Above Ground
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- Create Date：2023-04-01 00:19:53
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Clint Smith
- ISBN：B0B6HS4BK8
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Caroline
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Beautiful
Brandy
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Clint Smith has become an auto-buy for me。 His writing is incredible。
Khepre
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An excellent poetry collection that wrestles with fatherhood and how fatherhood affected Clint Smith worldview。 I love the moments of Smith discussion about his children and how his children cause him to look at his per view。 I love the tying of world events into his own per-view。 So many powerful stanzas in this collection。 A collection of poems I’ll definitely read again。
Hope
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In👏cred👏i👏ble
Mr。 Armstrong
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One of the best poetry collections I've ever read。 One of the best poetry collections I've ever read。 。。。more
Kelly Herrera
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Clint Smith’s new poetry collection captivated me from beginning to end。 This collection of poetry has many poems focused on family。 I love how Smith plays with white space in “Ode to the Infant Hiccup” and expresses tenderness in “Today We Took You to the Beach for the First Time”。 These poems about family are juxtaposed with more serious entries like “When People Say ‘We Have Made It Through Worse Before’” and “Your National Anthem”。 Smith captures serious moments from the past few years and p Clint Smith’s new poetry collection captivated me from beginning to end。 This collection of poetry has many poems focused on family。 I love how Smith plays with white space in “Ode to the Infant Hiccup” and expresses tenderness in “Today We Took You to the Beach for the First Time”。 These poems about family are juxtaposed with more serious entries like “When People Say ‘We Have Made It Through Worse Before’” and “Your National Anthem”。 Smith captures serious moments from the past few years and provides space for the reader to think。Many poems from Smith’s previous collection Counting Descent have had a regular rotation in my classroom。 I am excited to share poetry from Above Ground with my students。Thank you NetGalley and Clint Smith for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
s。penkevich
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‘I dream / of his dreams and how possible I want them all to be。’Parenthood is a wild， wonderful， often frustrating but usually fulfilling part of life。 You are charged with a human life， first helpless and pure， which can be a daunting task。 Looking at the world around you and the amalgamation of daily headlines full of terror， trauma and tragedy， the care and keeping of a child you hope to usher into the world with grace and understanding seems especially frightening， not to mention the existe ‘I dream / of his dreams and how possible I want them all to be。’Parenthood is a wild， wonderful， often frustrating but usually fulfilling part of life。 You are charged with a human life， first helpless and pure， which can be a daunting task。 Looking at the world around you and the amalgamation of daily headlines full of terror， trauma and tragedy， the care and keeping of a child you hope to usher into the world with grace and understanding seems especially frightening， not to mention the existential questions about having brought someone into this world seemingly so full of sorrow。 This is precisely what Clint Smith captures so harrowingly true in his new poetry collection Above Ground， juxtaposing the tenderness and trials of parenthood with the chaos of the world around us。 Opening with adorable epigraphs from his two children about wanting to be the sun or a ladybug， we move through gorgeously poetic expressions of the thankfulness for the sweet ‘ moments that I know I’ll miss / when they are gone，’ with family legacy and tradition， the happy and sad moments， all melting your heart without ever becoming saccharine and still feeling the weight of the world closing in around you。 Here in his second collection， and following his non-fiction work in How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America， Smith reads as a confident poet with an acute sense of social struggles both historical and current and presents—almost as if responding to a child’s questions about where do we come from and what will become of us—and delivers an image of modern parenthood that many will recognize and with which anyone can empathize。 ‘We spend lifetimes looking at history to findthe most extraordinary things， when sometimesthey are right in front of us。’Everyone hears about how much it changes you， your prioritizes， your thoughts and worries， and all the other cliches parents talk about and before it happens to you its easy to dismiss that。 But if it you do become a parent， you realize that these things are often true， but usually in a way that seeps into you and seems ineffable。 Luckily we have poetry， a wonderful way to still definite the shape these elusive feelings and there are so many moments here where I thought “yes， Clint Smith， wow， yes thats it exactly。 I love his poem about discussing poetry with his child， telling them poetry is in them and ‘searching for something to tell you / that you are what you have always been to me。’ There were many moments here where I’d smile and nod， knowing all too well what he is saying。 Like this one:Ode to Those First Fifteen Minutes After the Kids Are Finally AsleepPraise the couch that welcomes you back into its embraceas it does every night around this time。 Praise the loosecereal that crunches beneath your weight， the whole-graingolden dust that now shimmers on the backside of your pants。Praise the cushion， the one in the middle that sinks like a lifeboatleaking air， and the ottoman covered in crayon stains that youhave now accepted as aesthetic。 Praise your knees， and the eveningrespite they receive from a day of choo-choo-training along the carpetwith two eager passengers in tow。 