Inheritance: A Visual Poem

by Elizabeth Acevedo, Andrea Pippins (Illustrator)

Overview

They tell me to “fix” my hair.

And by fix, they mean straighten, they mean whiten;

but how do you fix this shipwrecked

history of hair?

In her most famous spoken-word poem, author of the Pura Belpré-winning novel-in-verse The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo embraces all the complexities of Black hair and Afro-Latinidad—the history, pain, pride, and powerful love of that inheritance.

Paired with full-color illustrations by artist Andrea Pippins in a format that will appeal to fans of Mahogany L. Browne’s Black Girl Magic or Jason Reynolds’s For Everyone, this poem can now be read in a vibrant package, making it the ideal gift, treasure, or inspiration for readers of any age.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062931948
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

ELIZABETH ACEVEDO is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Carnegie medal, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the Walter Award. She is also the author of With the Fire on High—which was named a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal—and Clap When You Land, which was a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor book and a Kirkus finalist. She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC with her loves.

Editorial Reviews

"An incredible amount of reflection appears in this slim volume, making this a wonderful choice for group discussions. Brave, sharp, and powerful." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"In this small book, every square inch of every page is full of color and visual depictions of the poem's evocative lines. The palette in Pippin's illustrations—every shade of brown and warm terracotta earth tones—echoes the poem's sentiments... [a] beautiful, inviting presentation of Acevedo's poem." — Booklist (starred review)

"In spoken-word lines that explicate the tension between what people say and what they mean, Acevedo (Clap When You Land) confronts the cultural specter of hair-related prejudice through the lens of colonial history and Afro-Dominican identity." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

From the Publisher

"In this small book, every square inch of every page is full of color and visual depictions of the poem's evocative lines. The palette in Pippin's illustrations—every shade of brown and warm terracotta earth tones—echoes the poem's sentiments... [a] beautiful, inviting presentation of Acevedo's poem."

Booklist (starred review)

★ 2022-03-02
An illustrated poem that acknowledges prejudice and celebrates Black hair.

Award-winning author and poet Acevedo opens with an insult that will resonate with Black girls and women: “Some people tell me to ‘fix’ my hair.” Her powerful response comes at the very end: “You can’t fix what was never broken.” In between, many themes are explored, some of which apply to Black people broadly, while others specifically reference Dominican culture. Throughout, Pippins’ hand-drawn and digital illustrations showcase an incredible array of natural hairstyles and details, such as the image of a ship within the braided pattern of one character’s hair. Impressively, the poem goes beyond typical dialogues about Black hair, acknowledging Black people’s internalized racism that comes from beauty standards grounded in White supremacy. The poem highlights the reputation that Dominicans have for being able to “flatten the spring in any lock,” following that line with a powerful reframing. From there, Acevedo moves into discussing colorism⁠—in particular, the prejudice against lighter-skinned people partnering with darker-skinned people—and more. Pippins’ bright, colorful, and evocative art covers full pages, lovingly portraying the all-Black cast with a diverse range of skin tones and hair textures. The text varies in size, seamlessly incorporated into the art. An incredible amount of reflection appears in this slim volume, making this a wonderful choice for group discussions.

Brave, sharp, and powerful. (Poetry. 12-adult)

Kirkus Reviews

Poet Elizabeth Acevedo’s narration of her groundbreaking spoken-word poem resonates with love, understanding, and heartbreak. Originally titled “Hair,” the work achieved viral fame during her 2014 poetry slam circuit. With a thrumming rhythm and exquisitely placed pauses, Acevedo celebrates the beauty and import of Black hair. Her voice dips in sorrow as she notes that too many Black women and girls engage in colorism and self-hate, buying into the fallacy that their hair needs to be “fixed,” for only white hair can be beautiful. Acevedo’s response to this painful yet powerful urge towards whiteness is delivered with passionate fury: “You can’t fix what was never broken.” This audio, while brief, is packed with insights and clarity. Listeners will want to hear it again and again. S.A.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2023 Odyssey Honor © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

MAY 2022 - AudioFile

Poet Elizabeth Acevedo’s narration of her groundbreaking spoken-word poem resonates with love, understanding, and heartbreak. Originally titled “Hair,” the work achieved viral fame during her 2014 poetry slam circuit. With a thrumming rhythm and exquisitely placed pauses, Acevedo celebrates the beauty and import of Black hair. Her voice dips in sorrow as she notes that too many Black women and girls engage in colorism and self-hate, buying into the fallacy that their hair needs to be “fixed,” for only white hair can be beautiful. Acevedo’s response to this painful yet powerful urge towards whiteness is delivered with passionate fury: “You can’t fix what was never broken.” This audio, while brief, is packed with insights and clarity. Listeners will want to hear it again and again. S.A.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2023 Odyssey Honor © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

MAY 2022 - AudioFile