What do you think?
Rate this book
Seduction: New Poems, 2013-2018
The world is made of seductions. In Quincy Troupe's Seduction , the "I" becomes the "Eye," serving as metaphor and witness in a narrative compilation from a master of poetic music. Elegies and dramatic odes look at the seduction of all things loved or hated, especially the man made of color. How did the killings of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Trayvon Martin seduce the public's eye and catch the fire of racism? How did Aretha Franklin seduce us with voice and twang? How does the art of Romare Bearden or Jack Whitten still tell our truths, fantasies, and oppressions?
time is a bald eagle, a killer soaring high in the blue, / music to men
dodging bullets in speeding cars, / knew death, hoped it'd never come . . .
In this collection we are seduced by Troupe's opus. This is the poet's art laid bare. He is our "Eye." Visions of the transatlantic slave trade, portraits of American violence, pop culture, and historical voices are the lyrical relics in Troupe's masterful verse. One of American literature's most important rhythmical artists, Troupe has created a chronicle reaching through history for the collective "I/Eye" that is all of us.
time is a bald eagle, a killer soaring high in the blue, / music to men
dodging bullets in speeding cars, / knew death, hoped it'd never come . . .
In this collection we are seduced by Troupe's opus. This is the poet's art laid bare. He is our "Eye." Visions of the transatlantic slave trade, portraits of American violence, pop culture, and historical voices are the lyrical relics in Troupe's masterful verse. One of American literature's most important rhythmical artists, Troupe has created a chronicle reaching through history for the collective "I/Eye" that is all of us.
- GenresPoetry
120 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2018
1 person is currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Quincy Troupe
48 books39 followersQuincy Thomas Troupe, Jr. is an American poet, editor, journalist and professor emeritus at the University of California, San Diego, in La Jolla, California. He is best known as the biographer of Miles Davis, the jazz musician.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 6, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a earc of this book.
The poetry didn’t really hook me, I liked that it told stories. It’s just nothing stood out to me. It seemed to drag on too. I usually like poetry more if it makes me feel something but these didn’t. I gave this a two out of five stars. It was an okay read I didn’t like it or hate it.
The poetry didn’t really hook me, I liked that it told stories. It’s just nothing stood out to me. It seemed to drag on too. I usually like poetry more if it makes me feel something but these didn’t. I gave this a two out of five stars. It was an okay read I didn’t like it or hate it.
May 30, 2019
Seduction:New Poems 2013-2018
By Quincy Troupe
Expected Publication date 12-15-18
Triquarterly Books
Quincy Troupe is one of those rare poets that reach inside and pull out emotions, some you never knew you had, and re-examine them. He forces us to confront not just important issues, but how they make you feel. Throughout this volume he substitutes "eye" for "I". The "eye" is seeing all; the "I" is our own interpretation, belief of even prejudice. It really makes this a much more personal collection. Brilliant. I love his words, his truth, and his integrity. Gripping and deep.
Troupe is an award winning author of 10 volumes of poetry, 3 children's books and 6 Non-Fiction novels. I hope I can find the all.
Some favorites were:
Catching Shadows
The Drug of Endless War
Delusional: A Portrait
Changes.
Strange Incidents
Questions Of Color and Race.
Essential voice.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this ARC.
#Seduction #NetGalley
By Quincy Troupe
Expected Publication date 12-15-18
Triquarterly Books
Quincy Troupe is one of those rare poets that reach inside and pull out emotions, some you never knew you had, and re-examine them. He forces us to confront not just important issues, but how they make you feel. Throughout this volume he substitutes "eye" for "I". The "eye" is seeing all; the "I" is our own interpretation, belief of even prejudice. It really makes this a much more personal collection. Brilliant. I love his words, his truth, and his integrity. Gripping and deep.
Troupe is an award winning author of 10 volumes of poetry, 3 children's books and 6 Non-Fiction novels. I hope I can find the all.
Some favorites were:
Catching Shadows
The Drug of Endless War
Delusional: A Portrait
Changes.
Strange Incidents
Questions Of Color and Race.
Essential voice.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this ARC.