Praise the silence， oh the silence，how it washes over you like a warm bedsheet。 Praise the wallsfor the way they stand there and don't ask for anything。Praise the seduction of slumber that tiptoes across your eyelids，the way it tempts you to curl up right there and drift awayeven though it's only 7:30 p。m。 Praise the phone you scroll throughwithout even realizing that you're scrolling， praise the videoyou scroll past of the man teaching his dog how to dance merengue，praise the way it makes you laugh the way someone laughswhen they are so tired they don't know if they will ever standup again。 Praise the toys scattered across the floor， and the way youwonder if it might be okay to just leave them there for now，since you know tomorrow they will end up there again。Above Ground presents modern parenthood in such gloriously accurate and probing ways， keeping one eye on the kids and another on the horizon for the dangers lurking everywhere。 The opening poem， All at Once， represents this so well， sending us through a spiral of threats （war， climate change， funerals， fires） an other news with moments like ‘a child takes their first steps and tumbles into a father’s arm。’ It is a reminder of what we face in daily life， the good and the bad， pondering how ‘the river that gives us water to drink is the same one that might wash us away。’ Which is what works so well in this collection， how poems of parenting like zoom preschool， accepting a leaf as a precious gift because it looks ‘like a star’， childhood fascinations with dinosaurs or space， or going to the beach can juxtaposed on the page with poems like The New York Times Reports That 200 Civilians Have Just Been Killed by U。S。 Military Air Strikes， or poems on the lasting trauma of slavery。 ‘The soft hum of history spinsOn its tilted axis。 A cavalcade of ghost shipsWash their hands of all they carried。’The past is always still lingering in the present here， with family legacy always nearby。 They appear when least expected too。 A conversation about the ossicones on the head of a giraffe， his child’s favorite animal for the day and that they ‘don’t do much of anything but exist / as an heirloom passed down from ancestors’ brings us to all ponder all ‘the things that continue to make us / who we are long after / they have served our purpose。’ Poems like Roots explores seeing a grandfather in the mannerisms of a child， or Across Generations explores hoping to end generational trauma， ‘of men attempting / to unlearn the anger of their father’s / tongues， the heat in their hands。’ Family is presented as the whole spectrum of ancestors and future generations:‘When I look at you， it’s like I am seeing everythingthat came before， all the people I lovewho once lived but who are no longer living，all of the history that has brought you here to me。’The movement of history is constantly felt in Smith’s poetry， with the legacy of slavery， or even more recent struggles and dangers to Black lives， with Colin Kaepernick making an appearance in a poem。 There is the movement of people， by slave ship， by diaspora， and even a poem on Pangea where the stanzas look like the plates moving away from each other （Smith occasionally uses inventive forms， like the Pangea poem or a poem about a Black boy executed in the electric chair written to form the shape of a chair）。 Though this collection is not all gloom and trauma， and is， ultimately， hopeful。 The connections of the past are also shown in the connection he feels with his children， their dreams his dreams， their pains and fears also his:‘You， little one， are not attached to my body，you are neither a limb nor a slice of skin，but you are part of me in ways I am stilldiscovering， and when you are hurt， I feelyour distress spread through every cell in me。I experience your wounds as if they were my own’While this collection is from Clint Smith’s perspective and centers fatherhood for the most part， he does not erase or downplay his wife’s importance， which was quite lovely to see。 I especially liked the poem Gold Stars where he discusses how ‘it’s not that I don’t want people to tell me // I’m doing a good job it's just that I’m praised for the sorts / of things no one ever thanks my wife for。’ Which is a real thing for sure。 There was a few years where I was a single parent of a young child， which is a lot of living constantly in survival mode especially when you don’t have much disposable income and are working multiple jobs。 But I noticed this often， all the smiles and praise to just be a dad out with a young girl doing normal things or having fun， as if it was some success story to not be a shitty dad while single mothers， on the other hand， get intense scrutiny， criticism and scorn from society at every turn。 It made me start to notice things even in friends that really bothered me， like when a man says they are ‘on babysitter duty’ when its literally just watching the kids like a dad should do。 Or how often divorced dads are the “fun” parent while the mom takes the bulk of the work。 Dr。 Kate Manne's essay collection Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women has a really insightful chapter on this and the way women’s domestic labor is often invisible to society despite higher demands on it。 I’m glad Clint Smith addresses this because the inequity around parenting is staggering。 Above Ground is a really lovely collection that straddles the personal with a larger scope of society and history。 Clint Smith writes in very straightforward but affecting prose that navigates parenthood is such a charming and familiar way， steering the reader through the tumultuousness of society and struggles before nestling us down into bed， his words like a lullaby helping us feel soft and warm in the tenderness of his poetry。 I’ll leave you with one of the best poems I’ve read so far this year。5/5What People Say“We Have Made It Through Worse Before”all I hear is the wind slapping against the gravestonesof those who did not make it， those who did notsurvive to see the confetti fall from the sky， those whodid not live to watch the parade roll down the street。I have grown accustomed to a lifetime of aphorismsmeant to assuage my fears， pithy sayings meant toconvey that everything ends up fine in the end。 There is nosolace in rearranging language to make a different wordtell the same lie。 Sometimes the moral arc of the universedoes not bend in a direction that will comfort us。Sometimes it bends in ways we don’t expect & there arepeople who fall off in the process。 Please， dear reader，do not say I am hopeless， I believe there is a better futureto fight for， I simply accept the possibility that I may notlive to see it。 I have grown weary of telling myself liesthat I might one day begin to believe。 We are not all leftstanding after the war has ended。 Some of us havebecome ghosts by the time the dust has settled。 。。。more
