Teahouse of the Almighty (National Poetry)

Patricia Smith is an extraordinary poet. I am now collecting her books and absorbing them...her style and content very inspiring.

Wonderful book of intelligent writing. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves poetry. A little bit more advanced.

I purchased Smith's Teahouse of the Almighty for I had selected her as my concentration poet for a workshop class I was taking. I had been quite fond of Patricia Smith because of her piece "Biting Back", and had a peculiar anticipation when beginning this collection. She didn't let me down at all.The strength in delivery and tone is undeniably evident in her work. Pieces such as "Her Other Name" hit me with such a convicted presence, that it took multiple reads just to grasp and better understand how well Smith could be both incredibly blunt and fantastically poignant within the very same moment.If almost for nothing else at all, experiencing the first poem in this collection is worth the price. "Building Nicole's Mama" spits at you raw imagery of truth while making you consider the beauty, power, and responsibility that comes with putting yourself and words down on pages.If you have never experienced Patricia Smith before, this collection is a very worthy admissions ticket.