Cherene Sherrard’s poetry collection Vixen takes to task the historical narratives and artistic mediums that have shaped racial and gender identity. She asks her readers to closely examine the hand that guides the pen, the photographer behind the lens, and the star on stage. In powerful, finely crafted lines, Sherrard’s poems interrupt and redirect the conversation. Sherrard’s voice-driven poems are accessible to any reader interested in work that examines racial and black female representation within a historical, cultural, and artistic framework.
This book of poetry was different from my normal reads in this genre. Sherrard was bold, elegant, and clever in her style and subject matter. I loved the poem called "Our Ariel" For Rihanna. She uses fanciful and intriguing text to describe this star that we all know. She also wowed me with "Annabelle". This is a poem from the point of view of a young slave who had her life taken away from her yet finds a new one in the library.