#Seduction #NetGalley
November 2, 2018
that is life, rising, falling, like pitches of music swelling with breath,
with beauty, black people breathing, in the here & now every second,
every day, yes black lives matter, living in a trumpet's voice,
will always matter, singing in the air, will always matter
beautiful as we are, will always matter, breathing in this life,
will always matter, yes, always, always, always
Μοντέρνα γραφή και θεματική, ενδιαφέρον και καυστικό ποιητικό ύφος, θυμίζει έντονα ελεγεία ενώ απεικονίζει με εξαιρετική ενάργεια τη σύγχρονη εμπειρία. Εξαιρετική συλλογή που αφορμάται από σύγχρονα κοινωνικά, πολιτικά κι ιστορικά γεγονότα έχοντας ταυτόχρονα μια παγκοσμιότητα αισθημάτων, μια συλλογικότητα στην οποία διογκώνεται το εγώ, το I/Eye.
This copy was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review by the publisher via NetGalley.
January 11, 2021
One of my favorite qualities in poetry is concision, and this collection is far from that. Quincy Troupe offloads phrases by the boatload, stringing words like a freestyler waiting for the next perfect rhyme to find its footing. He is a very musical writer, with many references to jazz musicians and Black singers, but his rhythms make me think to hip-hop too. For example, a stanza from "Telephone Call from Samo for Miles Davis:"
"inside sequences of luminous metaphoric rhythms, / the happenstance of transcendent colors, images thrown together / on canvas, a sheet of paper - filled with notes, words, sentences flying / as bird wings - full of imagination, dancing into our lives as clues, / wake-up calls, signals fusing our attention, focuses it, / then wrapping everything all up within a rapturous moment of incandescent / beauty, like a yardbird, dizzy solo,"
The poetry here is a sendoff to Black music, Black art and Black life- but mostly Black artists: there are tributes to Miles Davis, Romare Bearden, Xenobia Bailey & more. There are also many poems about sex and lust, seduction. Some of the poems like "Some Thoughts about Connecting in Today's Wired World," aren't as interesting, offering plain critiques/ruminations on technology and connectivity. And Troupe also has a tendency to re-use certain words and phrases across the volume- which I'd sympathetically compare to a jazz compositionist returning to familiar tunes during an extended jam session- but more often would find the repetition tedious.
Finally, I didn't think the switching of "I" with "Eye" to be too interesting, but it wasn't a hinderance either. This isn't my favorite type of poetry, but after sticking with the volume I began to appreciate its freewheeling ruminations. Some of my favorite poems: "Catching Shadows" / "Soon to Be Ghost Voices Plunging through the Sky" / "Untitled Rant" / "Telephone Call from Samo for Miles Davis" / "Blue Mandala."
here is a final excerpt from "Untitled Rant:"
"now inside this absentminded poem, steeped in my own cadences, / contradicted, conflicted, growing from the duende of my own gumbo life, / lived scattershot, where there is joy - yours too reader, hearer - / you pick & choose your own poison, phrases you need to rub up against / now inside your own idiomatic voice, twisting turning against sterile / sensibilities, full of images of correctness pricking your eyes, / who knows after all is said & done what might serve as a conduit / to ears understanding beats of your own heart, your own attempt to speak, / like now, because who knows when your own mode of speaking / your idiomatic tongue might be altered when uttered in your own / breath, as any other fragmented traveler on this highway of words / leading to self, a chicken bone crossroads full of ghosts, strange images, / shapes, where we all might hear poetry whispering through,"
"inside sequences of luminous metaphoric rhythms, / the happenstance of transcendent colors, images thrown together / on canvas, a sheet of paper - filled with notes, words, sentences flying / as bird wings - full of imagination, dancing into our lives as clues, / wake-up calls, signals fusing our attention, focuses it, / then wrapping everything all up within a rapturous moment of incandescent / beauty, like a yardbird, dizzy solo,"
The poetry here is a sendoff to Black music, Black art and Black life- but mostly Black artists: there are tributes to Miles Davis, Romare Bearden, Xenobia Bailey & more. There are also many poems about sex and lust, seduction. Some of the poems like "Some Thoughts about Connecting in Today's Wired World," aren't as interesting, offering plain critiques/ruminations on technology and connectivity. And Troupe also has a tendency to re-use certain words and phrases across the volume- which I'd sympathetically compare to a jazz compositionist returning to familiar tunes during an extended jam session- but more often would find the repetition tedious.
