The long form poem is tethered in folklore and personal narrative,
detailing the impact of the destructive mass incarceration system.
Mahogany L.
Browne’s evocative book-length poem explores the impacts of the
prison system on both the incarcerated and the loved ones left
behind.
I Remember Death
by Its Proximity to What I Love is an expansive poetic meditation
on who we think is bound by incarceration. The answer: all of us.
Weaving personal narrative, case studies, and inventive form, Browne
invokes the grief, pain, and resilience in the violent wake of the
prison system. This poem is dirge work but allows us to revel in the
intricacies of our human condition. Written by a beloved and prolific
writer, organizer, and educator, this work serves as a practice of
self-reflection and accountability. Browne steps into the lineage of
Sonia Sanchez’s Does Your House Have Lions? with the
precision of a master wordsmith and the empathy of an attentive
storyteller.