Olivia Cyrus
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Above Ground by Clint Smith is a collection of poetry and prose that gives insight into both the parental and existential perspectives of a man simply trying to take life one step at a time。 Using images of naturalism and beauty， Smith demonstrates the significant pleasures and miseries that lie in every person’s life and how， despite the value and impact they have on them， they often mean nothing to others。In the first piece， titled "All at Once，" Clint Smith uses various blunt statements to de Above Ground by Clint Smith is a collection of poetry and prose that gives insight into both the parental and existential perspectives of a man simply trying to take life one step at a time。 Using images of naturalism and beauty， Smith demonstrates the significant pleasures and miseries that lie in every person’s life and how， despite the value and impact they have on them， they often mean nothing to others。In the first piece， titled "All at Once，" Clint Smith uses various blunt statements to demonstrate the concept of synchronicity—that events can occur simultaneously and still have no relation to one another。 Indicating that at one moment in time， travesties， such as floods submerging quiet neighborhoods and bombs ending the lives of soldiers， can coexist dimensionally with victories， such as a soldier returning from war and meeting his son for the first time and a scientist finding a vaccine that could save countless lives。 Moreover， in any given moment， a single person's life could be affected in either a negative or positive way， and another person's life could remain the same， without any sort of remorse or knowledge of the occurrences occurring in the former’s。"Waiting on a Heartbeat" carries a similar theme， discussing the small treasures in life that are often neither heard nor seen， such as the development of a baby or the growth of a tree。 In "When people Say ‘We Have Made It Through Worse Before’，" Smith analyzes the rare moments in which communities share a single feeling of despair after an event defies the principle of synchronicity and affects many。 Smith also considers the external demons that he fears he would be introducing to his child after previously relishing in happiness at his unborn child’s health。Throughout the middle section of the collection， Clint uses a series of pieces， which he calls ‘odes，’ to showcase the life-altering milestones in his child’s and his own development that dispelled the thoughts of hesitation and cynicism he often bore to the world。About a third of the way into the collection， Smith separates himself from the beauty of his life and focuses on the external racial implications that， he anticipates， will plague his child’s life。 Discussing how one day his "Black boy" will become a "Black man，" Smith considers the ways in which his child will mature and perceive the world around him。 He then continues， intertwining historical， social， cultural， and natural elements to give a discourse on how he grapples internally with being a father as well as a witness to the atrocities that occur in the world; furthermore， he anticipates the way in which these experiences will mold him and force him to wear various hats he never intended to display。Smith concludes the collection with the prose piece "Look at That Pond。" In this piece， he beckons readers to look at a "fish swimming under its silver surface" and pay close attention to the way in which its body， "bending like a harp，" interacts with its surroundings。 In what Smith considers a natural mystery， this pond and its various components will inevitably become a marsh， then a swamp， and then a forest big enough for his children and their children to roam and explore。 To him， it is this pond， a treasure that has endless yet unknown potential， that keeps him humble and is a reminder that he exists due to so many efforts and elements he’ll never see。All in all， this wonderful anthology of poetry and prose is a dynamic， brilliant window into the soul of every father， man， African American， and human indulging in the highs and lows the world never ceases to offer。 。。。more
Madalyn Woodward
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This was a wonderful collection of poetry。 It's the perfect collection for people， like myself， who are intimidated by poetry。 It was a beautifully written， poignant exploration of parenthood。 The poems were sweet， funny， emotional - the perfect mix。 Thank you Little， Brown and Company and NetGalley for the ARC of Above Ground。 This was a wonderful collection of poetry。 It's the perfect collection for people， like myself， who are intimidated by poetry。 It was a beautifully written， poignant exploration of parenthood。 The poems were sweet， funny， emotional - the perfect mix。 Thank you Little， Brown and Company and NetGalley for the ARC of Above Ground。 。。。more
Veronica Foster
