Title: Graffiti (and other poems)
Author: Savannah Brown
What I Think So Far: I am personally a great fan of the slam poetry genre in general and Savannah Brown in particular speaks volumes to me. I first discovered her on her YouTube channel, reciting her poems. and was gripped. I knew when I learned of her book full of more personal poems that I had to get my hands on a copy.
It is evident the words on the page were not written for us but for herself, perhaps with the hopes of them being relatable to her audience. For me, they were. I fell in love after turning the first page.
Her beauty and grace is resonated in the poems she produces and the whole book is stunning from start to finish. The poems act as almost mini chapters in her mind and throughout I felt as though she had let me in. Not only have I found myself identifying with at least one line of almost every poem but the book has made me increasingly more aware of myself, my environment and other people around me, which is a gift many authors never achieve, let alone at the age of 19 releasing their debut.
Combined with the illustrations of Ed Stockham, the book as a whole is a beautiful and comforting, an escape and perhaps the feeling of connection as you turn through the pages and absorb her words.
Would I Recommend: Though she wrote the poems between the ages of 17-19 years old, Savannah Brown shows maturity and understanding beyond her years, tackling problems head on poetic form. Having said that, one or two of the collection show her young age; a little less wisdom and a little more naivety, perhaps, however these are few and far between.
In a book, the poems flow and fit together nicely. It would be a great addition to anyone’s bookshelf, especially if you find picking up a great 400 page novel somewhat daunting. My personal favourites are Moles Don’t Think About Space or Small Talk and The Only Things I Know To Be True, but they’re all worth a read.
Rating: 8/10
Words By Bea Sayers