Sharp, lyrical poems celebrating the Black vernacular—its influence on pop culture, its necessity for familial survival, its rite in storytelling and in creating the safety found only within its intimacy
“Terrific . . . illuminates life in this country in a strikingly original way.”—Ron Charles, The Washington Post
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • The New York Public Library • Tordotcom
Definition of finna, created by the author: fin·na /ˈfinə/ contraction: (1) going to; intending to [rooted in African American Vernacular English] (2) eye dialect spelling of “fixing to” (3) Black possibility; Black futurity; Blackness as tomorrow
These poems consider the brevity and disposability of Black lives and other oppressed people in our current era of emboldened white supremacy, and the use of the Black vernacular in America’s vast reserve of racial and gendered epithets. Finna explores the erasure of peoples in the American narrative; asks how gendered language can provoke violence; and finally, how the Black vernacular, expands our notions of possibility, giving us a new language of hope:
nothing about our people is romantic
& it shouldn’t be. our people deserve
poetry without meter. we deserve our
own jagged rhythm & our own uneven
walk towards sun. you make happening happen.
we happen to love. this is our greatest
action.
I don't feel I could possibly have the words to do justice when talking about this collection of poems. The cadences are exquisite; they sound like music in my mind. There's tension and release, perfectly placed pauses in between rushes of words. As I was reading, I was reminded of how AAVE is policed, suppressed, censored, and even mocked outside of its community. Nate Marshall hands it to readers in all its stunning glory, exploring the lives, survival, and culture of Black Americans. I hesitate to say these poems are social commentary, even though they certainly are, because that phrase feels reductive, as if this is some philosophical exercise by someone outside the experience, which of course isn't the case. Marshall is really in touch with the working class: i haven’t seen a week of mine end since i was at least 18. vacation, you a lie & i don’t lie down for much of anything these days ("ode to vacation"). There was more than one moment where I read affirming, gender-inclusive statements, and that was wonderful to read coming from a cis author. And I love that the title poem comes almost at the end, with a hopeful, future-focused perspective: my hope is like my language is like my people: it’s Black ("FINNA"). This collection is a must-read, accessible even to those (like me) who don't always feel confident reading poetry.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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9 May, 2020:
Finished reading
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9 May, 2020:
Reviewed