Deaf Republic

This is such a fascinatingly constructed set of poems. Almost felt like a play. Highly recommended.

Published 2019. I read it today, March 2022, knowing that Ukrainians were being murdered while I read... but I could not hear them. Knowing also that somewhere in the U.S. today a white cop is murdering a Black soul, and I won't hear that, either.

We can't escape war; our choice is in how we respond to it. Active resistance? Nonviolent resistance? Kaminsky demonstrates, bleakly, a third option, one we in the U.S. might find familiar.

I had the honor of meeting Ilya Kaminsky and hear him talk about his work. I appreciated the insight he shared because it helped me get a better understanding of his poems. I am not a poetry fan, but even I could appreciate the literary genius behind these words. Highly recommend. Very emotional.