Abandon Automobile: Detroit City Poetry 2001 (African American Life (Paperback))

This poetry compilation achieves its goal by capturing whatever it means to be "Detroit". I sometimes close myself in a room and read loudly poems from this book to the wall just to remember what it feels like to live in an area not built on doubletalk (I live in Washington DC now).I could never speak to whether this book would appeal to somebody who doesn't understand Detroit's turbulent life over the 20th century. I would certainly tell anybody who asked that they should at least flip through this book every so often because it tells the story of America, its pinnacles of glory and how they can get ripped right out from underneath without a moment's notice.The poetry in 'Abandon Automobile' is beautifully visceral. There are no "thou"s or sappy sonnets about flowers in this book. It may seem simple and plain to people more accustomed to coffeeshop poetry, but it isn't once you let the words meld together. Much like Detroit is defined by what many people have done as a collective rather than what any particular individuals have done, these words together form Detroit. The language is practical, impassioned, riddled with strife and hope and somehow happiness. It has stories told through the grit of abandoned sidewalks that were once the busiest in the world, but now only support a couple averted-eye strangers passing one another.Everyone I know who understands Detroit lives with an uneasy love / hate for it. It is the love of the automobile mixed with an utter disdain for what it has done to destroy its own city. This poetry captures that. The poems throw up an impassioned defense for all Detroit has quietly contributed to society and reveals a deep rooted frustration over its potential in a world that no longer cares about it.Anyway - even if you've never found yourself saying 'Detroit' over and over until its images were wiped away and it settled deep in your throat as an entirely new and strange word, read this poetry. Some are better than most, but you'll find the really good ones and you'll find Detroit.

Boyd and Leibler did a fantastic job curating these poems. A must read for Detroiters and those who are interested in urban poetry.

This is a wonderful book of poetry. A versatile, expansive collection of poems by many good writers. Full of variety but still very focused on Detroit.