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ONE OF PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'S TOP 10 POETRY BOOKS OF FALL 2017

NPR'S MOST ANTICIPATED POETRY BOOKS OF 2017

A striking, full-length debut collection from Virgin Islands-born poet Nicole Sealey

The existential magnitude, deep intellect, and playful subversion of St. Thomas-born, Florida-raised poet Nicole Sealey’s work is restless in its empathic, succinct examination and lucid awareness of what it means to be human.

The ranging scope of inquiry undertaken in Ordinary Beast—at times philosophical, emotional, and experiential—is evident in each thrilling twist of image by the poet. In brilliant, often ironic lines that move from meditation to matter of fact in a single beat, Sealey’s voice is always awake to the natural world, to the pain and punishment of existence, to the origins and demises of humanity. Exploring notions of race, sexuality, gender, myth, history, and embodiment with profound understanding, Sealey’s is a poetry that refuses to turn a blind eye or deny. It is a poetry of daunting knowledge.

Sealey’s acclaimed debut confronts the tensions of existence with:

Caribbean American Poetry: With a voice born in St. Thomas and raised in Florida, Sealey interrogates ideas of origin, history, and belonging. LGBTQ+ Poetry: Featuring brilliant and subversive tributes to legends of drag ball culture like Venus Xtravaganza and Pepper LaBeija. Poems About Pop Culture: From odes to Brad Pitt to a murder-mystery poem inspired by the board game Clue, Sealey finds the profound in the familiar. Formal Experimentation: Masterfully crafted centos, sonnets, and inventive forms showcase a poetry of "daunting knowledge" where every line is electric.