Original Kink

by Jubi Arriola-Headley

In original kink, Jubi Arriola-Headley explores kink as mythscape of promised pleasure, lush and lustral, kink as Godzilla's desire for softness and the speaker gone "starburst," kink as "the sun-soaked / surface of impossible kick" and "something loose enough / to dance in." At once soliloquy, praise song, and injunction, original kink divines the brutal offices and beauteous comforts of syntax, street corners, and superheroes as sites for Black and queer (un)becomings. Accompanied by Eve, Isaac Newton, and a cotillion of daddies, Arriola-Headley writes into pleasure's beyond, questioning "What it must be / to presume life / to presume tomorrow." These poems "glutton at spring's source, / ever lovedrunk on / the insistent gush of you," and create a dazzling, multiple "We." These poems enjoin the reader—and themselves—to "Be better / than bitter. Be roiling in joy. Be."

Genres: Poetry, LGBT

94 pages, Paperback

First published October 12, 2020

Reviews

[Areeb Ahmad (Bankrupt_Bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I claim fuchsia
for mine. I'll drape
my dick in it if that'll
make you bow down. I'm
no novice, but neither am I
your nigga. Except when I am.
Beneath this custom kilt, calves
bursting from boots spitshined &
shellacked in sweet service. Your
palm prints, a scorching secret
on my inner thighs. Call me Sir
& I may kiss you; call me
papi & I will starburst."


A Black queer poet examining themes such as manhood, vulnerability, rage, tenderness, and joy, Arriola-Headley was born to Bajan parents in the US. In this brilliant collection, he attempts to speak to the state of his new country. Bold and brash, full of attitude, he navigates the quotidian via the lens of kink present here in all its meanings. It's a reference to hair, a nod to the sexual. It is a quirk, a whim, a cramp, an imperfection, a clever stratagem. He autopsies the past, his life, in a bid to clarify & detangle, the many men & the many moons. These poems bite and lash out, prance on the page, play with form and language. I was reminded a lot of one of my favourite poets, Danez Smith, in terms of themes & their articulation. Arriola-Headley is earnest & innovative, lush & luminous, precisely driven to explicitly create a non-white space. So this is an origin story, a statement of intent, Arriola-Headley asking: "make room / in your belly for my infinite joy."



(I received a finished copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.)

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal! Some of this poetry is somehow so incredibly raw, and at the same time so technically skilled, that I wonder how the hell Jubi Arriola-Headley pulled it off. The day after I mainlined this entire book, I wrote like 3 poems easily because I was so inspired. I have met the author (*after* reading) and he is a fascinating person, also, so you should feel good about supporting his vision. I have yet to read Bound but I bought it immediately after finishing this.

[BookChampions · Rating 5 out of 5]

review forthcoming

[Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful poems

[KB Brookins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazingly stellar book. Makes a reader hungry for a new collection, & excited to keep up with Jubi!

[Maria Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a stunning debut collection, he leaves behind such a brilliant legacy. a poet that can contend with both life and death, sex and shame, tragedy and joy. the full scale of human emotions. A book that both mourns and celebrates black people. But refuses to die.