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Review: Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance


Written by Nikki Grimes
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2021. Informational.

During the Harlem Renaissance there were many female poets who excelled in creating beautiful poetry, but over the years they have been forgotten. Nikki Grimes, author of  One Last Word, has taken these forgotten poems and paired them with her own poetry in the golden shovel style she has become known for. Legacy is a unique collection of poetry with original art work that complements both poems to create a beautiful bridge between the classic and modern poetry. 

This stunning work of art, history, and voice contains a foreword by the author with an introduction to the Harlem Renaissance and the Gold Shovel method she uses in her poetry. At the end of the book are biographies of the illustrators and poets which are very inspiring and informative. This would be a perfect collection to read during African American History Month, or anytime you want to read unique poetry by lesser known poets. If you are a lover of poetry I would highly recommend this book for you and anyone who appreciates the art of a good poem. 

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