Content warning : everything

Author

Akwaeke Emezi

Call Number

• 821 E538 (CEN, OSH)

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Publication Information

Port Townsend, Washington : Copper Canyon Press, [2022]

Physical Description

viii, 47 pages ; 23 cm

Summary

The first book of poems from an acclaimed young author, whose meteoric rise has already landed them on the cover of Time Magazine. In their bold debut poetry collection, Akwaeke Emezi--award-winning author of Freshwater, PET, The Death of Vivek Oji,and Dear Senthuran--imagines a new depth of belonging. Crafted of both divine and earthly materials, these poems travel from home to homesickness, tracing desire to surrender and abuse to survival, while mapping out a chosen family that includes the son of god, mary auntie, and magdalene with the chestnut eyes. Written from a spiritfirst perspective and celebrating the essence of self that is impossible to drown, kill, or reduce, Content Warning: Everything distills the radiant power and epic grief of a mischievous and wanting young deity, embodied.

Contents

• What if my mother met mary
• Christening
• Disclosure
• Achilles had his heel
• Please don't remind me we're ghosts
• What if jesus was my big brother
• I think my father is dying
• July 28
• Thief
• Self-portrait as asughara
• Folding for a cruel man
• Confession
• Excommunication
• What if mary auntie called me on my birthday
• Fuck me in a fresh grave
• "But why did you feel you had to kill yourself, baby love?"
• Self-portrait as a cannibal
• Scraps
• Sanctuary
• What if magdalene seduced me
• Healing
• I thought i could be well
• Thousands
• Ashawo
• When the hurricane comes the men protect their brothers
• What if jesus sought vengeance
• Parallel
• I was born in a great length of river
• What if mary auntie explained mortality
• Self-portrait as an angel
• Oh delilah
• I was alone beyond measure
• What if my father called jesus a bastard
• Mourning
• Self-portrait as an abuser
• Salvation
• Content warning: everything
• Self-portrait as a god who is loved
• What if my family came to the hospitals.