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Books by Monifa Love
Dreaming
Underground /
Freedom in the
Dismal /
My Magic Pours Secret Libations
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Dreaming
Underground
Poems
By Monifa A. Love
Winner of the 2003 Naomi Madgett
Poetry Award
Second collection of poetry by author of an award-winning novel,
Freedom in the
Dismal.
What a gifted
poet. Precise. Knowing. So lovely and so incredibly lyrical. Her
heart and hands, so well-read and so well-traveled. These poems
fly with grace on the wings of so many different forms--the
voice shimmering. The human objects of her poetic attention so
unforgettable; an uncle as eminent teacher and the musical
oxygen of Leontyne Price that lingered long after her mother's
funeral. Superb. The poet is drawn to striking deep imagistic
tenderness with each stroke. Lightning swift turns and twists of
phrase abound. Solid and unpretentious. Unwavering and
acoustically reverent. A thoughtful unforgettable poetic solar
system is born here.
--Nikki Finney, author of Rice
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The myriad gifts of Monifa Love . . . all
come together as she writes the Great African-American Novel.
This is banner-like writing that waves like a flag over the
nation within the nation within the continent.
--Robert Ferris Thompson, author of Flash
of the Spirit
Freedom in the Dismal is an
excellent book!!!!! It is very moving and powerful because the
characters are so wonderfully developed and negotiated within
the work. Love does a great job of conveying the harships and
pleasures that accompany the lives of two riveting lovers and
their families. Love guides the reader through a multitude of
emotions and experiences--this work cannot and should not be
tossed off lightly. Instead it should be honored for its
meticulous detail and intrinsic passion. I gladly give it five
stars and do not doubt that others will enjoy it as much as I
did. Brava to Love for this amazing first novel!
--
amazon.com
Monifa Love's novel
_Freedom in the Dismal_ tells the love story through letters and
journals of Camille and David, separated before their planned
wedding date by David's incarceration. Juxtaposed with this
story is an intercutting of testimony and tribunal of ancestors
whose lives were impacted by American slavery. At the center of
it all is the Dismal Swamp, where some found a species of
freedom. This book explores the species of freedoms that we
encounter today as well as those we inherit from our history.
This was a sensitive labyrinth with shining truths. I highly
recommend this novel. --
amazon.com
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* About the Author
Monifa A. Love was born in 1955 in
Washington, D.C., and graduated from Princeton. Her collection
of poetry, Provisions, was published by Lotus Press in 1980. She
is the recent recipient of a Ph.D. in English from The Florida
State University. posted 11/21/04 |
