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Grocery Shopping with My Mother
When Kevin Powell’s elderly mother became ill, he returned home every week to take her grocery shopping in Jersey City. Walking behind her during those trips, Powell began to hear her voice, stories, and language in a new way—examining his own healing while praying for hers.
Grocery Shopping with My Mother originated as social media posts about these visits and evolved into a breathtaking collection of thirty-two new poems, crafted like an album, plus four bonus tracks celebrating a great love of wordplay. Culturally rooted in the literary traditions of Ntozake Shange and Allen Ginsberg, Powell’s poems honor the likes of V (formerly Eve Ensler), bell hooks, and Sidney Poitier.
Grocery Shopping with My Mother dives into the complexities of relationships and contemporary themes with honesty and vulnerability. Creatively and spiritually inspired by Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, Powell’s poems shift in form and style, from praise chants to reverential meditations to, most importantly, innovative hope.
Grocery Shopping with My Mother originated as social media posts about these visits and evolved into a breathtaking collection of thirty-two new poems, crafted like an album, plus four bonus tracks celebrating a great love of wordplay. Culturally rooted in the literary traditions of Ntozake Shange and Allen Ginsberg, Powell’s poems honor the likes of V (formerly Eve Ensler), bell hooks, and Sidney Poitier.
Grocery Shopping with My Mother dives into the complexities of relationships and contemporary themes with honesty and vulnerability. Creatively and spiritually inspired by Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, Powell’s poems shift in form and style, from praise chants to reverential meditations to, most importantly, innovative hope.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published December 6, 2022
31 people are currently reading
3128 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Powell
49 books74 followersKevin Powell is an American writer, activist, and television personality whose work spans journalism, literature, politics, and grassroots social change. With a career defined by outspoken advocacy for justice and deep engagement with Black culture and history, Powell has published 14 books, including The Education of Kevin Powell: A Boy's Journey into Manhood and When We Free the World. He was a senior writer for Vibe magazine during its formative years and played a key role in shaping its editorial voice, especially in profiling hip-hop culture and icons like Tupac Shakur.
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Powell was raised in poverty by a single mother and became the first in his family to graduate high school. He went on to study at Rutgers University through the Educational Opportunity Fund, focusing on political science, English, and philosophy. His academic and personal awakening to Black literature and politics led him to become an activist and organizer for causes such as anti-apartheid movements, voter registration drives, and Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign.
Powell's public profile rose nationally as an original cast member of MTV’s The Real World: New York in 1992. He used his time on the show to engage viewers in conversations about race, identity, and masculinity. That same year, he joined Vibe magazine and became one of its most prominent voices, covering major figures in Black music and culture. His interviews with Tupac Shakur remain among the most defining pieces written on the late rapper.
Beyond journalism, Powell has contributed to The New York Times, Esquire, The Washington Post, Essence, TIME, and more. His writing connects contemporary social issues with historical and cultural narratives, particularly around race, gender, and identity. His essays and reflections often draw from personal experiences, including past struggles with violence and transformation through therapy, education, and activism.
Powell’s commitment to social justice extends into community organizing and political engagement. He ran twice as a Democratic candidate for Congress in Brooklyn, New York, in 2008 and 2010, centering his campaigns on transparency, equity, and grassroots empowerment. He has worked internationally, lecturing and leading workshops, and served as the U.S. ambassador for the Dylan Thomas Centennial.
In addition to curating historical and literary anthologies, Powell continues to publish poetry, most recently Grocery Shopping with My Mother, which was also released as a spoken word album and received a 2024 GRAMMY nomination. His archive is held by Cornell University, reflecting his influence as a public intellectual and chronicler of Black life.
Throughout his multifaceted career, Powell has remained dedicated to redefining manhood, uplifting marginalized voices, and challenging systems of oppression through the written word and public service.
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Powell was raised in poverty by a single mother and became the first in his family to graduate high school. He went on to study at Rutgers University through the Educational Opportunity Fund, focusing on political science, English, and philosophy. His academic and personal awakening to Black literature and politics led him to become an activist and organizer for causes such as anti-apartheid movements, voter registration drives, and Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign.
