Clint Smith's debut poetry collection, Counting Descent, is a
coming of age story that seeks to complicate our conception of
lineage and tradition. Smith explores the cognitive dissonance that
results from belonging to a community that unapologetically
celebrates black humanity while living in a world that often renders
blackness a caricature of fear. His poems move fluidly across
personal and political histories, all the while reflecting on the
social construction of our lived experiences. Smith brings the reader
on a powerful journey forcing us to reflect on all that we learn
growing up, and all that we seek to unlearn moving forward.
