First published 2009
DéLana R. A. Dameron addresses God directly in this debut poetry collection, winner of the South Carolina Poetry Book Prize. The poet questions a deity she sees as both threatening and all-powerful, one who governs life and death across the earth. Her spiritual interrogation draws from natural catastrophes, family conflicts, racial injustice, and journeys to foreign places. Dameron moves between personal memory, shared history, and invented narratives as she grapples with divine authority. Her emotions shift from rage to sorrow to celebration as she witnesses God's vast control over human experience. The poet seeks answers that remain hidden, yet finds in the act of writing itself a form of comfort and understanding.
Genres: african-american, poetry, religion, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, grief
Setting: South Carolina
Period: 21st-century
83 pages · Paperback · University of South Carolina Press
Content warnings: racism