Powell's public profile rose nationally as an original cast member of MTV’s The Real World: New York in 1992. He used his time on the show to engage viewers in conversations about race, identity, and masculinity. That same year, he joined Vibe magazine and became one of its most prominent voices, covering major figures in Black music and culture. His interviews with Tupac Shakur remain among the most defining pieces written on the late rapper.
Beyond journalism, Powell has contributed to The New York Times, Esquire, The Washington Post, Essence, TIME, and more. His writing connects contemporary social issues with historical and cultural narratives, particularly around race, gender, and identity. His essays and reflections often draw from personal experiences, including past struggles with violence and transformation through therapy, education, and activism.
Powell’s commitment to social justice extends into community organizing and political engagement. He ran twice as a Democratic candidate for Congress in Brooklyn, New York, in 2008 and 2010, centering his campaigns on transparency, equity, and grassroots empowerment. He has worked internationally, lecturing and leading workshops, and served as the U.S. ambassador for the Dylan Thomas Centennial.
In addition to curating historical and literary anthologies, Powell continues to publish poetry, most recently Grocery Shopping with My Mother, which was also released as a spoken word album and received a 2024 GRAMMY nomination. His archive is held by Cornell University, reflecting his influence as a public intellectual and chronicler of Black life.
Throughout his multifaceted career, Powell has remained dedicated to redefining manhood, uplifting marginalized voices, and challenging systems of oppression through the written word and public service.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
December 6, 2022
I really enjoyed GROCERY SHOPPING WITH MY MOTHER by Kevin Powell! These poems explore relationships, music, forgiveness, and icons such as Sidney Poitier and bell hooks. I loved how this collection is set up like an album with side 1 and side 2 and bonus tracks. In the Poet’s Note, Powell says “poetry is music and music is poetry” and it really comes through in his poems with all the music references and the use of language and line structures. I’d love to hear him read these poems. They were great to read. My fave poems are Happy, For New York City, Enough and Son2Mother. I’m so glad I got to read this book! I would definitely read more from this author.
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Thank you to Soft Skull Press for my gifted review copy!
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Thank you to Soft Skull Press for my gifted review copy!
August 23, 2023
Not as sure about this one... I really liked the way Powell structured the collection like an album: with side 1, side 2, and four bonus "tracks." Most of the poems themselves felt kind of repetitive and too encompassing. Things like "shorttallfatskinnydamaged bodies" were repeated often (not just about bodies but other traits) and while I understand and commend the intention to be all-inclusive, the poems ended up feeling very general because I wasn't reading about anything specific! (I don't think this practice was bad in itself, but it could've been employed less often.) I do think I might've enjoyed these more as spoken word! Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
October 2, 2022
//4 stars
thanks to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
this shit was POWERFUL! not only a love letter/giving forgiveness to his mother, but also a social justice commentary on feminism, racism, his growing up, his experiences. i loved it.
i love when poets/authors are vulnerable, they write what they know and they put it out into the world and this was just that. i hate to be like "ooohh, it was so RAW" but it was. i highlighted so many lines and poems throughout that book that just made my heart shrink and swell and do somersaults.
a few:
"ayy, ayy, yeah, i was gifted photocopies of your feminist
candied yams
the way my ma shoplifted
reparation pennies so we could eat,"
and
"we are protesters pepper-sprayed with knees on our necks
we them people"
and and and
"means being as endangered
as this old rickety Earth
means being as dangerous
as the imagination
of someone-anyone
who wants black boy and black men to consider suicide"
Powell's poetry is enormous, that's what i think. his voice is HUGE, im curious what goes through his brain on the daily.
this was lovely and i'd recommend it, i really do.
thanks to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
this shit was POWERFUL! not only a love letter/giving forgiveness to his mother, but also a social justice commentary on feminism, racism, his growing up, his experiences. i loved it.
i love when poets/authors are vulnerable, they write what they know and they put it out into the world and this was just that. i hate to be like "ooohh, it was so RAW" but it was. i highlighted so many lines and poems throughout that book that just made my heart shrink and swell and do somersaults.
a few:
"ayy, ayy, yeah, i was gifted photocopies of your feminist
candied yams
the way my ma shoplifted
reparation pennies so we could eat,"
and
"we are protesters pepper-sprayed with knees on our necks
we them people"
and and and
"means being as endangered
as this old rickety Earth
means being as dangerous
as the imagination
of someone-anyone
who wants black boy and black men to consider suicide"
Powell's poetry is enormous, that's what i think. his voice is HUGE, im curious what goes through his brain on the daily.
this was lovely and i'd recommend it, i really do.
