ex nihilo

by Adebe D.A.

Bold, beautiful, and timely! These lyrics dare to bring da noise not only the funk and blues of race snafus, but also the exquisite soul sound of intellectual analysis, harmonizing rhythmic lines and gritty insights. They come from a woman who knows the intricate gradations connecting black skin to white,pop culture to academia, and links sophisticated analysis with the verve and drive of performance poetry. Dektet 2010 Jury

Genres: Poetry

72 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2010

About the author

Adebe D. A. is a writer whose words travel between Toronto and New York City. She recently completed her MA at York University, where she also served as Assistant Editor for the arts and literary journal, Existere. Her work has been published in various North American sources, such as Canadian Woman Studies Journal, The Claremont Review, Canadian Literature, CV2 and The Toronto Star. She won the Toronto Poetry Competition in 2005 to become Toronto’s first Junior Poet Laureate.

Reviews

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to go through quite an interlibrary loan ordeal to track this volume down after learning about it from the Dylan Thomas Prize longlist, and now I feel slightly foolish because I want to own it. Only 11 libraries in the world have it at the date of this review, and the library that loaned it sent it to me for *one week only.* It is available for purchase online, but maybe the volume is just new and slightly obscure.

I hope not for long! Of all the poets nominated for the Dylan Thomas Prize, Adebe D.A. is something special. I just get this sense that she will become an important voice, or rather, is becoming an important voice. It is hard for me to quantify why, exactly. Some of the poems resonated with me, particularly "New York, My Future Love," "Colour Lessons," and "I Am Not Cleopatra." Perhaps it is because it feels like she isn't just writing about what she has observed, she is writing about what she has experienced, and there is such a difference really. There is a certain feeling of personal ambiguity, about race, and genders and expectations, that I identify with, and felt myself nodding or laughing in agreement or response.

These deserve to be heard, not just read. "For it is with eyes unveiled
that I have learned this music of deepest understanding."

[THE TORONTO QUARTERLY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out my Toronto Poets - 5 Questions Series interview with Adebe D.A. on the Toronto Quarterly blog.

http://thetorontoquarterly.blogspot.c...