Each poem in Rachel Long's award-winning My Darling from the Lions has a vivid story to tell--of family quirks, the perils of dating, the grip of religion, or sexual awakening--stories that are, by turn, emotionally insightful, politically conscious, wise, funny, and outrageous. Told in three sections, it's a book about growing up, falling in love with not-great men, and girlhood; a collection that speaks to femininity, divinity, familial shame, Black identity, and modern culture.

Long reveals herself as a razor-sharp and original voice on the issues of sexual politics and cultural inheritance that polarize our current moment. With a fresh commitment to the power of the individual poem, her collection offers immediate, wide-awake poetry that entertains royally, without sacrificing a note of its urgency or remarkable skill.

My Darling from the Lions marks the arrival of a thrilling new voice and presence in poetry.