With a title such as There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce, Morgan Parker is setting the reader up for poetry that will be evocative, provocative, enthralling and enriched, steeped in the black and black woman experience.

My Reaction:

Reading Parker’s poetry was like taking a deep dive into some subconscious quagmire that only those in touch with pop culture will sink into. However it was hard not to judge this book subjectively because with poems like “13 Ways of Looking at a Black Girl”,“Afro”, and “RoboBeyonce” I had a party in my head and I understood exactly where the speaker was coming from.

Take these words for instance:


“I’m too small to see but I’m listening.”

Or

“On the last day of the year I enter a scalding tub and think you away.”

Many poems I understood, just from living it.

However, some poems I came across seemed to be from a stream of consciousness that my mind just froze upon. That is okay. Stream of consciousness is good. I delve into it with my own writing too, creating abstract poems with my abstract brain.

This is a great book of poetry, I do recommend it to those who enjoy poetry infused with pop culture and plenty of interesting, uncharacteristic rhythm.

Very interesting and relevant! I read this book twice, with the second time giving me more clarity. I enjoyed it!

I won't lie - the cover and the title of the book caught my attention. I was hesitant to read/review the book because I'm a Beyonce fan - so I hoped the book had substance to stand on it's on.

I'm happy to report - I was pleasantly surprised while I read the pages of this book. I will definitely look out for future releases from this author.

This book was an experience. It's not something that you read once and are done with. The images and the emotions that poet creates linger with you long after you've finished the collection. And since I had to read this book multiple times to really "get" it, that only helped to strengthen its impact.

I haven't read poetry in a while, and at first I struggled because I kept analyzing Parker's poems like I did the more traditional poetry I read in school. But once I relaxed, I found I loved the language, the pop references and the freedom of its format. I don't think there's a single poem in this collection written in verse, but many of the poems still had a rhythm that I loved.

I definitely recommend this book for black women or anyone who seeks to understand black womanhood. This books shows how messy, painful, wonderful, confusing and empowering that experience is.

I first encountered Morgan Parker's work when I read "The President Has Never Said the Word Black" in The New York Times. It was a deeply moving piece of writing, so when I learned that she had a forthcoming poetry collection, I became determined to read it. The collection starts off with a bang. The opening poem, "All They Want Is My Money My Pussy My Blood" is textured, disjointed and layered. It builds and builds and builds, immersing the reader in historical fact, numerous popular culture references, and tons of clever critique. Parker uses her poems to explore the themes of possession and self-ownership, the imminence of death, meaning of commodification, economies of desire, technology, appropriation, depression, and, of course, the shapes of Black womanhood. Her style shifts with each and every poem. Some poems are written a form that makes their meanings clear while others require the reader to read between and beneath the verses. The collection isn't about Beyoncé per se, but rather the vexed sociopolitical and sociocultural critiques that have been thrust upon Beyoncé, the burdens she's been appointed to carry. My favorite poems included "The Gospel of Jesus's Wife," "What Beyoncé Won't Say on a Shrink's Couch," and "Please Wait (Or, There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé." Parker's brilliant style is difficult; she forces her reader to be present and do the hard work of thinking carefully and critically.

Accidentally posted a review for another book here! I'm in the middle of this collection and will post the CORRECT review in the next week. My apologies for the mix-up!

This is a masterfully written collection of poems. The language and imagery bounces from playful, to dispairing, to defiant in a way that would have been disorienting in a lesser collection.
Instead, Parker reaches wide and embraces all the conflicts that come with being Black and female. Her poems flow together to create a beautiful whole.

This collection is a gem...that needs to be read when you're in the right mindset. The poems are layered with popular black culture, intersectionality, and flavor.

My favorite part about this collection is the longer you allow yourself to dig into each poem with thought...the more it connects it to the greater scheme of current events. I had to put my reader down a few times to really think through some lines (which to me is both refreshing and challenging).

Definitely would recommend this to others, (tbh: reader must be at least a bit "woke").