Septet for the Luminous Ones

A Black poet performs a shamanic soul retrieval of the seven-hundred-year-old diasporic Black arts tradition, creating a lush soundscape of spiritual fusion. The collection speaks to raise the vibrational frequencies of all beings on Earth through a pulse of Black English.

Format: Hardback
Length: 120 pages
Publication date: 26 April 2024
Publisher: Wesleyan University Press

In her captivating second collection, poet Fahima Ife embarks on a profound exploration of a neotropical mythos. Through a series of vivid and evocative poems, she articulates diverse scenes of subduction, spoken in a quiet recognition that is rooted in deep desire. Septet for the Luminous Ones imagines a lush soundscape, textured with an oblique spiritual fusion of the Taíno and Yoruba cultures. It evokes the sensation of their first meeting, as well as the ongoing resonance of their union, characterized by a breathless diasporic call.

Similar to the incidents depicted in Maroon Choreography, these poems reverberate with an ecstatic love song of the Caribbean Americas, encompassing the main lands and islands. It is shaped and reshaped through the modalities of breathwork, ritual, communion, and fantasy. At its core, the collection serves as a powerful call to elevate the vibrational frequencies of all beings on Earth through the pulsating rhythms of Black English.

The preface to this twenty-volume spiritual ascent introduces the seven players and their consorts, painting a vivid portrait of the collective journey. Ife likens herself to a radio, channeling her own unique voice and perspectives. This preface sets the stage for the enchanting poems that follow, inviting readers to embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and cultural exploration.

Dimension: 229 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780819500939