A soaring collection of poems that deftly explores the familial, personal, and societal relationships of a young Black woman trying to make her way in a fraught world.

 

Freedom reverberates in Skye Jackson’s breathtaking debut, Libre, with evocative poems that are heart-wrenching, haunting, sensual, and tender. This collection explores the experiences of a young Black woman in New Orleans as she navigates the pull of familial and romantic relationships, celebrating the joys of Blackness, art, and friendship. Libre also includes Jackson’s award-winning poem “can we touch your hair?” which was hand selected by former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins for inclusion in the Library of Congress Poetry 180 Project.

 

An acolyte of Sade and Stevie Nicks, Jackson muses on microaggressions, interracial relationships, and the endless intricacies of Black women’s hair as she rails against loss, random violence, and the dark expectations that society often places upon people of color. She roams each room of the heart, open and unafraid of what she might find behind every door. Through it all, this debut shines as the poetry refracts and reflects like a mirror leaving nothing unseen.