Skip to main content

Dub

"Dub: Finding Ceremony takes inspiration from theorist Sylvia Wynter, dub poetry, and ocean life to offer a catalog of possible methods for remembering, healing, listening, and living otherwise." 

Although I have finished reading the final instalment in Alexis Pauline Gumbs' trilogy, I keep referring back to the synopsis for help explaining the experience. At first glance, tackling theory and Black history in one poetry collection sounds like an impossible goal, but Gumbs does so flawlessly and effortlessly.

Dub

The thing I love about Gumbs' work is that only she could have written this book; no one else could have accomplished such storytelling in this format. Reading Dub is truly a journey, as it starts off slow and steady, with the pace and tempo increasing with every turn of the page. The story Gumbs' painted was amazingly vivid, and the history she chose to relate also becomes personal, which added to the beauty of the narrative. 

While reading this book, I cannot deny that I felt a variety of emotions. Most of the time I felt exposed, raw, but the concluding words definitely helped me find healing in an unexpected but welcome way. 

This book was an absolutely flawless page turner, and it should come as no surprise that I see it as a 5 star read...I definitely need to go back and read Spill, the first of the trilogy.

What other poetry should I be reading? To share your thoughts, questions or review requests, please comment below, email me (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com) or follow me on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm1).

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Arc of a Scythe

The end of a trilogy can either be a very frustrating event, or a very melancholy feeling. If the ending is not what you hoped, it can feel disappointing to have invested so much time. However, if the ending is satisfying, as was the case for The Toll  by Neal Shusterman, then leaving a series behind can be a concoction of emotions. The Toll The Arc of a Scythe trilogy came to a dramatic, thrilling, wonderful close in the final installment, and while I can say that I enjoyed it, I find it interesting how my interests seemed to change from the story of Citra and Rowan, to Greyson's story. I loved how complex the world got, and the ending was perfectly written, even though I still wanted more. 4 stars from this Bookworm! The only reason it was not a five is because I loved the second one. Second books are great because there is still a build up of tension, fantastic characters, and an ending that does not conclude the whole series and make me wish I could start all over again... Oh w...

The Kings and Queens of Old

For as long as I can remember, I have had a deep, nearly obsessive, fascination with the past. The stories I was drawn to were ones of kings and queens, knights and wizards, myths and legends. Regardless of the truth behind these stories, the language and the heroic characters that populated the tales created a romantic attachment that lasts to this day.  Even now, I prefer stories of fantasy and adventure to those of real life, and in admitting this I feel like I have failed in my duty as a bookworm, as I only just finished reading The Lost Queen by Signe Pike, even though it was published in 2018.   The Lost Queen I have to sincerely thank Netgalley and Atria Books for giving me access to this ebook, because it was truly a wonderful adventure. The story begins when Languoreth, daughter of a King who still follows the Old Ways of their ancestors, is a child who just lost her mother and must learn to navigate womanhood in a changing world. As the years pass, Languoreth ex...

Kamila Knows Best

One of the biggest regrets I had during 2021 was that I let my blog slip through the cracks...which is a pity, because I like to blog. Therefore, I have decided to write once more (hopefully more than once), because I want to talk about Kamila Knows Best  by Farah Heron. You may recognize Heron's name from her previous works: The Chai Factor  and Accidentally Engaged. Both of these novels were well written, humorous, and heartwarming, but I loved them all the more because they are set in Canada and written by a Canadian.  Kamila Knows Best  stays true to all of these points. Set in Toronto, this adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma was faithful to the original while adding twists and turns that are accurate for a modern retelling. Kamila is an accountant who loves her father, friends, dog and career deeply, but all of these things means she is too busy for a serious relationship -- or so she claims. Kamila also fancies herself a matchmaker, and takes pride in the fact th...