Be Easy: New and Selected Poems

Revered for his “patient, clever, controlled, [and] visionary” (Hanif Abdurraqib) poems, Adrian Matejka has been a mainstay of contemporary American poetry for over two decades. Gathering hits from six extraordinary collections, Be Easy showcases his singular sonics and narrative vision in fresh, dynamic poems that lyrically complicate place, race, and identity. Traversing the Midwest from Indianapolis to Chicago, new poems explore the twitchy unease of unintentional migration and economic instability as the country faces a future every bit as unsettling and circus-like as parking lot carnivals of the poet’s childhood. Selections from Mixology (2008)—“a post-soul tour de force” (Kevin Young)—reverberate with the rhythm of ’80s hip-hop, while “revelatory” (Gabrielle Calvocoressi) odes from Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist The Big Smoke (2013) reimagine the legacy of prizefighter Jack Johnson and transcendent poems from Map to the Stars (2017) brim with cosmic jazz. Matejka’s smooth lyricism flows into a singular, indispensable collection of memories lost and found again. Tracing the continuum of a “rocket-powered” (Campbell McGrath) writer, Be Easy affirms Matejka as one of the most exciting voices of our time.

About the Author :
Adrian Matejka is the author of six poetry collections and the graphic novel Last on His Feet. He has been nominated for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, served as the poet laureate of the state of Indiana from 2018–2019, and is editor–in–chief of Poetry magazine. He lives in Chicago.

Review :
"This exceptional collection from Matejka puts his agile, musical voice, vivid imagery, and talent for cultural critique on full display. The result is a fantastic entry point for readers unfamiliar with Matejka’s work. An essential volume for his fans." "This highly anticipated gathering of poems new and from past collections celebrates Matejka as an acclaimed writer of soulful musicality, unmatched linguistic ingenuity, and constantly evolving poetic strategies. Matejka's new poems establish him as a poet of fascinating contradictions, urban and suburban, visual and musical, utterly brilliant and entirely grounded." "Poet Adrian Matejka distills identity, anti-racist critique, political commentary, and literary history into rapid left-right-left punches, each landing hard. Be Easy: New & Selected Poems is a retrospective with—what I would call the “eyes of a horse.” Inspired by an equine’s panoramic vision, Matejka glances backward while galloping forward. As he continues to challenge himself, we can enjoy the earned uplift of “Record Changer.” Here the poet reminds us to resist despair. Because the future of America is up for grabs." "There are so many kinds of music in Adrian Matejka’s head. He’s spot on about ‘the music of the mind & / . . . the music of the maw.’ There’s also the music of time, coursing through Be Easy as memory, history, and hope. And the chorus of color, mapping out a portrait of who in the world we are and what it is we seek. In the vivid intoxication of each poem’s heartbeat and mouthfeel is something that sounds to me like marrow music, flowing toward what stirs at the core of us." "Adrian Matejka’s marvelous Be Easy is a live, evolving statement of poetics. From debut to today, he’s tuned in to the codes and frequencies of someone born Black when the world was sold. Whatever the form, Matejka’s peerless work aims to revitalize our fossilized language, turning it back into a body of muscle, memory, music. This new and selected is all that." "These old and new poems recognize and speak to each other the way ‘game recognize game.’ This is not the highlight reel of a retired Indiana baller with only ‘remember when’s’ to serve up. Although the oldies are goodies, this pure shooter with both handles and range is not only still in his prime, his lyrical ankle-breakers demand that Be Easy be picked first off the shelf. This instant classic, this collection of new and selected poems is an all-star team that proves Adrian Matejka still ‘got game.’"