Those still confused about why poetry might fracture and splinter and stutter can find an answer in the work of M. NourbeSe Philip. In Zong! she delves into the trauma of the plantation economy and allows her language to be shaped by the conflicts between telling and not telling, between naming and not naming that define the horrifying story of the slave ship Zong. This book is exceptional and uniquely moving.

Or abandoning stupid blurb language... Lots of moves and gestures in this that I want to think about with others. A poem for teaching? I'm fascinated with its political word spew. Also interesting moments with naming and listing. Across bottom of the poems--which are phrases spread out over page--are names. (As I understand, but could be wrong, those massacred were never named.) I have had the Baucom book on Zong on shelf for last six months but have not yet read it.