An Optimism Poems
An Optimism Poems by Cameron Awkward-Rich is a collection of poetry published by Persea Books, Incorporated on October 7, 2025. This 112-page book explores the journey of self-discovery within the context of an ordinary life, emphasizing the importance of making the choice to embrace it. The poems reflect on the complexities of contemporary existence, particularly for Black, trans, and other marginalized identities, navigating a world that presents both possibilities and challenges.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of themes as the collection delves into survival and resilience. Anchored by an epistolary sequence addressed to the poet and activist Pauli Murray, the work draws inspiration from influential figures such as Audre Lorde and Lucille Clifton. The poems create intimate spaces that range from personal relationships to broader cosmic reflections, inviting readers to engage with the creativity and collective strength of diverse identities. An Optimism serves as a testament to hope and ancestral wisdom, offering a voice for those navigating the complexities of life.
Official synopsis Publisher
Here is collection of poems about finding oneself in a life–an ordinary life that one could not have imagined–and making the decision to live it. Against our terribly ambivalent present–in which Black, trans, and other minoritized forms of life seem at once more possible than ever and, also, relentlessly under attack–An Optimism gives us poems in search of ways to survive–and even thrive. Anchored by an epistolary sequence directed to the 20th century poet and activist Pauli Murray, and looking to the work of other trans, queer, and black feminist writers like Audre Lorde, Lucille Clifton, and June Jordan for company and counsel, Cameron Awkward-Rich situate us in spaces intimate and capacious, from lovers’ beds to the Gamma Quadrant across the Milky Way. Although it speaks resolutely and intimately from a particular “I”, An Optimism turns to the creativity of the motley we to, in Hortense Spillers’ words, make “a space for living.” These are poems for the living, infused with hope and ancestral wisdom.
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