Finally, I didn't think the switching of "I" with "Eye" to be too interesting, but it wasn't a hinderance either. This isn't my favorite type of poetry, but after sticking with the volume I began to appreciate its freewheeling ruminations. Some of my favorite poems: "Catching Shadows" / "Soon to Be Ghost Voices Plunging through the Sky" / "Untitled Rant" / "Telephone Call from Samo for Miles Davis" / "Blue Mandala."
here is a final excerpt from "Untitled Rant:"
"now inside this absentminded poem, steeped in my own cadences, / contradicted, conflicted, growing from the duende of my own gumbo life, / lived scattershot, where there is joy - yours too reader, hearer - / you pick & choose your own poison, phrases you need to rub up against / now inside your own idiomatic voice, twisting turning against sterile / sensibilities, full of images of correctness pricking your eyes, / who knows after all is said & done what might serve as a conduit / to ears understanding beats of your own heart, your own attempt to speak, / like now, because who knows when your own mode of speaking / your idiomatic tongue might be altered when uttered in your own / breath, as any other fragmented traveler on this highway of words / leading to self, a chicken bone crossroads full of ghosts, strange images, / shapes, where we all might hear poetry whispering through,"
May 2, 2019
For the most part, I’m a pretty fearless reader. I’m open to all kinds of genres.
But when it comes to poetry, I’m a total ‘fraidy cat.
Oh, sure, as a child I loved the playful poems of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. And once I became an adult, I embraced the poetry of Dorothy Parker, Maya Angelou, and Sylvia Plath. I also fully realize the lyrics of my favorite songs are poetry.
But unfortunately I ignore poetry when it comes to reading. I’m too intimidated, thinking I won’t get it or the poems will go over my head.
Well, no more. It’s time to stop being a baby and start reading poetry. And I am happy I did because poetry has opened a new world to me thanks to Quincy’s book Seduction: New Poems, 2013-2018.
Mr. Troupe has written nine books of poetry and he’s also an author and screenwriter.
Seduction is a slim volume divided into three parts consisting of poems that speak of topics like race, love, sex, culture, black icons, societal issues, and the human condition as whole.
Some of Troupe’s poems are short, several are quite lengthy, almost like short stories. Some of these longer poems are broken into chapters, which is something I had never seen until I read Troupe’s work.
As for his shorter poems? Well, Troupe’s poetry convey more than 500 page novels.
Troupe is both a challenging and visionary writer, with a game changing use of the English language. One way Troupe does this is replacing “I” with “Eye. ” He also has creative and descriptive style of writing. I could actually visualize his poems in my mind’s eye.
I’m thrilled I chose to read Troupe’s book Seduction. It has definitely lessened my fear of poetry and has seduced me to read more.
Originally published at The Book Self.
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
But when it comes to poetry, I’m a total ‘fraidy cat.
Oh, sure, as a child I loved the playful poems of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. And once I became an adult, I embraced the poetry of Dorothy Parker, Maya Angelou, and Sylvia Plath. I also fully realize the lyrics of my favorite songs are poetry.
But unfortunately I ignore poetry when it comes to reading. I’m too intimidated, thinking I won’t get it or the poems will go over my head.
Well, no more. It’s time to stop being a baby and start reading poetry. And I am happy I did because poetry has opened a new world to me thanks to Quincy’s book Seduction: New Poems, 2013-2018.
Mr. Troupe has written nine books of poetry and he’s also an author and screenwriter.
Seduction is a slim volume divided into three parts consisting of poems that speak of topics like race, love, sex, culture, black icons, societal issues, and the human condition as whole.
Some of Troupe’s poems are short, several are quite lengthy, almost like short stories. Some of these longer poems are broken into chapters, which is something I had never seen until I read Troupe’s work.
As for his shorter poems? Well, Troupe’s poetry convey more than 500 page novels.
Troupe is both a challenging and visionary writer, with a game changing use of the English language. One way Troupe does this is replacing “I” with “Eye. ” He also has creative and descriptive style of writing. I could actually visualize his poems in my mind’s eye.
