Forest Primeval: Poems

By: Vievee Francis

Narrated by: Vievee Francis

Winner, 2016 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award in the Poetry category

Finalist, 2015 Balcones Poetry Prize

Shortlist finalist, 2015 PEN Open Book Award for an exceptional book by an author of color

"Another Anti-Pastoral," the opening poem of Forest Primeval, confesses that sometimes "words fail." With a "bleat in [her] throat," the poet identifies with the voiceless and wild things in the composed, imposed peace of the Romantic poets with whom she is in dialogue. Vievee Francis's poems engage many of the same concerns as her poetic predecessors - faith in a secular age, the city and nature, aging, and beauty. Words certainly do not fail as Francis sets off into the wild world promised in the title. The wild here is not chaotic but rather free and finely attuned to its surroundings. The listener who joins her will emerge sensitized and changed by the enduring power of her work.

©2015 Triquarterly (P)2017 TalkingBook

Beautiful

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Vievee Francis pulls on my heart strings in Forest Primeval. No wonder it won so many awards. Listen!

This won a bunch of awards and I can see why

Exceptional book, and an even more exceptional reading by the author. Love the chatter in between poems. Couldn't get "Back On The Ridge" out of my head.

Vievee Francis is a treasure!

I'm giving this book two thumbs up and two big toes up. I've seen Vievee read in person before and this is even more intense. Lovely.

Beauty beauty beauty

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Absolutely wonderful. Vievee is something truly special. What a treasure. I'd listen to this over and over again.

Best Poems I've read/listened to in a while

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Let's please get more poetry in audio. It's crazy because stuff like this is tailor-made for audiobooks. So good!