There Where It's So Bright in Me

There Where Its So Bright in Me explores the complexities of difference—race, religion, gender, nationality—that shape twenty-first-century geopolitical conditions. Tanella Boni is a prominent figure in contemporary African literature, and her work spans more than thirty-five years. She confronts racialized violence in the United States and nationalism in Europe, questioning the borders that segregate us. Boni's poetry is characterized by a hard-earned buoyancy, given her subject matter, and her empathy, insight, and plainspoken address are crucial contributions to contemporary conversations.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 01 October 2022
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

There Where Its So Bright in Me delves into the intricate complexities of difference, encompassing race, religion, gender, and nationality, that shape the geopolitical landscape of the twenty-first century. As a prominent figure in contemporary African literature, Tanella Boni possesses a unique vantage point to explore the boundaries of self, other, and belonging. Over a span of more than thirty-five years, Boni's work has garnered widespread recognition, positioning her as a foremost authority on the subject.

The instability of her West African home country of Côte dIvoire has been exacerbated by two twenty-first-century civil wars. While residing in the United States, Boni confronts the racialized violence that often accompanies the concept of Blackness. In France, her second home since her university days, Boni witnesses the rise of nationalism, a phenomenon that is sweeping across much of Europe as the consequences of (neo)colonialism reshape the continents ethnic and racial composition.

What would it entail for the borders that divide us to lose their hold? In a world constantly threatened by various social, political, cultural, personal, and historicizing forces, how does the human spirit manage to survive? Boni's poetry is distinguished by a resilience that is the result of her subject matter. Her empathy, insight, and direct manner of communication make significant contributions to the many challenging contemporary conversations that we must engage.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496230560