Ordinary Beast

Hardcover

A striking, full-length debut collection from Virgin Islands-born poet Nicole Sealey

The existential magnitude, deep intellect, and playful subversion of St. Thomas-born, Florida-raised poet Nicole Sealeys work is restless in its empathic, succinct examination and lucid awareness of what it means to be human.

The ranging scope of inquiry undertaken in Ordinary Beastat times philosophical, emotional, and experientialis evident in each thrilling twist of image by the poet. In brilliant, often ironic lines that move from meditation to matter of fact in a single beat, Sealeys voice is always awake to the natural world, to the pain and punishment of existence, to the origins and demises of humanity. Exploring notions of race, sexuality, gender, myth, history, and embodiment with profound understanding, Sealeys is a poetry that refuses to turn a blind eye or deny. It is a poetry of daunting knowledge.