Favorite Quotations:
Say Her Name morphs at the rally and I am
trying to reremember all the syllables
all the Sandra’s and Rekias and girls
who don’t make the headlines because they are
not dead
they have just been turned inside out

and i would say
after all that you did
what a shame

of all the things i could have been
never once did you think
i might not want to be small

Thoughts:
This was a powerful collection of poetry that touched upon so much (community, social justice, experience with Black men, girlhood, growth, & sexuality to name a few), but ultimately all center around her lived experience as a young Black woman in Oakland, California. This collection only cements what a powerhouse she is, and further exemplifies why she was the youngest author to have been nominated for the Booker Prize in 2022.

I will continue to seek out LM’s work; she is bold, direct, brave & spirited, & her poetry emulates all of these characteristics & more! I want to buy a print copy for my own collection when it’s out.

I am so grateful to Netgalley & the publisher that I was able to read this ARC. I’m providing this honest review of my own accord.

Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Toxic relationship, Classism, Grief, and Sexism
Not as detailed or on page: Murder, Police brutality, Death, and Misogyny

This is the first book I've read by Leila Mottley, many readers are familiar with her first book Nightcrawling. Woke Up No Light is a good poetry collection, my favorite poem was "winter 2020", it was very powerful.

Thanks to NetGalley, Knopf, and Leila Mottley for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I lucked out and read Leila Mottley’s poetry collection, Woke Up No Light, before it was released. She was the Oakland Youth Poet Laureate. When I saw that she was in the schedule for the @centerforliteraryarts I figured it was perfect timing.

Woke Up No Light is an incredible collection. Poetry collections are usually hard to rate however I felt like every poem in this collection felt strong and purposeful.

I found myself thinking a lot of Gregory Pardlo’s collection while reading this. There are a lot of thematic similarities while their style is night and day. Where Pardlo’s felt very intellectual and almost calculated, Mottley’s felt like a live wire, alive and raw. Both are incredible.

Leila Mottley's collection woke up no light is a beautiful poetry debut. Mottley explores her girlhood and womanhood, her hometown of Oakland, and her family and ancestors, as well as larger topics of reparations, police violence, and more. The collection is well structured and fairly accessible though with Mottley's distinct style. She is such a gifted young writer and I'm excited to see what she writes next.

This author is turning out to be quite a unicorn. I love these poems. She has such a beautiful voice. I look forward to seeing where she goes next.

Definitely recommend. 100%

I Cannot wait until physical copies of this poetry collection are releases, because TRUST, I WILL be the first one in line to buy one. Nightcrawlin' by this author was a definite 5 star read and it was my most LOVED of 2022. Leila Mottley can write exceptionally well and that is demonstrated in this poetry collection. The writing in this collection is amazing, the subjects touched on and mentioned are something I could connect and relate to as a Black woman in america. I cannot wait to re-read this collection and analyze it when it comes out.

Summary: In "woke up no light," Mottley weaves a poetry collection that spans the crucial stages of growth, exploring themes of reparations, restitution, and desire. Divided into sections like "girlhood," "neighborhood," and "womanhood," each poem is a searing vignette capturing the life of Black girlhood. With descriptive language and a rhythmic pulse, Mottley's verses breathe life into the experiences of a Black girl navigating a world teetering on the edge of disaster. From unearthing histories to envisioning a future, Mottley's poetry is a personal and political revelation, delivered with piercing detail and undeniable power.


Pros:
🔥 Mottley's poetry hits like a comet—powerful, unapologetic, and leaving a mark on your soul. Her exploration of themes is both brave and distinctive, showcasing the enduring power of her voice.

💭 Each poem is a miniature masterpiece, from the fiery passion of "what a Black girl wants" to the contemplative beauty of "haikus for sunrise." Mottley captures the full spectrum of emotions, making each page a journey of self-discovery.

📜 The collection's structure, moving seamlessly through different phases of life, provides a cohesive narrative that allows readers to witness the evolution of the Black girl into a force of womanhood.

Cons:
🤔 There's a danger of spontaneously snapping your fingers in awe, causing a sudden burst of poetic admiration. Handle with care!


In conclusion, "woke up no light" is a masterpiece, a celebration of Black girlhood that resonates with unfiltered truths. Leila Mottley's debut poetry collection is a triumph—a testament to her brilliance as a poet and the enduring impact of her voice. It's the kind of collection that leaves you breathless, both from the beauty of the verses and the weight of the themes explored. As you navigate through Mottley's poems, be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster that will ignite your passion, spark your reflections, and leave you waking up to the brilliance of each new dawn.

📚 Disclaimer: A galaxy-sized thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the eARC. All opinions are my poetic musings and entirely my own! 🌌✒️

I requested this as I lived Mottley’s debut and want to start reading more poetry.

I found the voice strong and the poems to be thought provoking and gripping.

Would recommend.

I have started reading poetry over the past few months, and every time I do I wonder why it took me so long to read it. The emotions that poetry brings up gives me pause, but in a good way.

