Bread and Circus

Bread and Circus is a hybrid and palimpsestic memoir-in-verse that combines poetry, photography, and spectral imaging to explore the realities of economic necessity and marginal poverty through a personal lens, examining the experience of the US urban Black community from a variety of perspectives.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 112 pages
Publication date: 08 June 2023
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Bread and Circus is a remarkable work of hybrid and palimpsestic memoir-in-verse, combining poetry, photography, and spectral imaging to delve into the harsh realities of economic necessity and marginal poverty through a deeply personal lens. This captivating book explores the experiences of the US urban Black community from a diverse range of perspectives, drawing extensively from Airea D. Matthews' archival research on Adam Smith, the eighteenth-century Scottish economist, and his renowned masterpiece, The Wealth of Nations. As the narrative unfolds, it shifts seamlessly from the viewpoint of a watchful child to that of a teacher, mother, writer, and citizen, posing profound questions about the nature of survival, success, and the inevitable costs associated with these pursuits. Through its intricate weaving of words and images, Bread and Circus offers a thought-provoking and deeply introspective exploration of the human condition, challenging readers to reflect on the complexities of life and the sacrifices we must make in order to thrive.

Weight: 182g
Dimension: 154 x 197 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781035000821