The work of a lauded poet-scholar whose poems excavate the hidden treasures of human consciousness from the ruins of a tragic history.
Encompassing fifty years of poetry and creative work, this collection showcases the arc and impact of Nubia Kai's poetic voice. From the Black Arts Movement to the present, Kai's poetry has maintained steadfast attention to racial oppression and resistance, Black history and culture, colonialism, political protest, freedom, and experiences of love. Collected in a single volume for the first time, Kai's celebrated works are featured alongside new writing in five parts: "Peace of My Mind," "Solos," "The Winds That Scatter," "Jubilee," and "New Poems." Her writing displays a musicality, urgency, and intentionality that reveal both her mastery of the craft and her own literary innovations, which expanded the boundaries of poetry for writers to come. These poems reflect a profound understanding of the ethos of our lived experiences and cement Kai's legacy as one of the most important artists and poets of the twentieth-century United States.