The novel-in-verse is so popular in children's literature and is a format I really enjoy, and I've often lamented that I can't readily find it in adult literature. I think this may be the closest I've found to the format, and it is stunning. ( )

Okay, first off, DaMaris B. Hill has not one but TWO PhDs (in English & women and gender studies) and she was in the Air Force. Wow. And second, this book is phenomenal. I can't say I like it, because its contents aren't something to 'like.' It's full of histories and personalities of real women I'd never heard of before -- and that makes me angry. Every white person should be made to read this book. Since March 26 of this year, 3 historically black churches in Louisiana have been burned down within 10 days of each other. They've been called "suspicious," but really they're not suspicious at all. I know who did it. You know who did it. And why. We may not yet know the name(s), but we know what they look like.

Read my full review here. ( )

For such a short book, there is an incredible amount of detail and history of violence done to famous and unknown African American Women throughout history. The poetry is intense and disturbing as are the facts which are presented. ( )

Beautiful poetry filled with raw emotion: pain, anger, and resentment.The women Hill describes wanted love, respect and compassion. When they realize they had been used, abused, tricked, and kicked to the curb, they felt forced to defend themselves by retaliating. Cost them their lives.

Beyond stunningly sad but.. showed a strength these women needed to take control of their lives, re-gain their self-respect and demand their humanity.

Enlightening book; but don't expect a pleasant or comfortable read.

"How many ways did you write women? How many ways did you right women?"

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley. Trigger warning for violence against women, including rape.)

"The afflicted pray for healing—just as hungry people pray for bread, but when has God ever sent bread? In my recollection of the scriptures, God has always sent a woman."

bound

verb

simple past tense and past participle of bind.

adjective

tied; in bonds: a bound prisoner.

made fast as if by a band or bond: She is bound to her family.

secured within a cover, as a book.

under a legal or moral obligation: He is bound by the terms of the contract.

destined; sure; certain: It is bound to happen.

determined or resolved: He is bound to go.

Pathology . constipated.

Mathematics . (of a vector) having a specified initial point as well as magnitude and direction.

held with another element, substance, or material in chemical or physical union.

(of a linguistic form) occurring only in combination with other forms, as most affixes.

From Harriet Tubman to Sandra Bland, Ida B. Wells to Eartha Kitt, Grace Jones to Assata Shakur, A Bound Woman Is a Dangerous Thing is DaMaris B. Hill's "love letter to women who have been denied their humanity."

In its most obvious sense, these women are bound in a very real, tangible way: those shackled by the chains of slavery, or imprisoned in jail (often, as we'll see, for defending themselves against physical abuse and sexual assault). But to be bound can also be a positive thing, an expression of love: to be bound to one's ancestors, connected to one's friends and family, accountable to one's community. Here, Hill celebrates women who have been bound in both respects, sometimes simultaneously.

Poetry is a deeply personal and intimate form of communion, and it's pretty hit-or-miss for me. I know what I like, even if I have no idea why I like it. And, sadly, as much as I was looking forward to A Bound Woman Is a Dangerous Thing (I mean, THAT COVER!), most of the poems just didn't do it for me.

First, the pros: Hill introduced me to a number of badass women I'd never heard of before, and whom I'd love to learn more about. I love the concept of the collection, and the way it's laid out, with photos, biographies, and poems inspired by the subjects.

But the cons: I just had a ton of trouble getting into the poems themselves. Likewise, the short biographies of the women featured often seem incomplete, and are sometimes downright confusing. The most obvious example to come to mind is Joan Little, who is listed as born in 1953 with an "unknown" date of death. Wikipedia lists her as still alive, so...that's weird. At the very least, it requires further explanation, right?

Poetry is hardly in my wheelhouse, though, and judging from the other reviews, I'm in the minority here, so don't let my experiences dissuade you. Roxane Gay blurbed it, so.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2019/02/12/a-bound-woman-is-a-dangerous-thing-by-damar... ( )