City Beautiful: Poems 1998-2006
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Synopsis:
Tennessee Reed compiled her writing from 1998 to 2006 in City Beautiful, her fourth published poetry collection. Among her experiences living a poet's life since the age of five were 1994 poetry workshops and readings in Berlin and Bonn, Germany, where she was youngest person ever presented by the United States Information Agency's Arts America Program. This two-part volume features a series of poems inspired by animals, "Animals & Others," originally part of her 2005 Master of Fine Art's thesis project at Mills College.
Book Excerpt:
CIRCUS TIGER
At the Universoul Circus
six white tigers and two Bengal tigers
sit on their haunches in an arc
surrounding the gorgeous Ameera Diamond,
the first Black female animal trainer in the world,
who is dressed in a gray and black tiger
striped see through tankini
with matching leggings and long, black boots
They stare at her
eyes glistening gold and aqua marine
They open their huge mouths
showing fierce, white teeth
as she flicks her whip
in front of their noses
When she ignites the hoop into a circle of fire
a white tiger cooperates
flying through the flames
but a Bengal tiger hesitates
then turns back around and jumps down
He narrows his eyes at the trainer as if to say,
“Hell, no, I’m not jumping through that hoop.
Do I look like I got the word
‘stupid’ written across my forehead?”
Miss Diamond looks peeved
This is one of those times,
she says in an interview,
that he “pulled a fast one on her”
and although she looks
like she wants to whip his ass
she puts the flame out
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Publishers:
Ishmael Reed Publishing Company
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Original Publish Date:
September 19, 2006
Formats and associated ISBNs:
1425714641 978-1425714642
Formats:
Paperback
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