Overall, I really enjoyed Scorched Earth. I found that some segments were much stronger than others, and some of the poems felt a little bloated. However, this collection is very strong, and I recommend giving it a read. It feels in conversation with Clark's inspirations & collections like Post-Colonial Love Poems, which also touches on the difficult reconciliation between racial violence & racial joy.
The preface was a very nice introduction to Clark & to the collection, although I do feel that it affected my expectations in ways that were detrimental to my reading experience. I took "an emphasis on pleasure and breaking most of the poetry 'rules' that I know" at face value, and was ultimately disappointed - I felt it wasn't as experimental as other collections I've read, such as Garbage by AR Ammons or Look by Solmaz Sharif. That being said, it also attached me to Clark in a beautiful way - her Note to the Reader made me fall in love with her vision for the collection, which was wonderful: "Scorched Earth is a survey of what is on the other side of survival...as I keep distilling what I know to be true as a writer, and as always, to feel less alone in the world while chasing duende and delight with gratitude and wonder."
Now within the actual poems: Clark has an insane grasp on poetic rhythm. It took me a minute to really notice it - which is a compliment, that it can feel so effortless when rhythm is one of the big elements that will make or break a poem for me. I believe I noticed it first in "Hell's Bells", which ended up being my favorite poem - "I reached above my head / for some slice of surrender. / How pure & wordless & magical / & vague & replete & blurred // it is to worship anything / at all." She also has such a grasp on imagery, in a way that does a near perfect job of communicating with the reader. In "Self-Portrait at Divorce", "I put your last cup / of water to my mouth and I guessed where your mouth / might have been on the rim and I pressed my lips to the glass / (I had the nicest lips like two pillows you always said) / and I kissed the cup and poured out the rest of the water / into the sink and it wasn't an offering to anything". She accomplishes something similar in the way she plays with language - in "My Therapist Wants," "I balk. I lazy the bed. I wallow when I write. / I truth when I lie."
My biggest issue with this collection, and reason it isn't getting 5 stars, is that the speaker will, as often as not, have a very conversational tone, and I've realized I'm not a big fan of irreverence within poetry. There are times that I think it is ultimately effective - in "Scattered, Covered, & Smothered", Clark ends "why you're one of my babies she said she ain't too proud to beg but / anyone can be redeemed by a bullet I wipe myself & flush the toilet", illustrating her sonnet's turn. I'm not personally a fan, but I can recognize that it's effective in what it's doing. However, in the next poem "50 Lines after Figure (2001)", she has the line "50 obsessions when I looked to see who looked back at my Instagram story (ughhh)", which annoys me largely because I just can't justify it. I'm perhaps unreasonably annoyed, but annoyed all the same. The collection loses some of this in the later poems, though, which is probably why I prefer the latter sections, and just felt that the latter half was much stronger than the former.
This collection ultimately displays a nice sense of cohesion & progression, & I feel that Clark is overall extremely effective in communicating her emotion to the reader - which is my ultimate benchmark for a work of poetry.

Thank you NetGalley & Atria Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

These poems are gorgeous and so relatable, even though the author and I lead very different lives with very different backgrounds
I found myself nodding aggressively throughout the first few Parts. The way she writes so lyrically, yet often plain-spoken. I wish I could write this crystal clearly: “Did it have to happen for it to be true?”


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy.

Thank you to Atria Books | Washington Square press for providing me a copy of this ARC! Scorched Earth was a visceral, beautiful, and at times tragic collection of poems. While reading I felt teleported back to feeling isolation during COVID, heartbreak following the end of a relationship, and unadulterated desire for love and connection. I loved the ways Clark wove in work from other poets she knows and admires (as we share many of them too). Truly a delight to read!

Scorched Earth is a powerful and evocative collection that leaves a lasting impact. Clark’s capacity to weave personal and societal narratives into her poetry makes this book both intensely personal and universally applicable. The collection challenges readers to confront difficult realities while also celebrating moments of joy and resilience.

Poetry is very hit-or-miss for me. I think it's probably the most subjective form of written expression. You either relate to it and understand it or you don't. And sure, you can learn how to understand technique and stuff, but I mean understanding as in being able to feel and connect with what the poems are expressing.

This collection didn't work for me because I personally didn't connect with the poems, but I appreciate it for still making me think about themes of belonging, beauty, and more.

”This is where we have our homes now. Follow me thither and find belonging and joy.”

Scorched Earth is a compilation of poetry from Tiana Clark, inspired by many other poetic voices and incorporating themes of identity, shame, and Blackness.

”No one ever trusts a Black woman’s mouth.”

As with any poetry collection, some of the poems resonated with me more than others. Broken Ode for the Epigraph gave me goosebumps, and Considering Roe v. Wade felt transcendent. But the poems about body image and masturbation (Self-Portrait at 35: Terror; The Hardest Part of the Human Body; I Masturbate Then Pray to God) felt like self-indulgent navel gazing.

”I’m so tired of wanting more.”