September 17, 2022
Grocery Shopping with My Mother by Kevin Powell is a poignant and vulnerable collection that is born of a son's love for his mother as the two transition into a new phase of life. Presented with a heavy lean toward cultural and iconic references, Powell's voice rings out loud and clear, and one can feel the emotional and personal connections to time and place. Most significantly, I believe, these poems will continue to resonate.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press for an ARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press for an ARC.
June 5, 2023
This is really not my year for poetry, I guess, and while that's not Powell's fault, and while I am generally willing to reckon with the complications of a lasting public figure who's done grave wrong, the adoring piece about Kobe Bryant tipped me from pushing through despite not really wanting to, to DNF-ing at 30%.
August 15, 2022
From the description of this book, Powell's poems gained an audience in a social media context. Certainly, the atypical practice of adding a date and time to each entry renders them as sourced in a place that I don't encounter much in my own reading of poetry. These small details make sense in the raw vulnerability of the subjects Powell encounters and the conversational manner in which the poems are written. In many ways, I felt as if I were reading the poet's writing notebook as opposed to a polished collection of poems, but they served in this way well--there is depth and urgency to the topics Powell takes on.
The first poem comes from the title, and it's the strongest in the collection for me. Other poems in the collection take on celebrity and didn't feel as surprising as the one about being a son to a strong woman in decline.
In the end, this collection wasn't for me, but I recognize and appreciate how it can appeal to a new collection of readers and hopefully draw them in to a range of voices in poetry--Rossy Gay, Ntzoke Shange, Jericho Brown, Yusef Komonyakaa, June Jordan, Rita Dove, Nikky Finney, Claudia Rankine, Danez Smith...
Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.
The first poem comes from the title, and it's the strongest in the collection for me. Other poems in the collection take on celebrity and didn't feel as surprising as the one about being a son to a strong woman in decline.
In the end, this collection wasn't for me, but I recognize and appreciate how it can appeal to a new collection of readers and hopefully draw them in to a range of voices in poetry--Rossy Gay, Ntzoke Shange, Jericho Brown, Yusef Komonyakaa, June Jordan, Rita Dove, Nikky Finney, Claudia Rankine, Danez Smith...
Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2022
Thank you netgalley for this ARC. Honestly its really hard for me to get into alot of poetry but this book was amazing. I loved how vulnerable the author was in sharing these poems and i loved so many of the poems regarding people from history past present etc. I LOVED the cicely tyson one alot. The messages behind so many of these poems are super important. I loved all the musical icons that were mentioned in this novel as well. For V was such a powerful poem. Out of all the poetry books i have read this one definitely has been one of the best i cant express how much i loved these poems. The kobe poem was also so powerful as well. Another thing about the poems being dedicated to certain people also means alot of readers will enjoy it especially if you are fans of the people listed in this book. You can tell the author put so much heart into this novel at so many times this book was so vulnerable regarding people the author knew. Loved all the NY poems. The dedication poem to mothers also were amazing. Everything about this book was amazing the representation in this book was amazing as well. if you like poetry read this one! Definitely a 5 star.
August 5, 2022
Kevin Powell's collection of poetry Grocery Shopping with My Mother marks the influential moments in his life, taking the reader through his family, his trauma, his loves, and the influences that made him who he is.
Powell's writing truly stuck with me because of how personal it all was in unique ways. Some poems were love letters, some were forgiving, and some were speaking of injustices in America or that Powell has faced in his own life. No matter which, though, each poem felt natural in its sophisticated nature in which it was written; I felt like I was walking around New York and hearing Powell's connections to each landmark and place while reading.
Tupac and Biggie and his letter to bell hooks were hands down my favorite. Each poem was so personal, but there are certain topics and people you can tell are deeply personal to an author.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
Powell's writing truly stuck with me because of how personal it all was in unique ways. Some poems were love letters, some were forgiving, and some were speaking of injustices in America or that Powell has faced in his own life. No matter which, though, each poem felt natural in its sophisticated nature in which it was written; I felt like I was walking around New York and hearing Powell's connections to each landmark and place while reading.