I’m thrilled I chose to read Troupe’s book Seduction. It has definitely lessened my fear of poetry and has seduced me to read more.
Originally published at The Book Self.
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
October 8, 2020
Seduction: New Poems, 2013-2018 by Quincy Troupe is the poets latest collection of poetry. Troupe is an award-winning author of ten volumes of poetry, three children’s books, and six non-fiction works.
Troupe offers a unique perspective on African-American life from Jazz to the shootings of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Trayvon Martin. Troupe plays heavily on two themes. The first is the substitution of "eye" for "I." The "eye" is all-seeing whereas "I" is open to interpretation and our own prejudices. The eye is everyone. We see the news. We see the violence. We see the racism. The eye is also the key to seduction. It is what draws us in. We live in an age of visual stimulation and Troupe uses that to draw the reader into his poetry.
The second theme is seduction in its various forms. Troupes connection with jazz and Aretha Franklin offers positive temptations. Seduction, too, offers a current and relevant examination of society. We are seduced into our own world through electronic devices. We are seduced by politicians that do not serve our interests. We are seduced into action movies at theaters, and sometimes become victims of the violence that is being glorified.
The "eye" is all of us which makes this collection, not just an African-American poet speaking but, collectively all of us. We all see the same things. We are seduced by many things from jazz to the "orange face doofus." We must join the eye with the seduction and examine what is really seducing us because there really is a difference in quality and consequences between a singers voice and racist politics.
Troupe offers a unique perspective on African-American life from Jazz to the shootings of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Trayvon Martin. Troupe plays heavily on two themes. The first is the substitution of "eye" for "I." The "eye" is all-seeing whereas "I" is open to interpretation and our own prejudices. The eye is everyone. We see the news. We see the violence. We see the racism. The eye is also the key to seduction. It is what draws us in. We live in an age of visual stimulation and Troupe uses that to draw the reader into his poetry.
The second theme is seduction in its various forms. Troupes connection with jazz and Aretha Franklin offers positive temptations. Seduction, too, offers a current and relevant examination of society. We are seduced into our own world through electronic devices. We are seduced by politicians that do not serve our interests. We are seduced into action movies at theaters, and sometimes become victims of the violence that is being glorified.
The "eye" is all of us which makes this collection, not just an African-American poet speaking but, collectively all of us. We all see the same things. We are seduced by many things from jazz to the "orange face doofus." We must join the eye with the seduction and examine what is really seducing us because there really is a difference in quality and consequences between a singers voice and racist politics.
January 21, 2019
This collection really fell flat for me. I found it intriguing, I liked how the prose described the many factors that control us or "seduce" us, as it were. However, the prose soon began to get political, and once it did the imagery and metaphors started to get dull, then it went downhill with a few details that barely kept my attention. I like the idea behind it, but this collection did not read as completely as it was made out to be. The "eye" symbolism was very weak, and these tidbits got so political that at times they felt off-topic. About halfway through the collection stop involving the idea of "seduction." The commentary surrounding race was unstimulating--they were all ideas that I agree with, but they perfectly match the discourse on social media, and if I wanted that, I would be on Twitter and not reading this poetry. That being said, this was alright, I just think I've read better poetry collections covering the same themes.
October 27, 2018
I feel this collection is strong enough to warrant a 5 star. It was mentioned before about the I/eye thing but I have to say that he truly earns the being the reader's eye. Opening the reader up to the subject by having them see the truth. The truest beauty in a poet is when they can make you feel and see what you cannot. A must read for all poetry fans. And highly recommended to those that want to try out poetry.
October 27, 2018
I feel this collection is strong enough to warrant a 5 star. It was mentioned before about the I/eye thing but I have to say that he truly earns the being the reader's eye. Opening the reader up to the subject by having them see the truth. The truest beauty in a poet is when they can make you feel and see what you cannot. A must read for all poetry fans. And highly recommended to those that want to try out poetry.
May 5, 2019
Definitely a collection for these times. Troupe tackles a number of subjects from an African-American perspective which is often raw, hard-hitting, and forces the reader to see. The I/eye substitution in particular was a masterful touch.
Highly recommended.
With thanks for to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.
Highly recommended.
With thanks for to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews