📖 Overview
Clint Smith is an American writer, poet, and scholar whose work examines history, racial justice, and the human experience. His book "How the Word Is Passed" became a #1 New York Times bestseller and won the 2021 National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, establishing him as a significant voice in contemporary American literature.
Born in New Orleans in 1988, Smith earned his BA from Davidson College and later completed his PhD at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. His academic work focused on education in the prison system, specifically studying how individuals sentenced to life without parole experience educational programming during incarceration.
Before his literary career, Smith worked as a high school English teacher in Maryland, where he received recognition as the Christine D. Sarbanes Teacher of the Year. His poetry collections include "Counting Descent" (2016) and "Above Ground" (2023), and he has achieved success in spoken word poetry, including winning the 2014 National Poetry Slam.
Smith currently serves as a staff writer at The Atlantic and has established himself as a prominent public intellectual through his writing on culture, history, and social justice. His work regularly appears in major publications and he frequently speaks at universities and institutions across the country.
👀 Reviews
Readers appreciate Smith's ability to blend personal narrative with historical research, particularly in "How the Word Is Passed." Many note his skill at making complex topics accessible through clear, measured prose and poetry.
From reader comments:
"He presents difficult truths without preaching" - Goodreads reviewer
"The poetry speaks directly to current events while remaining timeless" - Amazon review
Common critiques mention pacing issues in longer works and occasional repetition of themes across essays.
Ratings:
Goodreads:
- How the Word Is Passed: 4.8/5 (98,000+ ratings)
- Counting Descent: 4.5/5 (3,000+ ratings)
- Above Ground: 4.4/5 (1,200+ ratings)
Amazon:
- How the Word Is Passed: 4.8/5 (13,000+ ratings)
- Counting Descent: 4.7/5 (800+ ratings)
The majority of negative reviews focus on disagreements with political viewpoints rather than writing quality.
📚 Books by Clint Smith
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America (2021)
A detailed examination of eight locations across America that illustrate how slavery has been remembered and misremembered, based on Smith's visits to sites including plantations, prisons, and Confederate cemeteries.
Counting Descent (2016) A poetry collection exploring coming of age, race, and family through personal narratives set against the backdrop of contemporary America.
Above Ground (2023) A collection of poems examining parenthood, loss, and joy while reflecting on what it means to raise children in contemporary America.
Counting Descent (2016) A poetry collection exploring coming of age, race, and family through personal narratives set against the backdrop of contemporary America.
Above Ground (2023) A collection of poems examining parenthood, loss, and joy while reflecting on what it means to raise children in contemporary America.
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