Derrick Harriell

Ropes Derrick Harriell

Poetry. African American Studies. Edited by Randall Horton. In 4 rounds, Derrick Harriell tours us through the cultural history of boxing, from Mike Tyson and Joe Frazier to one of the first African American pugilists, writing from 1855. These richly detailed persona poems are spoken by boxers and also the journalists, cutmen, and girlfriends who surround the ring. Harriell's nuanced ear conveys not just the intimacies of a sport but the intimacies of the human spirit. ROPES is a knock out.--Beth Ann Fennelly