Shara McCallum is on of the most compelling voices in American poetry. In her second collection Song of Thieves she artfully draws from the language and imagery of her Caribbean background to play a haunting and soulful tune.
A lyrical examination of loss and grief, Song of Thieves delves into issues of racial identity and politics, the immigrant experience, and the search for "home" and for family histories. McCallum artfully blends Jamaican patois, parables, songs, nursery rhymes, and other features of orality into her poems. She evinces an ear for the intrinsic music of poetry in this haunting and ambitious collection. Song of Thieves confirms her reputation as one of the most compelling new voices in American poetry.