Tupac and Biggie and his letter to bell hooks were hands down my favorite. Each poem was so personal, but there are certain topics and people you can tell are deeply personal to an author.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
August 8, 2022
Grocery Shopping with my Mother is a collection of poems that are insightful and powerful. Some of the poems confront the struggles that Powell's mother faced in raising him, as well as their complex and sometimes abusive relationship. I really liked the cultural references, as Powell writes numerous poems to famous black figures, like the Notorious BIG and female performers. I really enjoyed his style of writing, it packed a punch.
August 10, 2022
Good poetry makes you feel something. The words don't just tell a story, they evoke some sort of emotion. Although I have never walked in Kevin Powell's shoes, I was given the gift of seeing and feeling his world through his words.
The poem call him D-Nice was one I went back to a few times, the imagery was wonderful.
The poem call him D-Nice was one I went back to a few times, the imagery was wonderful.
August 18, 2023
so clearly born out of BLM and in the worst way possible
July 15, 2023
Accessible and mind expanding, as all good poetry should be. Powell generously takes us by the hand onto the gratitude he feels in his world. He honors icons of Black history like Sidney Poitier, Cicely Tyson, bell hooks, and above all, his mama. And when he’s done doing that he done “fact-checks anyone who thinks dark skin ain’t the Lawd’s blessing.’’ Rhythmic and abundant.
April 23, 2024
Looking for a family portrait...
There were a few good poems. My 2 faves were " For Aunt Cathy" and "Son2Mother".
These poems spanned a few decades from the 90s to the present day and covered varied topics.
Following Kevin's social media page, I thought this new collection would focus on his relationship with his mother more, as well as his aunts and grandmother. I find that he is very intune with the women in his life and how they interact with each other through good and bad times.
There were a few good poems. My 2 faves were " For Aunt Cathy" and "Son2Mother".
These poems spanned a few decades from the 90s to the present day and covered varied topics.
Following Kevin's social media page, I thought this new collection would focus on his relationship with his mother more, as well as his aunts and grandmother. I find that he is very intune with the women in his life and how they interact with each other through good and bad times.
October 27, 2022
**I was provided an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
This is a very powerful collection with poems that are emblematic of the culture and time when they were written. I found the more personal poems, especially the titular piece, to be the most compelling. It didn't surprise me that most of these poems were originally online, with the structure of most pieces using shorter lines, with more repetition to keep packing a punch that works well if you are reading while scrolling. It really does help encapsulate the pandemic era with everyone trying to reach out and be heard while stuck inside. These online origins did have the downside, since the poems didn't always feel like they were working together as a collection. Some of the repeated motifs, Shakespeare and southern comfort food stuck out to me in particular, while great in one poem, starts to feel like a generic descriptor by the fifth since it's often doesn't have a different function than in the previous poem, but also not nodding to that piece's similarity. Overall, this is a collection that shows the energy of social justice in 2020 in all it's urgency and anger, but also makes room for some really tender and open moments that are the true stars of the show.
This is a very powerful collection with poems that are emblematic of the culture and time when they were written. I found the more personal poems, especially the titular piece, to be the most compelling. It didn't surprise me that most of these poems were originally online, with the structure of most pieces using shorter lines, with more repetition to keep packing a punch that works well if you are reading while scrolling. It really does help encapsulate the pandemic era with everyone trying to reach out and be heard while stuck inside. These online origins did have the downside, since the poems didn't always feel like they were working together as a collection. Some of the repeated motifs, Shakespeare and southern comfort food stuck out to me in particular, while great in one poem, starts to feel like a generic descriptor by the fifth since it's often doesn't have a different function than in the previous poem, but also not nodding to that piece's similarity. Overall, this is a collection that shows the energy of social justice in 2020 in all it's urgency and anger, but also makes room for some really tender and open moments that are the true stars of the show.
December 7, 2022
Beautiful poems that speak to his family but other artists who inspired him. A collection of poems to be savored. I liked the ones about his mother and aunt and how history affect their lives and his relationship to them.
