A polyphonic new entry in Multiverse—a literary series written
and curated by the neurodivergent—JJJJJerome Ellis’s Aster of
Ceremonies beautifully extends the vision of his debut book and
album, The Clearing, a “lyrical celebration of and inquiry into
the intersections of blackness, music, and disabled speech”
(Claudia Rankine). Aster of Ceremonies asks what rites we need now
and how poetry, astir in the asters, can help them
along. What is the relationship between fleeing and feeling?
How can the voices of those who came before—and the stutters that
leaven those voices—carry into our present moment, mingling with
our own? When Ellis writes, “Bring me the stolen will / Bring me
the stolen well,” his voice is a conduit, his “me” is many.
Through the grateful invocations of ancestors—Hannah, Mariah,
Kit, Jan, and others—and their songs, he rewrites history,
creating a world that blooms backward, reimagining what it means
for Black and disabled people to have taken, and to continue to
take, their freedom. By weaving a chorus of voices past and
present, Ellis counters the attack of “all masters of all
vessels” and replaces it with a family of flowers. He models
how—as with his brilliant transduction of escaped slave
advertisements—we might proclaim lost ownership over literature
and history. “Bring me to the well,” he chants, implores,
channels. “Bring me to me.” In this bringing, in this singing,
he proclaims our collective belonging to shared worlds where we can
gather and heal.
General
Imprint: |
Milkweed Editions
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Multiverse |
Release date: |
December 2023 |
Authors: |
Jjjjjerome Ellis
|
Dimensions: |
228 x 177mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
96 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-63955-012-8 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-63955-012-7 |
Barcode: |
9781639550128 |
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