This compilation of poetry is stunning. From translated poems to blackout poems to mathematical poems, this shows the breadth and depth of those who have been imprisoned. This book is divided up into sections which makes for both easy reading and browsing. I also can't deny that I was pleasantly surprised by some of the poets.

I'm overall very glad to have read this and learned more about mass incarceration and what it does to the folks inside, their friends, and their families.

I just happened to stumble across this book and have never been more grateful for that. Like a Hammer by Diana Marie Delgado was a beautiful body of work that shared the experiences, emotions, and traumas that happen to circulate around America's incarceration system. Typically, when the topic of incarceration is discussed, we see it in political debates, books, articicles, or on the news. However, how often is it that we get to here directly from people who are or have been incarcerated themselves? To hear their thoughts and stories - not through an interview, but a poem or story? With each work, I felt their anger, grief, and their cry for justice - each story going to my core. The experiences and stories that Delgado put together in this book was art, and shared a light for me and the future I envision for America's incarceration system. As someone who is dedicating their undergrad reseach to America's mass incarceration system, I continue to learn something new that changes my perspective and enhances my understanding and to be able to connect with this collective of people through literature, was beautiful. Amongst other authors that wonderfully discuss this topic of incarceration such as Michelle Alexander, Angela Davis, and Nell Burnstein (among so many others), I will adding her to my list of authors to keep a look out for.

Like a Hammer is a collection of poetry (coming out tomorrow, March 4) centered on the feelings and horror of mass incarceration in the US. Formatted in sections dealing with all the ways incarceration affects everyone, from those incarcerated to formally incarcerated people to the families and friends and communities they left behind. This was gut wrenching and so so beautiful. While I cried multiple times, I’ve already purchased a few copies as gifts. I cannot recommend this book of poetry any more forcefully.

This book were excellent from a literary perspective, but every day, they seem more and more important for the world we live in and to offer hope on the world we COULD live in.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! This book will be released in the US on March 4th, 2025 by Haymarket Books.

Full Rating: 4.25 stars rounded up

In Like a Hammer: Poets on Mass Incarceration, editor Diana Marie Delgado gathers a compelling collection of poetry that unmasks the painful truths of the U.S. prison-industrial complex, demanding the reader confront the inescapable grip it has on both bodies and minds. These poems are birthed from the voices of the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and those who love them, each one a testament to the human cost of carcerality. With stark imagery and layered metaphor, the poets refuse to accept the notion that incarceration is an inevitable force, choosing instead to depict it as a monstrous system fueled by colonialism, white supremacy, and capitalism’s demand for control.

The collection is a vivid portrayal of the suffocating nature of imprisonment, where time becomes a stagnant, oppressive force and where families are torn apart, their bonds stretched thin by the miles and glass that separate them. The poets also offer an incisive critique of the systems that push individuals toward crime, exposing the links between poverty, addiction, and state-sanctioned violence. Themes of guilt, survival, and resilience pulse through the pages, as these voices reflect on the dehumanization inherent in both punishment and policing. The body, as both a site of resistance and suffering, is explored with tenderness and urgency, especially through the lens of the feminist experience within the prison system.

One of the most striking elements of Like a Hammer is the experimental form of many poems. Poems like Sin à Tes Souhaits' "TRAP," which interrogates the devastating consequences of racism through multiple definitions of "trap," and Vanessa Angélica Villarreal's "Architect 1," which traces the birth of carcerality back to European colonialism, provide sharp political critique while maintaining deep emotional resonance. Meanwhile, Candace Williams' "black, body" and Nicole Sealey's "An excerpt from ‘Notes from the Visitations’" challenge the dehumanizing structures of policing and the ways they disproportionately affect Black and brown bodies.

Ultimately, Like a Hammer is not just a collection of poems; it is a call to imagine a world beyond prisons, one where justice is not synonymous with suffering. Through these poems, we are asked to witness the pain, but also the resilience, of those who have been brutalized by the system—and in doing so, to demand a future without cages.

