Quiet Storm: Voices of Young Black Poets
by Lydia Omolola Okutoro

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Book Reviews of Quiet Storm: Voices of Young Black Poets

Book Review: A strong collection of young voices
Summary: 4 Stars

The poems are mostly written by poets who were in their teens. Each poem is accompanied by identification of the author's country and the age at which he/she wrote the poem. The book also includes biographical notes on each poet. The book has an international scope; in her introduction compiler Okutoro writes about her own Nigerian-American background and notes that the anthology "is a celebration of the African Diaspora" through the eyes of young people. Among the countries represented by the poets in this book are Somalia, Uganda, Haiti, Canada, and more. However, the poets represented overall are overwhelmingly from the U.S.A., so while the international approach is admirable, I don't think that the book fully achieves this vision.

Still, "Quiet Storm" is a frequently powerful and thought-provoking collection. Some of my favorite selections are as follows. "My First Love," by Jennifer McClune of New York: a love poem to black hair, written in vivid, muscular language. "A Missing Sun," by Kia Hayes of Pennsylvania: full of rich, startling imagery. "Deracinee," by Marie-Sabine Thomas of Haiti and Zaire: a fascinating meditation of ethnic and linguistic identity. And "The Question," by Amy E. Auzenne of Texas: a powerful poem about being a light-skinned black person. Overall, it's a vibrant and memorable anthology that I recommend both to teen and older readers.

Poetry Books

• Books > Subjects > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction
• Biographies > People of Color
• Multicultural Stories > African-American