Felon

October 1, 2019
Betts (Bastards of the Reagan Era, 2015) presents a poetry collection that serves as a treatise on the post-incarceration life of a Black man in America. In visually arresting poems, Betts exposes systematic prejudices, legal disparities, and the emotional strain of raising two sons in a country accustomed to assuming the worst about Black males. In When I Think of Tamir Rice While Driving, the speaker fears for his sons innocently riding in the back seat while commenting on the cold, cruel Second Amendment and how a misperceived toy incited murder. In other poems, legal briefs turn into poetic condemnations through redaction. Legalese is blacked out, creating a poem that shouts against unconstitutional policies in states like Alabama that force impoverished people to work off traffic-ticket debt while in prison [redacted] scrubbing feces and blood from jail floors. Also found in the powerful realism of Betts' poems are vivid portrayals of steadfast love for the speaker's family, while the theme of reentry beats throughout. The importance of Betts' collection cannot be overstated as current events shed light on ongoing injustices.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)