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In Above Ground， Clint Smith transforms the mundane moments of parenthood into moving reflections on family， race， and the current state of the world。 I’m not sure how objective I can be in reviewing the collection: it feels like a personal gift in this year when I’ve struggled with the yawning gap between what I’m feeling as a first time parent and what I can communicate to other people。 It often seems like there’s nothing to say about parenthood that hasn’t been said before， but Smith avoids c In Above Ground， Clint Smith transforms the mundane moments of parenthood into moving reflections on family， race， and the current state of the world。 I’m not sure how objective I can be in reviewing the collection: it feels like a personal gift in this year when I’ve struggled with the yawning gap between what I’m feeling as a first time parent and what I can communicate to other people。 It often seems like there’s nothing to say about parenthood that hasn’t been said before， but Smith avoids cliche by playing with scale， juxtaposing the intimate and the immense。 There are multiple poems in this collection about dinosaurs （in books， in bathtubs）， odes to baby hiccups and the beauty of the baby swing， descriptions of kitchen dance parties and hotdog Halloween costumes。 These entries share space with meditations on New Orleans after Katrina， on gun violence and military violence and the legacy of slavery。 The existence of these poems next to each other makes clear the stakes of parenting in a world that can feel inherently dangerous。 Smith’s style is quite narrative， and there isn’t as much experimentation with syntax or language as I’m accustomed to with poetry。 As a result， the collection sometimes reads a little like a memoir with line breaks。 I can see it appealing to my most poetry-skeptical students， who ask every year why poetry can’t just say what it means。 Most readers will find something here that speaks to them， I think; I know that I’m leaving with a profound sense of gratitude for Smith’s efforts to put words to the everyday enormity of parenting。 。。。more
Morgan Fulton
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I think I need a kid to fully appreciate this
Justine Johnson
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Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC！What a fantastic collection of poetry this is。 Clint Smith manages to touch on topics ranging from the small joys of every day life （like double strollers or enjoying a quiet house after your kids go to sleep） to massive societal and systemic issues like police brutality， racism， gun control， and New Orleans in the wake of the hurricane。 He captures so many emotions of parenthood， from nostalgia to awe， in a way that had me vigorously nodding in agreement many Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC！What a fantastic collection of poetry this is。 Clint Smith manages to touch on topics ranging from the small joys of every day life （like double strollers or enjoying a quiet house after your kids go to sleep） to massive societal and systemic issues like police brutality， racism， gun control， and New Orleans in the wake of the hurricane。 He captures so many emotions of parenthood， from nostalgia to awe， in a way that had me vigorously nodding in agreement many times。 These will make you smile gently， furrow your brow in anger， and break your goddamn heart。 I highlighted the crap out of this book because there were so many life-changing lines， but my favorites were "All at Once"， "Trying to Light a Candle in the Wind"， "In the Grocery Store You Are Wrapped Tightly onto My Chest"， "Pangaea"， "Here Nor There"， "For Your First Birthday"， "Cartography"， "Coming Home"， "Deceit"， and "Punctuation"。 。。。more
Chelsea | The Book Tease
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Thanks to @littlebrown for sending me an advance copy of Above Ground by Clint Smith， out 3/28！ I love Clint Smith。 I use his TED Talk， The Danger of Silence， with my students and recommend his first book， How the Word is Passed， to any and everyone。 So I’ve been anticipating the release of this poetry collection since I first heard about it in October of ‘22。The epigraphs by his children were a fun touch that really set the tone， and I’m still thinking about the opening poem， “All at Once。”I th Thanks to @littlebrown for sending me an advance copy of Above Ground by Clint Smith， out 3/28！ I love Clint Smith。 I use his TED Talk， The Danger of Silence， with my students and recommend his first book， How the Word is Passed， to any and everyone。 So I’ve been anticipating the release of this poetry collection since I first heard about it in October of ‘22。The epigraphs by his children were a fun touch that really set the tone， and I’m still thinking about the opening poem， “All at Once。”I think it is remarkable to find a book of poetry written about fatherhood， let alone one written so clearly and movingly。 Clint writes about his children， but also about the world and about the way in which his understanding of it has been reshaped by his children’s existence。If you’re interested in reading more poetry， Above Ground is beautifully and accessibly written， and I encourage you to pick it up。 。。。more
Cassidy Sinclair
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A beautiful book of poetry about Clint’s family， generations of love， the Black American experience， and humankind。 His writing made time feel much slower and the universe feel much smaller。 He wrote poems on topics like hurricane Katrina， police brutality， war， and school shootings- the things in life that make us frail and remind us that we are only human。Thank you Netgalley for the ARC！ Pub date 3/28
Nicole
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Really excellent， accessible collection of poetry。 Read an ARC & immediately ordered a finished print copy。 Poems about fatherhood and parenthood， Hurricane Katrina and drone strikes， being Black in America & the joy of a son who loves space and dinosaurs。 Highly recommend， especially for folks intimidated by poetry， you can handle this & you’ll be moved。
Heather
