The
Performance of Becoming Human
by Daniel Borzutzky
won the 2016 National Book Award for poetry. Last year was a highly politicized
year, and it’s no surprise that this award went to a collection that’s also
highly politicized.
Borzutzky covers
it all.
Refugees and
immigrants. The environment. Third World sweatshops. (Do you know the people
who made your t-shirt? Do you have a relationship with them? Borzutzky asks).
Torture. Illegal aliens. Unsafe working conditions. Wastewater treatment
plants. Malnourished children. Police issues. The production of garbage. Violence.
The style is
simple and plain, leading to a more devastating critique, a more devastating
impact.
To continue
reading, please see my post today at Tweetspeak
Poetry.
Photograph: Daniel Borzutzky.
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