Soldier: A Poet’s Childhood

I so appreciate memoirs by poets; this memoir by poet and activist June Jordan’s is told in a series of short and vivid vignettes, detailing her tumultuous upbringing in post-World War II Harlem and Brooklyn, the only child of a father who desperately wanted a son. She captures her childhood voice and memories through rich details. I especially appreciated glimpsing Jordan's early love of words and rhyme, and the cadence of her storytelling, as she often juxtaposed difficult moments with snapshots capturing childhood delights, like her ardent love for orange juice.