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Joshua Bennett's New Books Bridge Poetry and History
18 Mar
Summary
- Two new publications by poet Joshua Bennett explore Black achievers.
- One book is a collection of poems, the other an essay collection.
- Works span from the 1700s to the present, linking to historical anniversaries.
Poet and scholar Joshua Bennett has released two significant new publications, "We (the People of the United States)" and "The People Can Fly." These companion volumes, characterized by poetic lyricism and intellectual depth, catalog Black achievers in various fields from the 1700s to today. The book-length poem "We (the People of the United States)" is timed to coincide with the nation's 250th anniversary. Its themes include familial connections and a generational bridging. The essay collection, "The People Can Fly," published in February to honor the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, also highlights notable Black figures.
Bennett, who earned a Ph.D. in English from Princeton University in 2016, demonstrates a fluid command of both poetry and nonfiction. His earlier works include the 2016 poetry collection "The Sobbing School." In "We," his fourth book of poetry, Bennett masterfully employs line breaks to emphasize word meanings and associations. Figures such as astronaut Mae Jemison and poet Nikki Giovanni appear across both new publications, illustrating the interconnectedness of achievement and legacy.