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Absolutely gorgeous poetry collection that was not at all difficult to understand。 Poetry can be tough because sometimes the author is saying something OTHER than what is simply written on the page。 Not here。 Smith's words are so clear but yet he is saying simple things with such a beauty to his words and phrases。 He's talking about things that so many people can relate to and putting a gorgeous spin on them with his writing。 I really liked this and I think it's the first poetry collection I've Absolutely gorgeous poetry collection that was not at all difficult to understand。 Poetry can be tough because sometimes the author is saying something OTHER than what is simply written on the page。 Not here。 Smith's words are so clear but yet he is saying simple things with such a beauty to his words and phrases。 He's talking about things that so many people can relate to and putting a gorgeous spin on them with his writing。 I really liked this and I think it's the first poetry collection I've read where every single one of the poems made complete sense to me。 。。。more
Karen
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The only constant in life—and especially in parenthood—poet Clint Smith seems to tell us， is change。 Above Ground， his second collection， follows 2021’s How the Word Is Passed， a narrative nonfiction book that topped the New York Times best-seller list。 Above Ground moves in a different direction， toward quiet contemplation of the contradictions inherent to life—and toward welcoming change。 The author sees the world anew through the eyes of a father， full of terror and delight。 “There is a funer The only constant in life—and especially in parenthood—poet Clint Smith seems to tell us， is change。 Above Ground， his second collection， follows 2021’s How the Word Is Passed， a narrative nonfiction book that topped the New York Times best-seller list。 Above Ground moves in a different direction， toward quiet contemplation of the contradictions inherent to life—and toward welcoming change。 The author sees the world anew through the eyes of a father， full of terror and delight。 “There is a funeral procession in the morning and a wedding in the afternoon，” Smith writes in the poem “All at Once。” “The river that gives us water to drink is the same one that might wash us away。” 。。。more
Tiffany
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From showing his spoken word poetry to my students， watching his Crash Course videos to add context to American history， to being blown away by his foray into narrative nonfiction in How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America， it's safe to say I'm a big fan of Clint Smith。 Above Ground is a beautiful collection of poetry that plays with form and spans a spectrum of experiences。 I loved that some poems were presented as prose or stream-of-consciousness， while o From showing his spoken word poetry to my students， watching his Crash Course videos to add context to American history， to being blown away by his foray into narrative nonfiction in How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America， it's safe to say I'm a big fan of Clint Smith。 Above Ground is a beautiful collection of poetry that plays with form and spans a spectrum of experiences。 I loved that some poems were presented as prose or stream-of-consciousness， while others stuck to a more traditional poetic structure。 Smith tackles relatable topics throughout， whether its grief and loss， the fear of new parenthood and the gender inequality that exists within it， history， gun violence， race， legacy & our elders。 It was hard to whittle down， but some of my favorites in the collection include: It's All in Your Head， For Willie Francis， Pangaea， Gold Stars， Ars Poetica， and Ode to Bedtime。 Many thanks to Little， Brown and Company and NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Natalie Park
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Thank you to NetGalley and Little， Brown and Company for an ARC。 This book will be published on March 28， 2023。 The subject of these beautiful poems range from the everyday mundane to racial and social issues。 There is much to be learned from each。
Marie
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I would like to thank Goodreads and Little Brown Book publishing for the uncorrected proof of this work。Smith is a beautiful writer and the amount of emotion he can elicit is breathtaking。 The poems range topics including parenthood， ancestry， space， dinosaurs， etc。Every poem paints a vivid mental image and allows you to make personal connections with the work。 I tried to decide which was my favorite and could not; they were all just so good。Highly recommend。
Bill
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Clint Smith’s Above Ground is a solid collection of poems overall， one that contains several poems that are gems in their entirety and several others that close particularly well even if the poem as a whole didn’t do much for me。 One’s reaction will also be determined by poetic preference。 There’s more than a little Billy Collins here in the way the poems are often simple in structure and language and conversational in tone， without a lot of varying from that form。 So if you like that sort of po Clint Smith’s Above Ground is a solid collection of poems overall， one that contains several poems that are gems in their entirety and several others that close particularly well even if the poem as a whole didn’t do much for me。 One’s reaction will also be determined by poetic preference。 There’s more than a little Billy Collins here in the way the poems are often simple in structure and language and conversational in tone， without a lot of varying from that form。 So if you like that sort of poetry， you’ll almost certainly finds lot to enjoy here and probably react even more positively to the collection as a collection。 If， on the other hand， you prefer a bit more playfulness in language and structure， a bit more variation in terms of voice and style and obliqueness， language and metaphors/similes that startle more often than seem familiar， you’ll probably be closer to my response。Most of the poems center on Smith as a new parent， either musing on the role or speaking directly to his child （late in the collection another child enters the story） or， in some of the more fun poems， speaking directly to an object of childhood， such as a newly-arrived baby swing。 Other topics involve the world his child is born into （on a precipice of climate change， often violent， too often racist and misogynistic， and particularly for young black boys， unjustly dangerous）， the many small pleasures of life for one attentive to such moments， and the inevitable loss that comes along with those pleasures。