Patti Bressman

Clint Smith challenges the reader in a gentle way, that does not offend, yet asks them think about a variety of subjects in a new light. He makes them laugh out loud, he makes them breathe. He provides a sigh of relief that they’re not alone. He makes them feel horrible that they never considered a subject from the shoes of the narrator, but he brings joy to the reader now considering this new understanding of the narrator’s perspective. And if the reader keeps an open mind, they will come to understand so much more than simply a poem, written by a great, young black family man, who’s doing good by putting down on paper what all of us need to hear over and over again. Thanks Clint Smith for the gift of Above Ground!