Kyle Dargan has written a review of Nabila Lovelace's Sons of Achilles. We are so happy to see such a rich, thorough, and insightful reading of Lovelace's spectacular collection. Read the review up at On the Seawall!
An excerpt from the review:
"In the collection’s penultimate poem, “On Knowing,” our speaker opens stating “I, too, come from the lineage & loins / of Achilles” — finally and fully claiming the aggression within her. But unlike Achilles, women, and brown women in particular, are not afforded the same space to be combative and aggressive. (Examine the way Serena Williams was punished for aggressively advocating for herself in the 2018 US Open finals if you disagree with that point.) While there are poems that explore vulnerability, such as “Sharing Cake,” in the latter half of the book Lovelace creates space for justified female anger . . . The best of language in this book reminds me more of a heavyweight fight — power punches, close quarters without a lot of dancing. As challenging as some of its subjects may be, Nabila Lovelace has written a debut book you will be better for standing with to exchange blows."
Check out this amazing book!