The poems， as noted， are often simple in word choice， style， and structure， even if some of the themes are far more complicated， and I’d describe them almost more akin to line-broken prose than how I usually envision poetry， with less of the sound qualities， vivid imagery， startling turn of phrase， and originality of figurative language that I often seek out in poetry。 And while there is absolutely a power in simplicity， I did find myself wishing for a bit more in a number of the poems， or a bit more variety in the collection as a whole。 That said， as I said above， there are several stand-out poems， and many of them that were less strong in their beginnings and middle led to a powerful close。 Amongst my favorites were “Your National Anthem”， “For Willie Francis: The First Known Person to Survive an Execution by Electric Chair 1947” （（one of the very few to play with structure/space on the page）， “Pangaea” （probably my favorite overall）， and “The Drone”。 Included in those that closed particularly well were “The First Time I Saw My Grandfather Cry”， “Coming Home”， “For the Doctor’s Record”， and “Tradition”。“Pangaea” offers up the titular ancient continent as one of the stronger metaphors in the collection， and some lovely lines， such as “don’t we all/eventually return to something/we can lose ourselves inside of？ Can we/blame the desert for missing the breeze/that tumbles across the grassland？” “Tradition”， meanwhile， powerfully evokes the and embodies the speaker’s dead father， closing with the moving recognition that “I don’t remember what the bread tasted/like， just that my father had put it on my plate。” Perhaps the funniest poem， yet one that comes with some bite， is “Gold Stars”， an imagined outing out with his children where he is constantly fêted， praised， and celebrated for being the kind of father to “babysit my children”， the kind who gets a “praise Jesus” for changing a diaper and PA recognition in a store， along with applause， a crown， and a buffet coupon， for “running errands alone with his children。” It’s a poem that， as I can attest to based on my own experience as a dad who stayed home with his child， is only slightly hyperbolic。I enjoyed all of Above Ground even if it left me wanting a bit more in various ways。 But if I have read other recent collections that have wowed me more or exhilarated me more with language or style， this is the collection I’d offer up to anyone who asks for recommendations for poetry “for someone who doesn’t read a lot of poetry。” And for those who do， there’s still a lot here to take pleasure in。3。5 。。。more
Roxana
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There is a weighty joy to these poems， a marveling at the sheer magic that is life， a tenderness and humor that floats even higher when balanced against the solemnity and anger toward tragedies both human and inhumane。 Because the world is on fire， and we live in this history and in this future， but infant hiccups and toddler questions and moments of love and connection are miracles that come from this history and shape this future。 A tender， insightful， honest collection from the ever-talented There is a weighty joy to these poems， a marveling at the sheer magic that is life， a tenderness and humor that floats even higher when balanced against the solemnity and anger toward tragedies both human and inhumane。 Because the world is on fire， and we live in this history and in this future， but infant hiccups and toddler questions and moments of love and connection are miracles that come from this history and shape this future。 A tender， insightful， honest collection from the ever-talented Clint Smith。 Every word is a treasure。 Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy。 。。。more
Morgan
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Above Ground is a fantastic starting point for anyone interested in getting into poetry。 In this book， Clint Smith reflects on parenthood， lineage， and community。 As someone familiar with Smith’s work， I knew I’d enjoy Above Ground but was still pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it。 I highly recommend this for anyone who is a fan of Clint Smith’s work。 Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown & Co for the e-arc。
Rose
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Clint Smith a brilliant writer， whether he’s writing poetry or prose （or Twitter posts about Arsenal football club， my personal favorite）。 I had high expectations for his latest poetry collection， Above Ground， and was nevertheless blown away。 This collection is raw and real， with an emphasis on parenting that made me blubber throughout the slender volume。 Beautiful， moving， and at time heart wrenchingly poignant。 Above Ground is a must read。 Thank you to Little， Brown and Company and NetGalley Clint Smith a brilliant writer， whether he’s writing poetry or prose （or Twitter posts about Arsenal football club， my personal favorite）。 I had high expectations for his latest poetry collection， Above Ground， and was nevertheless blown away。 This collection is raw and real， with an emphasis on parenting that made me blubber throughout the slender volume。 Beautiful， moving， and at time heart wrenchingly poignant。 Above Ground is a must read。 Thank you to Little， Brown and Company and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tanyajk
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Given how wonderfully written How The Word Is Passed was， I was excited to read Smith’s newest book of poetry。 These poems reflect on the moments leading up to him becoming a parent for the first time， and then all the events following。 As a parent， as a POC parent， as a person who struggles with all the anxiety that comes with POC parenting in today’s world， I appreciate this writing with everything I have。 So insightful， emotional and at times painfully raw。 The surrounding world felt dark whe Given how wonderfully written How The Word Is Passed was， I was excited to read Smith’s newest book of poetry。 These poems reflect on the moments leading up to him becoming a parent for the first time， and then all the events following。 As a parent， as a POC parent， as a person who struggles with all the anxiety that comes with POC parenting in today’s world， I appreciate this writing with everything I have。 So insightful， emotional and at times painfully raw。 The surrounding world felt dark when reading Prehistoric Questions， I cackled at Gold Stars， and I just loved all of it。 The very first poem hooked me， and I had to revisit it a few times for a reread。 I will definitely be getting the hard copy once it’s out for my bookshelf。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Nat
