calling in black

Arresting and beautiful...

“In Nicholle Ramsey’s first book, calling in black, we hear a fresh, young voice, informed by Spoken Word luminaries such as Danez Smith, and Mai’a Williams but there are also echoes of poets a generation back, like Maya Angelou, Sonia Sanchez, Lucille Clifton, Amiri Baraka, Audre Lorde, Nikki Giovanni, Diane DiPrima and Adrienne Rich.

"There is strength in these poems, there is intimacy; there is self-confidence, there is vulnerability; there is innocence, there is maturity. The poems are honest, funny, insightful, intelligent, eloquent. When you hear them performed, they ring with life—they shine. This is true of the poems on the page, also. The poet is tough on us, while being generous.”

—Ken McCullough
Former Poet Laureate of Winona, Minnesota
Author of Broken Gates and Dark Stars