Black Crow Dress
“. . .a stunning collection that evokes a tragic, unjust world; Johnson has a gift for metaphor and narrative that builds throughout.” —Library Journal, starred review“These poems move forward like a novel in verse with a real understanding of the differences between the past and history.  Or, as Johnson herself says in the opening poem, ‘Each one is hungry for a voice & music to re-bloom.’  This is a poet the best readers will be reading for the rest of their lives.” —Jericho Brown“. . .Black Crow Dressis a vital addition to any contemporary poetry assortment.”—Midwest Book Review“Roxane Beth Johnson reminds us the poet’s inscrutable work is to listen.  Her abiding presence creates a lamplit space to commune with the ghosts of her ensalved ancestors and to breathe them onto the contemporary page. The result is startling: narratives tender and haunting, of an unforgettable intimacy.  These voices were in the room with me; I felt them in my body.” —Jennifer K. Sweeney