December 23, 2022
A while back, Kevin Powell's elderly mother got sick. Whenever he made a return home, he'd take her grocery shopping and would start to reflect on his life - past and present. While throughout his childhood his mom was highly abusive, through his prose he finds a way to highlight the pain this had caused and ultimately, figures out a way to forgive her. This collection is broken down like sides of a vinyl record. There are moving tributes to Sidney Poitier, Eve Ensler, The Beatles, Kurt Cobain, Tupac and Biggie. But when he gives birth to a personal tribute to bell hooks that the tears start to flow. Immensely intense and emotionally gripping, you're looking at one of the most shining prose collections of 2022.
December 25, 2022
Heartbreaking and Comforting at the same time
I am so glad to learn about Kevin Powell's Grocery Shopping with My Mother on Karen Hunter's YouTube channel and couldn't stop reading until the last poem. It's a must read for folks who were raised by a young mom who experienced physically and mentally abused during her own childhood.
I am so glad to learn about Kevin Powell's Grocery Shopping with My Mother on Karen Hunter's YouTube channel and couldn't stop reading until the last poem. It's a must read for folks who were raised by a young mom who experienced physically and mentally abused during her own childhood.
March 27, 2023
A powerful book of poetry written by Kevin Powell. The book is divided up like an album with a side one and a side two and bonus tracks. The poems show raw emotion and honor his elderly mother after she becomes ill. Well-written and worth the read!
August 10, 2022
ARC given by NetGalley for Honest Review
Kevin Powell brings us into a vulnerable part of his life with beautiful poetry and prose. Poems about taking care of his sick mother during the Covid19 pandemic, poems about Black Lives Matter protests, poems about music and family, and so so much more. Set up as a record with a side A, a side B, and bonus tracks, this gorgeous collection takes us into the deep emotion of Powell and the way he interacted with the ups & downs of living.
His writing is very free-thought/verse and is written in AAVE (African American Vernacular English) which only lends to the experience of reading more. His tempo and meter throughout are quick and refreshing, matching to your heartbeat as you read along. A very visceral and personal read.
My favorite poems are: "Hope Wanted", "We Them People", and "Reality Check."
Kevin Powell brings us into a vulnerable part of his life with beautiful poetry and prose. Poems about taking care of his sick mother during the Covid19 pandemic, poems about Black Lives Matter protests, poems about music and family, and so so much more. Set up as a record with a side A, a side B, and bonus tracks, this gorgeous collection takes us into the deep emotion of Powell and the way he interacted with the ups & downs of living.
His writing is very free-thought/verse and is written in AAVE (African American Vernacular English) which only lends to the experience of reading more. His tempo and meter throughout are quick and refreshing, matching to your heartbeat as you read along. A very visceral and personal read.
My favorite poems are: "Hope Wanted", "We Them People", and "Reality Check."
September 3, 2022
This is apparently Powell’s return to poetry after not having written it for several decades, and honestly, this is impressive for that alone. There’s a lot of fear and tenderness here, especially in the poems about grocery shopping with his mother during the pandemic and her recovery. Lots of odes to Black cultural leaders. Definitely worth checking out.
April 29, 2023
Like I mentioned in one of my updates while reading this, I’ve never been a fan to poetry. Never connected to it, and if the purpose wasn’t for me to connect but just to understand, I even struggled with that. This one caught my eye as I was roaming around the bookstore, and I suppose I missed the GIANT (ok- in my defense it isn’t that big and obvious,) portion of the cover that said ‘POEMS.’
I just flipped to the inside to read the synopsis and was sold. When I picked it up after purchase, I was bummed. Perhaps that’s why I have such a high rating for it because I didn’t hate it, I didn’t even like it. I gave it 5 stars because it was stunning. These stories, these ‘thank you notes’ evoked so much passion and had me gripping the pages. Part of me was so taken aback by just how easily Powell’s words compelled me to share this book with other people, a book I would have NEVER in my life touched had I not just been grazing through the aisles of this particular bookstore.
I quite literally brought it to my chemotherapy appointment today to share with my doctors and therapists, and had it out rereading my favorite poems so that maybe someone would be compelled to ask about the book. The world needs this, and it needs it bad. I won’t stop talking about it when people ask me about books/anthologies I recommend. Never ever. This is a top shelf read and I really have so much adoration and appreciation for it. There were many moments I was moved to tears, others that brought on immense joy. It’s a must read, a must teach, anything and everything a person could want.
