Books.
the stuff of hollywood
Copper Canyon Press, 2024
“The Stuff of Hollywood moves like a reel of film, 24 frames per second. Is it a nine o’clock news story? Is it the latest action blockbuster, full of Hollywood’s ubiquitous violence? Herd’s poem is book-length. It has to be, and it is powerful and evocative to its last beating line. Her disciplined approach to structure holds tension from start to finish.”
__________ , don't you weep
Sting & Honey Press, 2022
“Niki Herd’s “________ , don’t you weep” is a stunning poly-vocal account of violence against women. Herd stitches together a narrative of implication, potential danger, and menace, while revealing grand beauty within each delicate detail. The poems are sensual, sumptuous, and smart. Each word is purposeful, each arrangement exquisitely crafted. What a gift to us all. ”
“________ , don’t you weep, through its sparsity and thoughtfully invented forms, creates caverns for the stories of women to echo. These caverns are carved via text and, crucially, the space beyond the text. There is beauty and connection through the invented forms; it is abundantly clear Herd respects and possesses the page and its potential for augmenting lyricism. Marvelous work.”
Laura Hershey: On The Life & Work Of An American Master
Pleiades Press / The Unsung Masters Series, 2019
“This collection, co-edited with Meg Day, is the first collection of poems featuring the work of disability activist and poet Laura Hershey who died in 2010. Noted for her work in assisting with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this collection of poems and critical essays by her peers places her poetry at the forefront of contemporary discussions about disability and equality.”
One of the Best LGBTQIA Books for 2019, Bustle
The Language of Shedding Skin
Main Street Rag, 2011
““The Language of Shedding Skin instigates a much needed shudder in the present literary landscape. She is the black/woman/human we have been waiting for to unapologetically sing a socio-political poetics in which craft and attention to language is paramount….””
““The poet challenges the stasis of contentment with a spellbinding beauty crafted from her will to justice. These poems will stand as they come out of the compassionate quietude of a mind that will not let the dream of a better a state….””