This poetry gave me goosebumps. The vivid imagery. The hurt beneath the surface. The stanzas. The pain that came through. The moments of joy, no matter how small. The shortest of these poems were the ones that packed the biggest emotional punch. The Elijah McClain one had me in tears. Woke was incredible. Womanhood had me thinking. This was a gorgeous poetry book and I fully recommend reading it. Then, go read Nightcrawling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think Leila Mottley is a writer to watch. I don't feel like I can do the best job at commenting on what I liked/didn't like about this poetry collection. I am not the best poetry reader but I am grateful that I have the chance to try out something new.

Wow! This is my first read by Leila Mottley, and as a lover of poetry, I was not disappointed! Mottley shares her experience of what it is like to be black in America; each poem has a story. I have my favorites but I won't reveal them on my social media until they are published. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc!

Leila Mottley's new poetry collection tells a linear coming-of-age story with visceral imagery and tenderness. Clear motifs constellate the collection, which is so rhythmic and unexpectedly somatic. Poems, like "a case for / against reparations" and "what a Black girl wants," I felt in my body: so many of Leila Mottley's poems are physical, not cerebral, experiences.

Structure & Form

The collection is like a mosaic. The poems are fragments of memories, dreams, family history, and the future all carefully arranged to create a picture of growing up.

The collection opens with two epigraphs and a poem about reparations that serves as a prologue. Leila Mottley divides the poems into four sections: girlhood, neighborhood, falsehood, and womanhood. Girlhood is the weightiest with 13 poems. The other sections have 11 poems.

Stylistically, I noticed two categories of poems right away: those with capitalization and those without. The ones without capitalization felt intimate and whispered, like Leila Mottley was telling them just to me, privately. The ones with capitalization felt like I was meant to hear them in a public space or that I could talk about them afterwards, not keep them like a secret.

Leila Mottley sparingly employs slashes and italics to great effect. I carefully annotated all the lines with these details and found it rewarding to look back through the collection at just these standout lines.

My Collection Favorites

1. On Starting Over

2. how to love a woman sailing the sky

3. waterfalling

4. what to do when you see a Black woman cry

5. Elijah McClain’s Last Words

The Title

When I finished the book, the title felt really meaningful on several levels. It appears in the poem "Summer of 2020," but its meaning extends throughout the collection. There is a lot imagery about nighttime or obscured light (gloom, eclipses, stars etc,). Additionally, the poems touch on the kind of anxious, beautiful, spiritual, and private things that haunt your thoughts in the middle of the night. I imagined myself, awake in bed, no light around me thinking the things in these poems too.

Cover Admiration

The stunning cover of Leila Mottley's debut novel Nightcrawling and the cover of this poetry collection almost look like a set. They're both vibrant. They both feature illustrations of a Black girl, and the vector of movement—like the girls are mid whirl—is so similar.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC!

These poems shattered me and brought me back together. Leia Mottley has such an incredible and powerful voice, speaking on themes of race, identity, sexuality, girlhood, and womanhood, and looking at how to build a home on unstable waves. Leia makes the reader sit with these poems, the weight of the words, and how they come together to tell untold stories.

Expected publication April 16, 2024

I enjoyed this collection of poetry. It was strong and impactful. I hope to read more from this author. I liked how the poems were organized and the voice of the poet. I highly recommend this collection!

I knew this would be good because I loved Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley, but I was blown away by this transition from fiction to poetry! She is really a genius in both genres. These poems are so beautiful, unique, emotionally devastating, and sometimes fun! I especially love that the first section is 'girlhood' and the last section is 'womanhood'.

I appreciated these poems. Mottley has a great style of bringing ancestors and their struggles into the modern day, reflected in her own struggles. The poems dealt with various themes, including generational trauma and asserting your femininity and sexuality. The migration of the strong women that came before her was a prominent feature of many of the poems.

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read this amazing work of poetry by Leila Mottley. In the vein of Mottley's novel, Nightcrawling, she brings us this vivid portrait of the Black experience through poetic words and feelings.
This book is a whole mood.
Prepare to be moved.
Her poem about Elijah McClain and his unnecessary death at the hands of police was so powerful and invoked so much emotion. That stands out as one of the most profound pieces of poetry I've ever read.
There was a minor technical glitch for about 5 pages where I wasn't able to read anything except 1 letter per page. But despite this, this little collection packs quite the punch. I am so glad I had the chance to read this. Leila Mottley has become an author I will read anything by.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a great collection. The prose is amazing and I like how the collections was organized/grouped. Excited to read more from this author.

Leila Mottley’s “Woke Up No Light” is a quotable experience full of hard truths and beautiful prose. The poems are about womanhood, community, and family. My review will be on goodreads and Instagram

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC of “woke up no light” by Leila Mottley.

Once again, Leila Mottley is packing a punch with her debut poetry collection, “woke up no light”. This collection explores
the intricacies of womanhood through the lens of a Black woman. As a collective, Mottley’s poems had a true grittiness to them that made me as a reader feel raw, vulnerable, and sometimes uncomfortable throughout the reading. While Mottley paints a distinctive and profound picture through her poetic words, at times the poems were a bit of a challenge to read due to their abstract nature. Despite this, “woke up no light” is a must-read for those who appreciate poetry that delves into the essence of identity, community, and womanhood.