I hope my review alone grabs your attention and that you go on to pick this book up, and if you’re a close friend you can get it loaned from my library anytime. It’ll be for the best. Thank you to Kevin Powell for this gift. I will be looking out for your work everyday from this point forward.
I just flipped to the inside to read the synopsis and was sold. When I picked it up after purchase, I was bummed. Perhaps that’s why I have such a high rating for it because I didn’t hate it, I didn’t even like it. I gave it 5 stars because it was stunning. These stories, these ‘thank you notes’ evoked so much passion and had me gripping the pages. Part of me was so taken aback by just how easily Powell’s words compelled me to share this book with other people, a book I would have NEVER in my life touched had I not just been grazing through the aisles of this particular bookstore.
I quite literally brought it to my chemotherapy appointment today to share with my doctors and therapists, and had it out rereading my favorite poems so that maybe someone would be compelled to ask about the book. The world needs this, and it needs it bad. I won’t stop talking about it when people ask me about books/anthologies I recommend. Never ever. This is a top shelf read and I really have so much adoration and appreciation for it. There were many moments I was moved to tears, others that brought on immense joy. It’s a must read, a must teach, anything and everything a person could want.
I hope my review alone grabs your attention and that you go on to pick this book up, and if you’re a close friend you can get it loaned from my library anytime. It’ll be for the best. Thank you to Kevin Powell for this gift. I will be looking out for your work everyday from this point forward.
February 15, 2023
I don’t recall the last time I picked up a book of poems, but picking up “Grocery Shopping With My Mother” by Kevin Powell felt like picking up a lifebouy. I could tell in every page that poetry saved this author’s life and allowed him to process incredibly complex feelings about his mother, childhood and country.
The poems that captivated me the most were when he was writing about family. He laid bare all of the scars and blessings inherited from those related to him by blood. He also writes about protest, music, baseball, black resilience in more general terms, all great but not eclipsing the special voice he brings when discussing his family. It almost felt that the more vulnerable and courageous the personal revelation, the more clear I was able to chart the layers of meaning behind each stanza.
Witnessing the author process his trauma through his poetry was cathartic, especially the poems written during/referencing the numerous upheavals in recent years: COVID, the 2020 Presidential Election, the uprising against police murder in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. It still felt raw for me to poke my own memories of these epochs, but I discovered that the scabs have healed further than I thought.
This collection of poems will go down as a seminal collection which, like a photograph, will forever reflect back for future generations the special tumult and tribulations that is our contemporary era.
The poems that captivated me the most were when he was writing about family. He laid bare all of the scars and blessings inherited from those related to him by blood. He also writes about protest, music, baseball, black resilience in more general terms, all great but not eclipsing the special voice he brings when discussing his family. It almost felt that the more vulnerable and courageous the personal revelation, the more clear I was able to chart the layers of meaning behind each stanza.
Witnessing the author process his trauma through his poetry was cathartic, especially the poems written during/referencing the numerous upheavals in recent years: COVID, the 2020 Presidential Election, the uprising against police murder in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. It still felt raw for me to poke my own memories of these epochs, but I discovered that the scabs have healed further than I thought.
This collection of poems will go down as a seminal collection which, like a photograph, will forever reflect back for future generations the special tumult and tribulations that is our contemporary era.
December 24, 2022
I want to say upfront that I'm not Black and we should 100% prioritize Black voices when reviewing this collection - I appreciate the topics Powell tackles but had some issues with the delivery.
For example, there were multiple parts where Black people (but more often specifically Black women) were referred to with food descriptions (ex. "miracle chocolate goddesses," "cocoa-creamed queen"), which is a fetishization we see constantly. It felt objectifying and pulled me out of the narrative in the same way that I was in Powell's letter to bell hooks, where he writes that he had to learn women weren't just mothers or punching bags, but actual people. I feel like you can celebrate Black women without fetishizing them or mentioning that you used to not respect them, but that's just me personally.
Again, I appreciate that Powell celebrates Blackness and Black women, but the way his poems are written kind of made me do a double take and go "wait, did he just say that?"
For example, there were multiple parts where Black people (but more often specifically Black women) were referred to with food descriptions (ex. "miracle chocolate goddesses," "cocoa-creamed queen"), which is a fetishization we see constantly. It felt objectifying and pulled me out of the narrative in the same way that I was in Powell's letter to bell hooks, where he writes that he had to learn women weren't just mothers or punching bags, but actual people. I feel like you can celebrate Black women without fetishizing them or mentioning that you used to not respect them, but that's just me personally.
