. Through this epistolary form Dustin Pearson challenges the tensions between confession and artifice, and frankness and obfuscation, as well as the terrible weight of secrets. These are poems that question everything, marking a search for identity in the face of the past with close examinations of sexuality, gender, metamorphosis and honesty, as well as the capability of poetry to express this fractured odyssey. Precisely observed, funny and multi-faceted, this is an eagerly-awaited debut collection.

Genres: Poetry

68 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2018

About the author

Dustin Pearson is the author of A Season in Hell with Rimbaud (BOA Editions, 2022), Millennial Roost (C&R Press, 2018), and A Family Is a House (C&R Press, 2019). In 2019, The Root named Dustin one of nine black poets working in “academic, cultural and government institutions committed to elevating and preserving the poetry artform.” The recipient of fellowships from Cave Canem, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, and The Anderson Center at Tower View, Pearson has served as the editor of Hayden’s Ferry Review and a Director of the Clemson Literary Festival. The recipient of the Katherine C. Turner and John Mackay Shaw Academy of American Poets Awards and a 2021 Pushcart Prize, his work also appears in The Nation, Poetry Northwest, Blackbird, The Boiler, Bennington Review, TriQuarterly, The Literary Review, The Cortland Review, Poetry Daily, and elsewhere.

Reviews

[Isai Soto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hm. The author knows the egg metaphor is redundant, and even its exhaustion is not that powerful. “Relapse” is good, and “To You” is funny! Dated in a way that feels melancholic for nothing , like a bad pop song about writing a letter.

[Emily Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best books leave us not knowing how to feel when we finish them. This is one of those books.

[Marty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love all the poems, but the ones that hit well were phenomenal. It's heavy subject matter to be sure and the book carries it well. I will also say that I heard the author perform live a couple of years ago and had a great time, so it's possible I just prefer his poetry recited instead of read.

[Tamara Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jericho Brown blurbs, "This is a beautifully necessary book." I can easily see why. I find the book intriguing in its craft and approach to very challenging subject matter. It is also empowering.