📖 Recommended For: Fans of radical poetry, abolitionist thought, and the intersections of personal testimony and political critique; readers interested in the impacts of carcerality on individuals and families; those interested in abolition of police and prisons.

🔑 Key Themes: Mass Incarceration, Dehumanization, Family Separation, Historical and Systemic Roots of Oppression, Feminist Perspectives on Prison, Resistance and Re-imagining Justice.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Suicide (minor), Self Harm (minor), Alcohol (minor), Drug Use (minor), Racial Slurs (minor), Police Brutality (minor), Murder (minor), Racism (minor), Rape (minor), Torture (severe).

Wow, a wonderful job by Delgado for putting all of these works together! I was already so excited just looking at the line up, but was so happy to have discovered more poets to read and learn from. Eduardo “Echo” Martinez is such a powerful voice, and I’m very glad that Sin á Tes Souhaits’ poem “TRAP” is already published so I can read it again and again. Natalie Diaz’s series in this collection is phenomenal and will stick with me for a long time, not to mention Vanessa Angélica Villarreal’s work has always blown me away, but this time she came with a whole new fire. I’m so excited to have been able to get my hands on an early copy, and will certainly be pre-ordering the book!!

I love an anthology, and I love the different voices and styles that are sampled throughout this one. I think this is a really interesting and honestly understandable way of communicating different experiences in the american prison industrial complex. I really enjoyed the poems, even when they were difficult to read.

Such a beautiful anthology -- the care put into it was evident on every page.

I really enjoyed seeing some of my favorite contemporary poets featured prominently in this collection -- Hanif Abdurraqib and Natalie Diaz were highlights for me, as usual -- and the spacing of multiple works by the same poets throughout this collection really afforded it a sense of coherence and connection that I think is necessary in an anthology of this length

My favorite part of this collection, however, was the sheer amount of fascinating and exciting experimental poetry, much of which is from poets I haven't encountered before. Among the standouts for me were Vanessa Angelica Villarreal, Gustavo Guerra, Angel Nafis, Nicole Sealey, and Marcelo Hernandez Castillo. Some of these poems (especially in Part VI) are among the best experimental poetry I've ever read, while remaining grounded, moving, and incredibly personal -- which isn't easy to do.

As with every anthology, there were poems that didn't work for me, and I felt some of the earlier sections were a bit tonally incoherent. The work builds a lot of momentum throughout its course -- I really recommend following the preface's suggestion and reading the entire thing through chronologically. If you can, having it as your only read really helps preserve its overall feeling, and keeps it in your mind while not reading it.

Overall just such a great collection, really underlines the possibilities of poetry as a community-building act, and interweaves a real sense of dignity (and even, sometimes, hope) throughout, alongside the grief and anger.

A definite reccomendation, especially to anyone interested in experimental contemporary poetry

A topic that is important and not that much written about. This collection is stunningly curated and I really loved to read it, though it's a bit dark and heavy. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

Absolutely amazingly put together anthology that does have a focus on mass incarceration, but isn't solely about misery, and focuses on community and solidarity within and without, and even includes an epic poem detailing how closely mass incarceration and America are intertwined. Pick this up this winter.

I was hesitant about whether, and how, I should even review this given its deeply personal and serious nature. However, my initial fears subsided after reading the first poems due to how well they were written. The “How to Read This Book" guide is greatly appreciated; it is empathetic and genuinely allows you to appreciate the structural elements and conversations between the poems.
I absolutely loved the insights on the similarities between prison, free living, and common solitude. The variety of syntax throughout this book makes it both challenging and refreshing, creating a genuine need to continue reading to learn more and evoke deeper feelings. A phrase that has been circulating widely on social media recently is, “What radicalised you?" I sincerely hope (and fondly believe) this will make a significant impact on someone.
It is deeply necessary while remaining beautifully crafted—undeniably one of the best approaches to such a subject and perspective. Some pieces will remain inked in my memory; I could mention Blood History by Reginald Dwayne Betts, Eclogue by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, D.O.C. by Pat Ewok, Under Correction II by Nathalie Diaz, and the historical bits from Vanessa Angélica Villarreal.