Woke Up No Light: Poems -- Leila Mottley, Hardcover

A poignant, rousing debut book of poetry, full of life, from the former Youth Poet Laureate of Oakland, California

woke up no light is a Black girl's saunter turned to a woman's defiant strut. These are the hymns of a new generation of poetry. Young, alive, yearning. A mouth swung open and ready to devour. A quest for home in a world that knows only wasteland and wanting.

Moving in sections from "girlhood" to "neighborhood" to "falsehood" to, finally, "womanhood," these poems reckon with themes of reparations, restitution, and desire. The collection is sharp and raw, wise and rhythmic, a combination that lights up each page. From unearthing histories to searching for ways to dream of a future in a world constantly on the brink of disaster, this young poet sets forth personal and political revelation with piercing detail.

woke up no light confirms Leila Mottley's arrival and demonstrates the enduring power of her voice--brave and distinctive and thoroughly her own.

Author: Leila Mottley
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Published: 04/16/2024
Pages: 128
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 9.10h x 5.80w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780593319710

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 03/01/2024 pg. 9

About the Author
LEILA MOTTLEY is the author of the novel Nightcrawling, an Oprah's Book Club pick and a New York Times best seller. She is also the 2018 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate. She was born and raised in Oakland, where she continues to live.