Again, I appreciate that Powell celebrates Blackness and Black women, but the way his poems are written kind of made me do a double take and go "wait, did he just say that?"
December 26, 2023
This book made me ugly sob. Powells mother and my mother are very much alike. They had similar habits or "quirks". Inadvertently I felt like I was reading what I experienced in my own eyes in my life. In fact I was so moved after I started reading this I sent him a message to express how it made me feel and no author has ever made me do that before. He very kindly had responded as well which was a nice surprise. When I finished it I haven't stopped gushing to my friends and family about this. It's so touchingly beautiful and while it hit home for me in all the similarities it's a beautiful collection about Kevin and his life and his mother that it's worth the read a billion, trillion percent.
March 19, 2023
In Kevin Powell's collection of poems, Grocery Shopping with My Mother, he describes people who had a significant impact in his life, whether family or famous individuals, as well as key influential moments in his life or in the life of Black America. The first poem recounts his complicated relationship with his mother, a recurring topic throughout the book. A particularly moving and personal poem is “Son2Mother.” Throughout these poems he reflects on what it means to be black in America, especially for a black man. I don’t usually read poetry collections but this one is well worth reading.
September 29, 2023
Powell divulges so much about his pain, love, and struggle in being raised by his Mother. The structure of the book is like an album (side 1 and side 2) but I believe it's power are the moments where he shares how his upbringing and relation to Mom influenced his understanding of others. I deeply appreciated the poetry that gave flowers to those that inspired him- especially bell hooks, wow what a poem. Here are some of my favorite lines that popped up throughout the book:
"I cried between the lines of your history."
Laughter is the lotion we put on our bones."
"Breakdancing to the malnourished imaginations."
"We are moon twins
emotionally eating our way
to the promised land."
"I cried between the lines of your history."
Laughter is the lotion we put on our bones."
"Breakdancing to the malnourished imaginations."
"We are moon twins
emotionally eating our way
to the promised land."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2023
Came for the title, stayed for the entire book. My Mom, who also has a deep relationship with her weekly grocery store shopping trip, is the reason why I initially put a hold on this book from the library. The poem title “Enough” hit me square in the gut.
I am also ashamed to say that while I’ve heard of bell hooks, I’ve never read anything by her. Between this book’s invocation of her, along with seeing her pop up a lot these last couple of months from other readers, reviewers, and writers, I guess I need to get reading her.
I am also ashamed to say that while I’ve heard of bell hooks, I’ve never read anything by her. Between this book’s invocation of her, along with seeing her pop up a lot these last couple of months from other readers, reviewers, and writers, I guess I need to get reading her.
May 24, 2023
3.0.
Grocery Shopping with My Mother is a collection of poems written by Kevin Powell covering themes of childhood under a single mother, life in NYC, love, and black identity/history.
I'm not the biggest fan of poetry which may have skewed my review, but I thought the collection was alright. There were a lot of references to pop culture icons that I didn't know, which made following along with the connections made more difficult. Powell's haikus on love and his last poem dedicated to his mother were the highlights for me.
Grocery Shopping with My Mother is a collection of poems written by Kevin Powell covering themes of childhood under a single mother, life in NYC, love, and black identity/history.
I'm not the biggest fan of poetry which may have skewed my review, but I thought the collection was alright. There were a lot of references to pop culture icons that I didn't know, which made following along with the connections made more difficult. Powell's haikus on love and his last poem dedicated to his mother were the highlights for me.
January 26, 2023
I rarely pick up books of poetry and read the entire book thoroughly. But a few months ago I heard an interview on the radio with Kevin Powell in which he read two or three of his poems in addition to talking about his childhood. I wanted more, so asked my local library to order this book. I borrowed it yesterday. Powell's poems are rich and filled with love, forgiveness, honesty, allusions, rhyme, and poignancy. Beautiful. January 26, 2023
April 25, 2023
Powell channels African American history, art, music and memories through these poems. I imagine these would be even more powerful heard live or on audio because of their musical cadence. Striking metaphors and pop cultural references. A slim book but strong in spirit. Finishing up National Poetry Month by reading a few volumes new to me.
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