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In Above Ground， Clint Smith has created another beautiful collection of poetry， this one reflecting the thoughts， fears， joys， and wonders of parenting。 The stunning opening poem， "All At Once，" sets the stage the rest of the collection by highlighting the tension between creation and destruction。 From there， the collection touches on a series of moments in his life as a new parent--from first sonograms， to family dance parties， to playground mishaps。 The poems focused on his children are often In Above Ground， Clint Smith has created another beautiful collection of poetry， this one reflecting the thoughts， fears， joys， and wonders of parenting。 The stunning opening poem， "All At Once，" sets the stage the rest of the collection by highlighting the tension between creation and destruction。 From there， the collection touches on a series of moments in his life as a new parent--from first sonograms， to family dance parties， to playground mishaps。 The poems focused on his children are often full of wonder （his and their） and humorous--the odes to baby swings， baby monitors， and strollers being particular cheeky。As endearing as some of the poems focused on his young children are， others in the collection are quietly devasting。 Through the eyes of a new parent， he examines post-Katrina New Orleans and all the aspects of his own childhood that were lost in and after the storm。 In other poems， he steps into the perspective of fathers experiencing enslavement， police violence， and military drone strikes。 And as with Counting Descent， he is aware of his place within generations--now， nestled between those who came before him and his children in whom he sees the roots of the past。 He ponders what his own father experienced in raising him， and what parenting styles of generations before have filtered down to him。 He beautifully depicts the complexity of welcoming new lives into the world as we lose parents and grandparents。 These poems pair wonderfully with those focused on nature and the massive， almost incomprehensible scale of time， generations， and evolution; in poems like "Look At That Pond，" he considers the span of centuries in a single location and our place in a miraculous universe。 In these stories most of all， he balances our ephemeral lives and enduring legacies， known histories and unknown futures。 Clint Smith is a wonderful talent and this collection is worthy of repeat reads。 Highly recommend！ I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley for an honest review。 。。。more
Alan
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Some years ago （how long can I keep using “some”？ I’ll keep pushing it） I was headed to the massive auditorium on campus to go to class when a friend texted me to tell me that I should try and stay after class – someone was going to be coming in and doing poetry。 That’s when I first heard of Clint Smith – he was standing there， reciting some amazing poetry。 For one reason or another， I didn’t cross paths with him in any meaningful capacity again。 A friend would read his works here， I would see a Some years ago （how long can I keep using “some”？ I’ll keep pushing it） I was headed to the massive auditorium on campus to go to class when a friend texted me to tell me that I should try and stay after class – someone was going to be coming in and doing poetry。 That’s when I first heard of Clint Smith – he was standing there， reciting some amazing poetry。 For one reason or another， I didn’t cross paths with him in any meaningful capacity again。 A friend would read his works here， I would see a tweet there。 And then this。A 5-star collection of poetry for sure。 Dealing with a changing landscape， racial divides， social insecurities that feel beyond tired。 But all of that gets pushed aside in a sense， magnified in another， all in accommodation of his newborn。 The challenge of fatherhood， the love of a loyal wife， the look of adoration from a baby。 Constant， back-to-back hitters with this one。 Try and get your hands on a copy if you’re experiencing baby fever。Some of my favourite poems:- By Chance- Ode to the Electric Baby Swing- Your National Anthem- This Is an Incomprehensive List of all the Reasons I Know I Married the Right Person- Ode to the Bear Hug- For the Doctor’s Record- We See Another School Shooting on the News- Ossicones- AlarmThanks to Little， Brown and Company for the ARC。 。。。more
Tessa
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This will undoubtedly be one of my top reads for the year。 If you're afraid of poetry， do not let this book scare you。 It is incredible and it is accessible and it is beautiful and heartbreaking。 There are poems that will make you laugh （so many odes to lovely and funny tiny moments of parenting with heavy emphasis on dinosaurs and cereal crumbs）， there are some that will make you cry happy tears， and there are some that will make you cry scared tears- but Clint Smith weaves threads of joy and h This will undoubtedly be one of my top reads for the year。 If you're afraid of poetry， do not let this book scare you。 It is incredible and it is accessible and it is beautiful and heartbreaking。 There are poems that will make you laugh （so many odes to lovely and funny tiny moments of parenting with heavy emphasis on dinosaurs and cereal crumbs）， there are some that will make you cry happy tears， and there are some that will make you cry scared tears- but Clint Smith weaves threads of joy and hope throughout and I just wanted to swallow this entire book whole and stitch it to my heart。