Bluff
A powerful new collection reckoning with America, protest and poetry itself
By Danez Smith | Publisher: Random House
About the book
A searing new collection from the Forward Prize-winning American poet about the year 2020, the year that the world’s gaze turned to Minneapolis – Smith's own home.
**A TIME MAGAZINE '100 Must-Read Books of 2024'**
'Bluff is my book of the year. Absolutely breathtaking' Joelle Taylor, author of C+NTO: + Othered Poems
'You will want to underline almost every line ... One of the best books of poetry I've read: buy it for anyone you love' Hollie McNish, author of Plum
'Gripping ... It’s as though the world is a scattered puzzle that Danez analyses and bears witness to' Yomi Sode, author of Manorism
Written during the time the world came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Minneapolis became the epicentre of protest following the murder of George Floyd, Bluff is Danez Smith’s powerful reckoning with their responsibility as a poet and with their hometown.
Smith brings a startling urgency to these poems, their questions demanding a new language, new textual shapes and a deep self-scrutiny. Ars poetica gives way to 'ars america'. A photographic collage makes clear the consequence of accepting mass shootings. A brilliant long poem maps the history of Minneapolis-Saint Paul’s vibrant Rondo neighbourhood, before and after officials decided to run an interstate directly through it.
Bluff is a manifesto about artistic resilience when the places we most love – those given and made – are burning. In this collection, Smith turns to honesty, hope, rage and imagination to envision futures that seem possible.
PRAISE FOR DANEZ SMITH:
‘A poet of exceptional linguistic exuberance, style and grace’ Kayo Chingonyi, author of Kumukanda
‘A writer who never loses their way’ New York Times
'Smith’s ability to look death squarely in the eye and seize from it language that is fertile with myth, beauty and intellect is astonishing' Sandeep Parmar, Guardian
Editions of Bluff
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781784745738
- EBook
- ISBN 9781529939408
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9781529945959
Read an Excerpt
A searing new collection from the Forward Prize-winning American poet about the year 2020, the year that the world’s gaze turned to Minneapolis – Smith's own home.
**A TIME MAGAZINE '100 Must-Read Books of 2024'**
'Bluff is my book of the year. Absolutely breathtaking' Joelle Taylor, author of C+NTO: + Othered Poems
'You will want to underline almost every line ... One of the best books of poetry I've read: buy it for anyone you love' Hollie McNish, author of Plum
'Gripping ... It’s as though the world is a scattered puzzle that Danez analyses and bears witness to' Yomi Sode, author of Manorism
Written during the time the world came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Minneapolis became the epicentre of protest following the murder of George Floyd, Bluff is Danez Smith’s powerful reckoning with their responsibility as a poet and with their hometown.
Smith brings a startling urgency to these poems, their questions demanding a new language, new textual shapes and a deep self-scrutiny. Ars poetica gives way to 'ars america'. A photographic collage makes clear the consequence of accepting mass shootings. A brilliant long poem maps the history of Minneapolis-Saint Paul’s vibrant Rondo neighbourhood, before and after officials decided to run an interstate directly through it.
Bluff is a manifesto about artistic resilience when the places we most love – those given and made – are burning. In this collection, Smith turns to honesty, hope, rage and imagination to envision futures that seem possible.
PRAISE FOR DANEZ SMITH:
‘A poet of exceptional linguistic exuberance, style and grace’ Kayo Chingonyi, author of Kumukanda
‘A writer who never loses their way’ New York Times
'Smith’s ability to look death squarely in the eye and seize from it language that is fertile with myth, beauty and intellect is astonishing' Sandeep Parmar, Guardian
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bluff about?
A searing new collection from the Forward Prize-winning American poet about the year 2020, the year that the world’s gaze turned to Minneapolis – Smith's own home.
**A TIME MAGAZINE '100 Must-Read Books of 2024'**
'Bluff is my book of the year. Absolutely breathtaking' Joelle Taylor, author of C+NTO: + Othered Poems
'You will want to underline almost every line ... One of the best books of poetry I've read: buy it for anyone you love' Hollie McNish, author of Plum
'Gripping ... It’s as though the world is a scattered puzzle that Danez analyses and bears witness to' Yomi Sode, author of Manorism
Written during the time the world came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Minneapolis became the epicentre of protest following the murder of George Floyd, Bluff is Danez Smith’s powerful reckoning with their responsibility as a poet and with their hometown.
Smith brings a startling urgency to these poems, their questions demanding a new language, new textual shapes and a deep self-scrutiny. Ars poetica gives way to 'ars america'. A photographic collage makes clear the consequence of accepting mass shootings. A brilliant long poem maps the history of Minneapolis-Saint Paul’s vibrant Rondo neighbourhood, before and after officials decided to run an interstate directly through it.
Bluff is a manifesto about artistic resilience when the places we most love – those given and made – are burning. In this collection, Smith turns to honesty, hope, rage and imagination to envision futures that seem possible.
PRAISE FOR DANEZ SMITH:
‘A poet of exceptional linguistic exuberance, style and grace’ Kayo Chingonyi, author of Kumukanda
‘A writer who never loses their way’ New York Times
'Smith’s ability to look death squarely in the eye and seize from it language that is fertile with myth, beauty and intellect is astonishing' Sandeep Parmar, Guardian
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Bluff?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Poetry / Poems > Poetry / poems by individual poets
Where can I read a sample of Bluff?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781784745738
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Bluff?
Danez Smith
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Bluff is available as paperback(ISBN 9781784745738) and ebook(ISBN 9781529939408) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9781529945959)
Where can I buy Bluff online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Bluff from below