Book Review:

Pardon, My Heart was a read that I heard nothing about but I saw it on NetGalley and decided that I would give it a go. It is a story that details African American life and is therefore really important poetry collection.

I have to admit that I didn't get what I should of from this book. I feel like I read it too quickly and wish that I had taken it in more as I feel like this would have been so important. I think that it was so well written but I definitely want to reread it so I can get more from it on a reread.

The Verdict:


Pardon My Heart is an important read and is a great poetry read.

Pardon my Heart by Marcus Jackson is a collection of urban poetry. Jackson teaches in the MFA program at Ohio State University. His previous collections are Rundown and Neighborhood Register.

From the first poem ”Bass” the poet explains his roots from ground shaking bass that penetrates my walls and continuing to street fighting. It is a rough life and one not free of danger that most of us enjoy. There is maturity that many, everywhere, do not gain in their years. ”To the Love Gods” shows thankfulness to gods that many choose to ignore or just leave to chance.

The second part of this collection deals with grow up in the blue collar world -- clothing stained by machinery and factors ready to cut men down. Happy times are marred with violence. However, local fish are caught in local waters, cleaned, and served for dinner. School and young life, both good and bad, trickles into working life and a sense of responsibility. The poetry then moves to more adult issues of relationships and city life with a fitting tribute to the poet Philip Levine. The final section is dedicated to young married life. From buying a ring to his wife’s asthmatic breathing during sleep a full maturity evolves into being.

An extremely well-written collection poetry that rises from the depths of society. Many references are easily relatable, for me at least. I grew up about a hundred miles east of Jackson and our towns were quite similar. There is a refined style to Jackson’s writing that is usually not found in urban writing. Perhaps it is a tribute to the past from someone who rose above his environment. Although the writing is refined it still captures the challenges and pitfalls of urban life; it is not sanitized but rather clarified for all to see. A very well done collection and very well worth the read.

I read this book aloud to myself (something I do on occasion, strangely) and enjoyed my time reading it. There's a lot of clever word usage, and many poems felt very dear and honest. This would be a good book to transition from modern free verse poetry that comes in bite-sized portions to something with a more rigorous structure and a bit more mature subject matter without losing the reader completely.

My only problem with this book is that I couldn't personally identify with the subject matter, so although it was a pleasant reading experience, it won't end up being too memorable for me. I wish the author had injected more of his own personality into his poems so that he felt more real to me. He only ever really talks about his experiences, but not necessarily how those experiences affected or shaped him. There seemed to be a disconnect between what I was reading and who I was reading it from. I would have liked to get to know the author better through his poems, but I can really only tell you what he's been through and not necessarily who he is.

With this stunning collection of poetry, Marcus Jackson delves into the heart of black love in America, as he reckons with race and class, historically and with an understanding of present day issues.