In his latest collection, The Tradition, poet Jericho Brown explores survival, abuse, violence and the ways love exists within those darknesses. He also offers a number of duplex poems, a form of his own invention that combines the sonnet, the ghazal and the blues. It’s a slight but powerful expression weaving dissonant images into a stunning big picture. Brown — an associate professor and the director of the Creative Writing Program at Emory University — shared the title poem from The Tradition at one of Asheville BookWorks’ beloved Vandercooked Poetry Nights. The book is a finalist for a National Book Award, to be announced on Nov. 20. Before that, he’ll give a reading at Blue Ridge Room in UNC Asheville’s Highsmith Student Union on Thursday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m. Free. english.unca.edu. Photo courtesy of Brown
Smart bets: Jericho Brown

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