Literaryswag Book Club's Pick for December: Clint Smith's Counting Descent

Considering that this is last book of the year, that we'll be meeting next week Thursday, and that we've yet to read a poetry collection, I figured we kill three birds with one book: Clint Smith's Counting Descent. It's 70 pages of the fiercest language afforded to what it means inherit a history, identity and body you're expected to be responsible for even when you don't fully know what that responsibiity means: "I still have a habit of trying to make up/for things I can't understand/by removing all of the evidence." My difficulty with a lot poetry had always been informed by this nagging suspicion that what I was reading wasn't rooted in anything real. I'm talking less rooted than a vase covered bamboo plant. You see the words, but they don't mean anything. Or they mean "whatever you want them to," which is I've always taken to mean that even the poet don't fucking know. Counting Descent is a book whose words run deep with meaning. And I have no one to thank but @dream_girl_14who gave me this book, a shovel, and told me to start digging. So make sure you're at The Brooklyn Circus, next Thursday, December 22nd, at 7pm, 150 Nevins St., for the last lituation of the year! Also, all those who plan to come to next week's book club meeting: please bring a book that you'd want someone to read. It can be old. It can be new. Just so long as it came from the heart, and it's wrapped (very important!) it's all good.At the end of the book club meeting, we're going to play a game called "White Elephant." Because I was only recently introduced to the concept and barely understand it myself, I'm not gonna make myself look stupid trying to explain here. Just come through to the club with a gift-wrapped book and we'll take it from there. See you next Thursday!