THE TRADITION

In this third collection of poems by the 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jericho Brown, narrator JD Jackson steadily delivers a heartfelt narration of what Brown describes his book to be about: "the normalization of evil . . . and why these things, as heinous as they are, are normal in our time and in our culture." In this short audiobook, Jackson is clear, moderately emphatic, and heavy-voiced. His tone expresses the gravity of the theme. While not sounding desperate, as he moves swiftly from one poem to the next, it's as if he is saying, "You need to hear this." The personal connection that Jackson conveys with poise and clarity is the embodiment of Brown's words: "A poem is a gesture toward home." T.E.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2020]