Kara Jackson’s Bloodstone Cowboy is a reclamation of her lineage, an affirmation of self, and a declaration of her right to contain multitudes. These poems from the 2019 National Youth Poet Laureate complicate the definition of womanhood, troubling what it means to live in a body and love it. A complex and resilient love permeates Jackson’s writing, from anthems praising her full belly to poems grappling with “sort-of” love for her midwestern hometown.
Drawing on the rich traditions of Lucille Clifton and Sharon Olds, this expansive collection proudly claims the inheritance of her family’s southern roots, while carving out space for Jackson to exist fully without shame. As she writes, “when the day calls I will answer to my name / claim it”
- ISBN10 1642591521
- ISBN13 9781642591521
- Publish Date 20 August 2019 (first published 23 July 2019)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Haymarket Books
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 42
- Language English