Of particular resonance to me （with a huge disclaimer that I am a white woman raising a white son and we do not have to contend with the realities that Smith and his children do） Smith nails the feelings of trying to raise a child in a society that is hell bent on sucking:"But some days， I worry / that we are welcoming you into the flames / of a world that is burning。 / Some days， I am afraid that I am / more kindling than water。""I fear everything I cannot control / and know that I control nothing。 / I am standing in a thunderstorm / attempting to shield you from / every jagged slice of yellow sky。 / I am trying to inhale all the smoke / from this burning world while / asking you to hold your breath。"Smith tackles some very heavy topics- the failures that led to the catastrophic aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina， gun violence， racism， the dumb luck that any of us exist （"。。。you come from a history that is arbitrary / and cloaked in luck—you come from a land- / mine that was two feet to the left— /you come from children who shared their bread when they didn’t have / to。 You come from the parachute that didn’t open then did。"）， the stupidity of borders and war （"the drone renders itself celestial the drone scoffs at / sovereignty the drone asks what is a border if you can fly / right over it？"）- but then he inserts moments of wonder such as dancing in the cereal aisle with an infant strapped to his chest。 I probably highlighted more things than I left alone， there is just so much to love and learn in this book。 I am so excited to keep going to back to it again and again。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy， I very happily preodered this book for myself and a friend after reading and encourage everyone to do the same！ 。。。more
Elizabeth K
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Thank you， Little， Brown & Co。 and #NetGalley。 I’m happy to have read this; I’ve followed Clint Smith III’s work since I first heard him several years ago on DeRay McKesson’s podcast， Pod Save the People 。 Smith once read his poem， When People Say We’ve Made It Through Worse Before， on the podcast。 It’s an absolutely beautiful and timely poem （and it’s included in this volume）。 Most of the poems in this lovely collection are about family， and especially impending and early fatherhood; based on m Thank you， Little， Brown & Co。 and #NetGalley。 I’m happy to have read this; I’ve followed Clint Smith III’s work since I first heard him several years ago on DeRay McKesson’s podcast， Pod Save the People 。 Smith once read his poem， When People Say We’ve Made It Through Worse Before， on the podcast。 It’s an absolutely beautiful and timely poem （and it’s included in this volume）。 Most of the poems in this lovely collection are about family， and especially impending and early fatherhood; based on my previous knowledge of Dr。 Smith， I assume them to be autobiographical。 If I’m correct， the Smith children are very lucky。 。。。more
William
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Clint Smith writes poems on how being the father of a child in the first throngs of language， on the brink of questioning and discovery forces one to relearn the world to answer questions about dinosaurs and what sound a giraffe makes。 By the time his son is two， his wife is pregnant again and the boy is introduced to his sister in the womb through the sounds heard against his mom’s belly。In the wake of Nikki Giovanni， Smith blends family histories from his own childhood occasionally with histor Clint Smith writes poems on how being the father of a child in the first throngs of language， on the brink of questioning and discovery forces one to relearn the world to answer questions about dinosaurs and what sound a giraffe makes。 By the time his son is two， his wife is pregnant again and the boy is introduced to his sister in the womb through the sounds heard against his mom’s belly。In the wake of Nikki Giovanni， Smith blends family histories from his own childhood occasionally with historical and contemporary issues as in his poem about a photo of George Floyd and his daughter。A father of two prematurely born children， smith is witness in a hospital preemies’ ward to sufferings touching other parents and children and by extension all of us。 He draws invisible lines of connections， fingering a globe， and with the philosophical chestnut， if a tree falls in the woods and no one’s there， does it make a sound， a sound he can not hear any more than he can hear the sound a giraffe makes or the cries of baby not his own， smith shows us the preciousness of moments too important to let slip away。 Like Ross Gay， Clint Smith is a poet of found joy。 Smith charts his personal joys of fatherhood and knowledge of the awesome universe shared anew through the experiences of growing children。An awesome book， I thank NetGalley and Little， Brown and Company for an advanced reader’s copy。 。。。more
tpg0
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I'm sorry， as an AI language model， I don't have personal preferences。 However， "Above Ground" by A。M。 Harte is a novel that tells the story of a group of survivors who live in an underground bunker after a catastrophic event on Earth。 The novel explores themes of survival， human nature， and the consequences of our actions。 It has received positive reviews for its engaging storyline and well-developed characters。
tpg1
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I'm sorry， as an AI language model， I am not capable of providing reviews or opinions on specific books。 However， I can provide information about the book "Above Ground" by A。M。 Harte。 It is a dystopian science fiction novel published in 2014 that follows the story of a young woman named Lily who lives in a world where people are forced to live underground due to the destruction of the Earth's surface by pollution and war。 Lily dreams of seeing the sun and the sky again and embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth about the world above ground。
tpg2
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