This is Kiki Petrosino’s fourth book of poetry. She teaches at the University of Virginia, and lives in Charlottesville. As the title implies, this is the poet’s look at the state where she now lives. "'I’m a black body in this Commonwealth, which turned black bodies / into money,' Petrosino writes in her fourth book, eyeing race, history, genetics and hope through the crucible of Virginia." ―The New York Times Book Review which deemed this collection New and Noteworthy. "This is an important and remarkable exploration of heritage." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review. "The result of deep historical research, impressive formal dexterity, and savvy storytelling, this volume of poetry combines genealogy, history, and verse in a way that reflects many American experiences." ―Foreword Reviews. “Fueled by what it means to identify your own blood, White Blood is a masterful book of poems that excavates, resurrects, and stares clear-eyed into history. Petrosino's intricate attention to sound and the muscularity of the poetic line make these poems explode in both the ear and the heart. Here is a poet at her best.” ―Ada Limón. The poet, Kiki Petrosino is from Baltimore and a graduate of the University of Chicago and the Iowa Writers Workshop who has also taught in Louisville, Kentucky.
Louisville, Kentucky: Sarabande Books, 2020. 112 pages. Trade paperback.