Jacqueline Jones LaMon delivers a stunning third collection that shows the elements of life that both unite us and create our greatest distances.What Water Knowstransports the reader from drought to drowning, from the transatlantic Middle Passage to the breaking of water, from water wielded as a weapon to used as a reward. LaMon offers a labyrinth to understanding how we are all connected—through vibrant, searing images depicting the core of racism, betrayal, addiction, loss, climate change, and the ever-changing world in which we live.
LaMon’s skillful embodiment of character and her signature use of personae invite the reader to experience the unfathomable. Prepare to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Prepare to feel the force of a fire hose on your bare legs. Prepare to experience what happens when greed gets in the way of reason.What Water Knowsis a canonical poetic achievement that will remind us of what it means to be human in a world that often forgets.
Jacqueline Jones LaMon’s stunning third collection shows the elements of life that unite us—and that separate us most profoundly.What Water Knowstransports the reader from drought to drowning, from the transatlantic Middle Passage to the breaking of water.
JACQUELINE JONES LAMONis the author of two award‑winning collections of poetry,Last SeenandGravity, U.S.A., as well as a novel,In the Arms of One Who Loves Me. Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Adelphi University, she has served as president of the Cave Canem Foundation.
I: This Fragile, Resilient Life
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