Affrilachian Poets

"The Kentucky-ist" by Shayla Lawson
"Pantone 130C" by Shayla Lawson

Each poem of I Think I'm Ready to See Frank Ocean riffs on a Frank Ocean song, paying homage to the man but also investigating oceans, The Ocean, and the similarity between heartbreak and break beats by blending Frank Ocean's musical catalog with personal narrative and social critique. I Think I'm Ready to See Frank Ocean builds upon historicized representations of Ocean's career in ekphrasis, carefully examining the intent of each composition as a metaphoric parallel to Black American legibility.

"These poems, this book, has hardwood floors, beautiful lines and doors and windows. They are built from organic steel and marble paper. Step between these pages and into a house-no, a village-that love built and decorated with keepsakes from all over the alphabet." - Frank X. Walker, author of Affrilachia and Kentucky Poet Laureate "In this vibrant first collection, Shayla Lawson skillfully defines being human(e) as giving thanks to the nuclear and extended family and making a sincere effort to understand/honor/be closer to those things that are greater than ourselves. Lawson turns language and vision upside down, takes our hand, and fearlessly leads us to witness." - Mitchell L. H. Douglas, author of \blak\ \al-f bet\"

A National Book Critics Circle Finalist in Autobiography * Finalist for a Lambda Literary Award * Named one of the most anticipated books of the year by USA Today, Bitch Magazine, Parade, Salon and Ms. Magazine From a fierce and humorous new voice comes a relevant, insightful, and riveting collection of personal essays on the richness and resilience of black girl culture--for readers of Samantha Irby, Roxane Gay, Morgan Jerkins, and Lindy West.  Shayla Lawson is major. You don't know who she is. Yet. But that's okay. She is on a mission to move black girls like herself from best supporting actress to a starring role in the major narrative. Whether she's taking on workplace microaggressions or upending racist stereotypes about her home state of Kentucky, she looks for the side of the story that isn't always told, the places where the voices of black girls haven't been heard. The essays in This is Major ask questions like: Why are black women invisible to AI? What is "black girl magic"? Or: Am I one viral tweet away from becoming Twitter famous? And: How much magic does it take to land a Tinder date? With a unique mix of personal stories, pop culture observations, and insights into politics and history, Lawson sheds light on these questions, as well as the many ways black women and girls have influenced mainstream culture--from their style, to their language, and even their art--and how "major" they really are. Timely, enlightening, and wickedly sharp, This Is Major places black women at the center--no longer silenced, no longer the minority.