Published: 2020
Series: N/A
Author: William Evans
Illustrator: N/A
Genres: Poetry, Minority, Race, Nonfiction, African American
Audience (Grade Levels): YA, Adult (Grades 9-12+)
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads Link: We Inherit What the Fires Left
Triggers: Racism, generational trauma/injuries, systemic oppression, prejudice, mentions of racialized profiling/violence
Review By: Lisa McPherson
Publisher’s Summary:
“William Evans, the award-winning poet and cofounder of the popular culture website Black Nerd Problems, offers an emotionally vulnerable poetry collection exploring the themes of inheritances, dreams, and injuries that are passed down from one generation to the next and delving into the lived experience of a black man in the American suburbs today.
In We Inherit What the Fires Left, award-winning poet William Evans embarks on a powerful new collection that explores the lived experience of race in the American suburbs and what dreams and injuries are passed from generation to generation. Fall under the spell of Evans’s boldly intimate, wise, and emotionally candid voice in these urgent, electrifying poems.
This eloquent collection explores not only what these inheritances are composed of, but what price the bearer must pay for such legacies, and the costly tolls exacted on both body and spirit. Evans writes searingly from the perspective of the marginalized, delivering an unflinching examination of what it is like to be a black man raising a daughter in predominantly white spaces, and the struggle to build a home and a future while carrying the weight of the past.
However, in beautiful and quiet scenes of domesticity with his daughter or in thoughtful reflection within himself, Evans offers words of hope to readers, proving that resilience can ultimately bloom even in the face of prejudice. Readers of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Hanif Abdurraqib will find a brilliant, fresh new talent to add to their lists in William Evans.” (Amazon)
Review:
It has been a long time since I took the time to just read and enjoy poetry. This book (given to me as a gift) was a great re-entry! The author addresses topics that many can relate to: Raising a daughter, memories of childhood and parents as well as the legacy of violence that underlies the American Dream for black Americans. “Interrogation” summarizes perfectly the craziness of mornings with a young child as you try to get them ready for the day, keep them safe and answer their questions as honestly and truthfully as you can. These themes continue in the first section of the book entitled Grass Growing Wild Beneath Us.
In section two, entitled Trespass the author explores racism in his neighborhood and life. He talks about running before dawn so no one stops him or questions whether he belongs in his neighborhood. “…maybe I am a harmless creature now, may you never need to call the police on me again for my morning jogs…” He ends with Aging out of Someone Else’s Dream to talk about looking back as an older man and seeing your life, your parents and your children from that perspective. Over and over I found myself relating to the author and his sentiments. At times, I was saddened at the experiences he has had that I have never and will neve encounter. It was a remarkable book and I happily recommend it.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- English Language Arts (ELA) / Poetry Units: This collection is an extraordinary instructional mentor text for high school classrooms (grades 9-12) to study contemporary free-verse poetry structures, thematic sectional division, and the use of domestic imagery to convey overarching social commentary.
- Social Studies & African American History: The poems provide a raw, primary-source-style lens into the contemporary sociological realities of Black Americans living in predominantly white suburban areas, opening up dialogue about structural racism, historical profiling, and the concept of the American Dream.
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Evans’ writing deeply targets themes of familial inheritance, the generational transmission of identity, parental protection, and self-reflection as one transitions into different phases of life.
- Extension Activity / Library Application:
- Poetry Workshop and Comparative Literature Circles: Librarians and teachers can pair individual poems, like “Interrogation” or pieces from the “Trespass” section, with essays by Hanif Abdurraqib or Ta-Nehisi Coates. Students can examine how different literary mediums (poetry vs. prose) express parallel emotional landscapes of vulnerability and resilience.
- Creative Writing “Inheritance” Prompt: Students can write a reflective poem or personal narrative inspired by Evans’ focus on familial legacies. They can explore a simple domestic routine or a childhood memory that demonstrates an “inheritance” of dreams, lessons, or cultural histories passed down by their guardians.
- Diversity & Representation: This collection serves as a profound work of OwnVoices literature that expands the canon of Black male voices in contemporary poetry. By explicitly unpacking the layered realities of navigating predominantly white suburban spaces while raising a Black daughter, Evans dismantles singular stereotypes and provides vital, authentic representation of Black fatherhood, domestic joy, systemic vulnerability, and ultimate cultural resilience.
Readalikes:
- A Fortune for Your Disaster by Hanif Abdurraqib
- The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates
