Book Overview
Kyle Dargan's debut collection of poetry, The Listening, searches through the cluttered surface of contemporary life to tune into the elemental sounds within the marrow of living/life. Throughout the collection, Dargan interweaves elements of his heritage with the present day--jazz influences blend with hip-hop; neoslave narratives run parallel with the intimate tale of civil rights leaders; post-9/11 America is juxtaposed with family portraits of the sixties and seventies--to reveal the continuous, though ever changing, music of the world around us. Whether capturing the famous Ali-Frazier fight in Manila or a trip to the local barbershop, Muddy Waters or boyhood blacktop games, Dargan gives voice to the most poignant and fleeting aspects of our everyday existence. With singular incisiveness and vigor, these poems act simultaneously as psalms and elegies, praising life at the same time they lament its inevitable passing.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0820326615
ISBN13:9780820326610
Release Date:September 2004
Publisher:University of Georgia Press
Length:104 Pages
Weight:0.35 lbs.
Dimensions:2.9" x 5.4" x 8.5"
Related Subjects
PoetryCustomer Reviews
2 ratings
Spoken in clear tones
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
Kyle has nailed his first book with extreme knowledge of the current and past cultures. He has an ear for rhythm and an eye for emphasis. A complete wonder; I cannot wait to read the second book.
Thoughtful debut
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
Kyle Dargan is putting a pensive face with the pulse of hip hop in this first collection "The Listening". He refers to the classic Black poets Robert Hayden, Etheridge Knight and Michael Harper and does not miss a step by referring to the likes of Mos Def, Quincy Jones or Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)". He reminds us that there is and has been an ongoing continuum of African American words thriving. Some of my favorites include "Old Ways", "Redefinition" and "Surrender III: Study" among others. This book rolls into a flow of music, basketball, family, a young man's coming of age and exploration of his vulnerability. One of the poems that makes me smile, "Last Dragons", refers to the 1980s film "The Last Dragon" with Taimak and Vanity. Nostalgia can present itself as comical, bittersweet and sometimes as a heaviness, and "The Listening" does just that. It perks your ears up and will make you sigh or shake your head or make you think you should look at a squirrel more closely or remember what somebody told you about the weight that hair can carry. I am looking forward to seeing more poems from this young brother, and you should too.
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