Spectral Evidence

Starred review from November 1, 2023

Drawing parallels between early American witch trials and contemporary racism, Pulitzer winner (for Digest) Pardlo's third collection explores the concept of self-knowledge by applying a kind of critical self-theory that considers how "spectral evidence"--dangerously false impressions conjured from fear of the Other--influences societal and individual perceptions of gender and race ("stand your ground against a black/ body and the courtroom says amen"). While his social criticism can be sharp, Pardlo recognizes that systemic injustice also requires personal complicity, unconsciously or not ("Just as I own my American way of/ leveling the playing field by separating others from their histories. Not all lives matter in this great republic.") Unlike much activist poetry, Pardlo's is infused with a scholar's deep knowledge of literature, art, and history ("The Marion Devotions") and a flair for unusual imagery ("With tango arms/ we hold the wedding knife"). VERDICT Complex, linguistically rich, and unsparing in its analysis of both the current national psyche as well as the poet's own, Pardlo's poetry dares to ask: "What if we didn't define ourselves according to our ability to know ourselves, but by our capacity to relate to others?"--Fred Muratori

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Starred review from November 20, 2023
The contemplative latest from Pulitzer winner Pardlo (for Digest) explores fear as the basis for legal judgment. As Pardlo explains in the introduction, the fear-driven imaginings used by white men to condemn those accused in the Salem witch trials have been similarly employed against nonwhite people from America’s colonial era to the present. Beginning the collection with a long poem in sections titled “The Essay on Faith,” which is structured like a legal argument the speaker is having with himself, Pardlo lays bare the flimsy foundations of America’s justice system: “Dream, the via negativa that makes freedom ring. It/ is evidence of things not seen.” Other entries play on this concept of unseen evidence, such as “Sonnet,” which reproduces a table from a study of racial biases in the medical field. The title poem evokes the language of police perpetrators of violence against people of color to show how fear of the racialized “other” can be twisted to fit any legally excusable context: “Declares that on Harvest last, the Devil in the shape of a black man/ had the most aggressive face/ that his eyes were bugging out.” With characteristic intelligence, Pardlo confronts uncomfortable and enduring truths.

Starred review from December 1, 2023
In the introduction to his highly anticipated new book, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Pardlo ruminates that "it is impossible for me to change my mind without examining the entire ecosystem of ideas that uphold my worldview." The stunning poems that follow explore many aspects of memory, identity, Black history, popular culture, and social justice. The poet is adept at wordplay, employing cultural references and varied structures, often ingeniously engaging multiple topics and succinctly connecting them. Each poem demands to be read on a granular level, thinking deeply about the layers presented. In "Tall Poppies," the through line from ancient Rome to the Opium Wars to the modern Oxycontin crisis to the Rwandan genocide to modern-day Israel is tightly and concisely illustrated. Pardlo's use of form is clever, blending seamlessly throughout the book. The introductory group of poems in the section entitled "The Essay on Faith" is presented as a classical argument. "Know Yourselves" is a conversation with disparate parts of the same person. Form, lyricism, and imagery are expertly presented, and the result is a compelling, cohesive collection addressing timely topics. A beautiful addition to Pardlo's already impressive oeuvre.

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