Synopses & Reviews
In Shayla Lawson’s second collection, she spins her unique brand of soulful lyrics
Each poem of I Think I’m Ready to See Frank Ocean riffs on a Frank Ocean song, paying homage to the man but also investigating oceans, The Ocean, and the similarity between heartbreak and break beats by blending Frank Ocean’s musical catalog with personal narrative and social critique. I Think I’m Ready to See Frank Ocean builds upon historicized representations of Ocean’s career in ekphrasis, carefully examining the intent of each composition as a metaphoric parallel to Black American legibility.
Review
"...a magnificent epic narrative on a contemporary artist....Lawson’s project is extremely complex and deeply layered, opening an avenue of creative innovation and possibilities through the creation of a new world through a contemporary figure." Jet Fuel Review
Review
"Lawson is one of the most exciting poets working today." Chicago Review of Books
Review
"Arresting images heighten visceral emotions throughout this fine collection, as Lawson finds strength in vulnerability and, in Ocean, a model of successful transformation." Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Shayla Lawson is the author of A Speed Education in Human Being and the chapbook PANTONE. She grew up in the bluegrass state and has always carried a fondness for oceans. Her work has appeared in print and online at Tin House, GRAMMA, ESPN, Salon, The Offing, Guernica, Colorado Review, Barrelhouse, and MiPOesias.