This isn’t seminal poetry, but it’s an inspired move to include real verse, written by performance poet Kai-Isaiah Jamal, in the narrative.īut there is a stiffness to the structure of the sentences – “The sound of smashing glass jolts me violently out of sleep, interrupting the chaos of my hellish dream” – reminiscent of seeing a dancer counting their steps on stage. Elsie wins a poetry competition and is offered a book deal after she performs a poem that may or may not be about Juliet. Her fraught relationship with her parents becomes further strained as they vocalise their dissatisfaction with her lifestyle. The gay bar where Elsie works is shut down thanks to gentrification. Her sense of uncertainty about the future is reinforced by the casual coming-and-going of lovers, homes and jobs, while the specificities of being Black and gay add another layer of complexity. Elsie endures the kind of experiences many young people in the capital can relate to.
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