We Start with What We're Given

We Start with What We're Given is Justin Phillip Reed's third poetry collection. The work explores threads of inheritance, survival, and the evolution of identity through a series of poems set in the American South. Reed confronts experiences of structural violence and injustice while documenting everyday moments and interactions that shape personal and collective memory. The poems move through different forms and styles, incorporating elements of both traditional and experimental structures. The collection examines family dynamics, queer identity, and Black masculinity in the context of Southern geography and history. The writing maps physical and emotional landscapes, from rural spaces to urban environments. The work presents a meditation on how inherited trauma and resilience influence the formation of self, while questioning conventional narratives about place, belonging, and transformation. Through strategic shifts in perspective and form, Reed creates a space to consider the boundaries between personal truth and communal experience.

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Justin Phillip Reed's overall work: Readers emphasize Reed's complex, challenging poetry that demands multiple readings to unpack. Reviews highlight his raw examination of race, sexuality, and power through inventive language and form. What readers liked: - Bold confrontation of difficult themes - Innovative use of white space and typography - Musicality and rhythm of language - Depth that rewards careful study From reviews: "His words cut deep and make you think" (Goodreads) "Forces you to slow down and consider each carefully chosen word" (Amazon) What readers disliked: - Dense, sometimes impenetrable language - Abstract imagery that can feel disconnected - Need for extensive literary/cultural knowledge to fully grasp references Ratings: Goodreads - Indecency: 4.2/5 (500+ ratings) - The Malevolent Volume: 4.3/5 (300+ ratings) Amazon - Indecency: 4.5/5 - The Malevolent Volume: 4.6/5 Many reviews note the work requires academic engagement and isn't casual reading, but rewards the effort with profound insights.

Citizen by Claudia Rankine This collection blends poetry and cultural criticism to examine racial aggressions in contemporary America through a similar unflinching lens as Reed's work.

Don't Let Me Be Lonely by Claudia Rankine The book combines prose, poetry, and images to explore isolation and identity in ways that echo Reed's experimental approach to form and subject matter.

Bodymap by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha The poems navigate queerness, disability, and survival through a corporeal lens that speaks to Reed's explorations of the body and marginalization.

The Black Unicorn by Audre Lorde These poems confront power structures and celebrate identity through mythological and personal frameworks that parallel Reed's interrogation of selfhood.

Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong The collection weaves personal history with cultural memory to examine sexuality and violence in ways that complement Reed's poetic investigations.

🎯 Justin Phillip Reed won the National Book Award for Poetry in 2018 for his collection "Indecency," making him one of the youngest recipients of this prestigious award 🖋️ The book explores themes of Black identity and queerness through both personal narrative and wider cultural commentary, often using experimental forms and structures 🌟 Reed's work frequently incorporates elements of visual art and cinema, particularly horror films, as metaphors for discussing racial and social issues 📚 The collection was published by Button Poetry, a press known for bringing performance poetry to the page and amplifying marginalized voices 🎭 The title "We Start with What We're Given" comes from a line in the book that addresses inheritance—both genetic and cultural—and how we navigate the circumstances of our birth