Drift

by Alan King

Poetry. African American Studies. "Alan King reminds us of the beauty of efficiency. His poems do not waste moments or words. These are wonderful journeys into the lives of everyone (something of you is here, I guarantee it), effortless, peaceful but powerful walks that focus upon the compassionate things: friendship, love, family, justice, tradition. Alan King has started his own tradition in DRIFT, one born of his own generation but timeless and strong; a voice we should all hope will be showcased for years."--Brian Gilmore, poet, public interest lawyer and columnist for The Progressive Media Project

Genres: Poetry

100 pages, Audiobook

First published February 6, 2012

About the author

Alan King is a Caribbean American, whose parents emigrated from Trinidad and Tobago to the U.S. in the 1970s. He’s a husband, father, and communications professional who blogs about art and social issues at alanwking.com. A Cave Canem graduate fellow, he holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the Stonecoast Program at the University of Southern Maine. He’s a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee and was also nominated three times for a Best of the Net selection. He lives with his family in Bowie, Maryland.

Reviews

[Thing Two · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely surprised to have enjoyed this book so much. I picked it up at an Indie bookstore while I was on vacation, and I selected it because it was signed. That's it. I'd never heard of the guy, knew nothing about his poetry.

His poetry is fantastic. It very much reminds me of Jamaal May, or even the type of poetry Ta-Nehisi Coates would write, in that it's urban, tough, masculine, and yet very passionate. Unfortunately, Alan W King has not published anything else since this 2012 Willow Books publication, but I will keep an eye out for him.