Despite some uncomfortable material, the collection is masterfully arranged, taking the reader on a well-defined journey from heartbreak to self-discovery to renewed hope. Though the poems all stand on their own as individual works, together they tell a cohesive and compelling story. This is no “junk drawer” book of odds and ends—there is logic and intention behind the way the poems have been compiled, and that’s clear from the start.

”I wasn’t meant to be born, but ain’t I a beautiful bastard?”

In The First Black Bachelorette, Clark touches upon the notion of “art responding to art,” and that’s exactly what her poetry feels like. It is packed with references, quotations, and epigraphs, like offerings left on an altar to the gods of literature and language. Ralph Ellison, Susan Sontag, Flannery O’Connor, Ocean Vuong, John Keats, and many more are mentioned. Avid readers of poetry will enjoy finding these easter eggs as they immerse themselves in Clark’s work.

”And aren’t we all writing the same damn poem over and over again anyway?”

——

A huge thank you to Tiana Clark, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm not sure this was for me.
While I did find some that made me think about what makes someone beautiful or how we look at love or how we decide where or how we belong.

I didn't connect to these poems as much.

I always find it hard to put into words what reading a poetry collection feels like to me, and how it makes me feel. This is one of those situations. In this collection, we see the author go through divorce, rediscovery and recognition of queerness long repressed. We see an acknowledgement of the past, the present and aims for the future. I think at the end of the day poetry is about making the audience feel and boy did this book ever make me feel.

A beautiful, delicate collection of poetry!
If you're looking for a poetry book that will really grab your attention, this is a great choice. Tiana Clark really knows her stuff, and I loved reading poetry from someone who is so adept at her craft. Clark's lines are so poignant and powerful that they can really resonate with you. It's a brutally honest and brave look at heartbreak, self-worth, and more. I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to read this book before most other readers.

Clark’s collection has some stunning moments—poems that feel raw, layered, and beautifully crafted. But it’s inconsistent. The first section struggles with clunky phrasing and interruptions that break the flow, making it hard to connect. Later sections redeem the collection, with more depth and emotional clarity. While uneven, it offers enough gems to make it worth exploring.

When I sat down to read Scorched Earth by Tiana Clark, my aim was a Sunday morning experience with the divine. I opened this visceral book of poetry to see, as much as possible, an image from a respectable five feet—tell me nothing of craft and word choice! I want to be punched in the soul with incarnated existence! Each poem landed a blow full of human breath and breathlessness. Some, of course, landed truer than others. Now to explore Clark’s backlog and put this collection on preorder. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book! Tender and unflinching, this collection of poetry was emotional and personal. I lost myself in the flow and reread several passages to really let her words sink in. The imagery was beautiful and moving. I will need to sit with this one to process it completely.

3.75

Scorched Earth is a poetry collection, a memoir of sorts.
I thought this was good, but it didn’t really resonate with me as a white, unmarried person. Most of the poems center around being Black, as well as discussing divorce and relationship struggles.
There are some really great lines and poems; it just wasn’t a collection I connected with very strongly. The author makes several references to other poems, which I’m sure would’ve improved my reading experience, but I didn’t feel like looking them up (it’s me I’m the problem).
Altogether, this was a good collection, just not a favorite for me.
CW: suicidal ideation; body shaming; racism; sexism; slavery; religious bigotry; sexual content

I love this book!! Tiana Clark is an amazing poet, and her words and perspective are so need in these times.

4.5 stars

What a gorgeous collection of deeply personal poetry. Each entry was moving and focused. Clark’s writing is somehow both lyrical/flowery and grounded/understandable.

This title is set to release March 4, 2025. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Omg so this book was actually well written. It seemed like a bit of a thought journal honestly because of how it was written. I liked how we could see into what the author was thinking and her opinions on certain things. It was a bit graphic which I didn’t expect but it was still well written. I liked how it touched on serious topics as well.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t read a piece of poetry since I was in high school over a decade ago. I was never one to really get it or understand it or even like it.

I know now it’s because I wasn’t reading the kind of poetry that sits with you, makes you think and above all makes you feel. This book of poetry did that. I simply couldn’t put it down once I started, each poem evoking new feelings and a new energy. I will say as the book went on I felt like I was going on this transformative journey with the author and it felt scary and refreshing all at once.

Truly a beautiful piece of work, one that has expanded my mind about what poetry is and what it can do.

Tiana Clark truly has a way with words and with getting her experiences across in a poetic manner, an amazing read all should consider having on their desks.

Some of these poems were gorgeous and so thoughtful that, by themselves, made me want to give the collection five stars. Overall though, there were more poems that didn’t resonate or feel as strong

This was a pleasant surprise from an accomplished author I’d not yet heard of until NetGalley. Poetry is not my area of expertise, nor is it my favorite genre to read. However, I did find most of the poems in this collection to be visceral and cathartic. A few lines were quite shocking. This is not art for the easily offended. I enjoyed it nevertheless. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC I was provided!