His poems move fluidly across personal and political histories, all the while reflecting on the social construction of our lived experiences. Smith explores the cognitive dissonance that results from belonging to a community that unapologetically celebrates black humanity while living in a world that often renders blackness a caricature of fear. Purchase Neon Soul: A Collection of Poetry & Prose on AmazonĬlint Smith’s debut poetry collection, Counting Descent, is a coming of age story that seeks to complicate our conception of lineage and tradition. Deun Ivory’s illustrations on select pages of this collection were the icing on the cake! ★★★★ (4 stars) – Great book.

Overall, I love this collection because Alex Elle seems to be writing from a place of fulfillment, which is refreshing from the myriad of poetry collections out there that seem to be from a place of grief and hurt. we areĪbout what parts of us deserve to stay in ourīut why is that? when all of the mess can to not live inĮndless possibilities to find who i am. There are also a few glimpses of her immense love for her daughter and husband in the collection, which was very cute! One of the poems speaks on the unfortunate miscarriage she had a while back – the simplicity of that poem speaks volumes on the polarizing feelings we women of color sometimes have about our bodies. The poems are laden with gentle, uplifting affirmations and tools for living intentionally and forgiving oneself, as well as understanding and nurturing all aspects of yourself. These poems center around the joys of being whole and comfortable with oneself.

From this collection, it’s clear she’s content and comfortable in her skin. It’s inspiring to see Alex Elle’s growth in Neon Soul. This book of all-new poems from the beloved author of Words From A Wanderer and Love In My Language is a quotable companion on the road to healing. In short, powerful verses, Alexandra Elle shares a hard-won message of hope.Īlexandra Elle writes frankly about her experience as a young, single mother while she celebrates her triumph over adversity and promotes resilience and self-care in her readers. Alexandra Elle’s name was on that list and Clint Smith is a poet I truly admire, especially from his TED talk – How To Raise A Black Son in America.īelow are mini reviews of their respective poetry collections. Hey everyone! At the end of my review for salt. by Nayyirah Waheed, I listed a bunch of contemporary poets and expressed my keen interest in reading their work in the future.

Neon soul by alexandra elle