Never Catch Me

by Darius Simpson

Darius Simpson’s debut collection Never Catch Me centers on Black boyhood in the midwest and familial disintegration over time. Simpson pulls back the curtain, exposing the violence enacted against and upon, Black bodies, and yet, still, each poem is saturated in revolution and hope. Never Catch Me is the anthem necessary to organize a community that is committed to a better right now–one that can only be achieved with an intensity and action that goes far beyond the page.

Genres: Poetry

139 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 25, 2022

Reviews

[salifu]

I’m most familiar with Darius as an organizer, so I came to read this looking for his more overtly political works. But I found very quickly that my favorite poems by Darius aren’t even the ones I expected. As a poet, what Darius does best is demonstrate how all of the things about Black life that have been depoliticized and instead elevated as “cultural artifacts” are actually political— and still beautiful. It is rare that poets in this part of the 21st century, so indoctrinated by post-modernism, are able to emphasize aspects of cultural identity without leaning into corny tropes. Darius’ work is real and isn’t trying to explain anything to anyone who doesn’t already get it. This collection reminds me a lot of the mission that Amiri Baraka laid out for Black artists. It was very enjoyable to read and I really took my time reading it because I didn’t want it to end. I’ve passed around this book to several of my coworkers who really enjoyed it. I look forward to teaching a few of his poems to my middle schoolers during their poetry unit and I hope that one day he can come and do a live reading for my students!

[Erin Clements]

"rebellion is the most natural form of self-defense" - Etymology of "Fuck 12"

"i want to ask what good is the lord's work / if not demanding a piece of heaven on Earth for all her children. / what use is my salvation if i can't pray with my feet first. if i won't / stand ten toes against military cowardice. if i won't risk / whatever life i got left. if [my momma] could see us dance in the intersection / we gon be alright electrifying each breath while we pass half empty / water bottles like communion, arms woven like a thorn crown. guilty / and ready to face the executioners. i think she'd bow / her head, say praise God. thankful i found my church home." - I Left the Church in Search of God

This collection is a beautiful exploration of Black boyhood in the midwest, and its beauty should be spread to poetry lovers and those new to poetry alike. It's a work of art.

[Tylah Marie]

Thank you to Netgalley and Button Poetry for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Wow. What a powerful collection of poetry this was. Some of them gave me literal goosebumps and made me feel SO many emotions. This book is so important.

[Seher]

Thank you Button Poetry and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

I'm having a hard time figuring out where I want to place this book. Honestly, my review may change after I re-read this one.

I do think that Darius Simpson has written some really interesting poems in this book. I was personally a big fan of pieces like A Glossary of Terms and A Poem in Which We Shoot Back. While I'm probably not in the best space to review his work, I can tell you that this is a solid writer. I wasn't a big fan of the cover though.

I also didn't realise that people who were pro-Palestine could actually be published. I feel like I read a significant amount of poetry and I haven't come across anyone who actually wrote something like that down this year.

[Vivek]

It’s so refreshing to read revolutionary poetry that pulls no punches in its critiques of police, liberalism, and imperialism.

In “A Poem In Which We Shoot Back,” Simpson describes real-life situations in which police executed Black people, but imagines a role reversal in which the police are the ones killed. The effect feels incredibly transgressive and is sure to offend, but if you take a second, you’ll wonder why this feels so wrong but the actual executions are often greeted with shrugs or rationalizations. It’s brilliant, art unabashed in its point of view and message.

“Nonprofit Equity Statement Walks Into a Summer 2020 Writing Workshop” calls out the laughable inadequacy of white non-profit leaders and imagines what it would look like if they took meaningful measures to change things, ending with:
“…i want you to fistfight your grandparents
i want you to end / all of this / right now.”

There are also sensitive reflections on Simpson’s relationship with his family and growing up in Akron, Ohio. Not all of the poems connected for me, but this is a collection I will definitely return to again and again.

[fjord]

I got to know the author first as an organizer through social media, and when I saw that he has a published work, I instantly had to jump right to reading what he has to say. And definitely, no words were minced in his delivery of facts about structural violence in our society. He wills us to sit with the fact that Black lives remain constantly in a state of disequilibrium. That there is no skipping around the reality of revolution as our one and only way forward and to achieve that, we need to organize and mobilize people into action. Of all poems considered, I wish I could experience I Left the Church in Search of God for the first time all over again.

[Carina Borutta]

The first word that comes to my mind when describing Darius Simpsons work is "powerful".
Theremhas not been one text in this collection that did not make me feel something.
As different as they might be, all of the texts depictna very clear and unsettling picture while using modern poetry in unexpected yet always fitting ways.
If you ever wondered, would this work fit into your collection and was is worth rereading, this one is a strong yes.
As sad as it is, Simpson captures the needs of our society and forces to ma,e the reader look into a mirror.

[Robin]

Thank you to Button Poetry, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Darius Simpson is a gifted writer. The poems in this book are powerful and at times, brutal. They are eye-opening and necessary. While I enjoyed many of them and bookmarked several, I also found them all to be pretty despairing. Yes, racism is alive and well in America, but literally millions of Black people are working relentlessly for change every day. I didn't feel any hope or any recognition of the change-makers.

[LibraryLove]

This was a hard read, as in emotionally charged. I could only read a little at a time to absorb the words and feelings of Darius Simpson. Sadness, anger, fear, mistrust, excitement, happiness, joy... life.

I do have some questions, however. Are these poems based on the author's personal experiences or what he has witnessed? And is there an audio version of this book? I would love to hear the author's voice, as I feel it would give his poetry the power it deserves.

[Jen McDowell]

So powerful and so Important. As a white perusing this was such an enlightening read and I was reduced to tears more than once. If you want to truly understand what it’s like to be Black in America this is the book for you.

[Lalabikida Poppy]

Amazing writing by this author. Each poem speaks to the soul like a bowl of gumbo. All the write ingredients mixed together the the taste of black soul. No matter who reads this writer's book, everyone can taste and see how good it is.

[Erin]

This book was incredible I have ls over this book, I really took my time with it to really get a grip on the poems, I honestly really enjoyed it while I didn't enjoy all of them I enjoyed most of them and was so happy that I could read this early.

[Kimberley Gore]

Loved this!!! The poems are wonderful and very insightful!!!!!!

[Wyatt]

4.5

[Tasneem]

Nothing I could say could do it justice.
In a world of performative poetry, this is what modern poetry should be.

[Gothdoll666{In Rue's Pocket}]

READ THIS collection of poetry now! Read it and pass it around for others to read!

I really, really, really loved this collection of poetry. It was bold, honest, entertaining, loving, insightful and inspiring. Darius Simpson has a gift. I am so glad he is also a teacher. This poetry collection is what is needed in classes more, enough of the likes of W.H Auden and more poets like Darius and Daenez Smith. I cannot wait to analyze and reread this collection soon. I will make sure to BUY a print copy and tell everyone about it. Fuck 12 and white supremacy.

A huge thanks to Netgalley and Button poetry for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"i love my people.
i protect and serve my people."

[Eshwarya]

Simpson's poetry is raw, powerful and utterly necessary. He encapsulates the pain and the struggles of the Black community in modern and eclectic prose, using style and using it well to get his point across. Poetry is personal, and sometimes it doesn't resonate with readers who don't share lived experiences with the poet. That isn't the case here though, because Simpson's words have a way of getting under your skin, and they stay with you. I don't think anyone can get through this collection without feeling both angry and devastated. Probably one of the best collections I've ever read, and I highly recommend this to everyone.