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Award-winning poet/singer Tai Allen is set to publish his debut collection of poetry, “No Jewels” , and accompanying soundtrack on Flowered Concrete.
The 20-poem collection reinterprets classic literary forms, such as triolets and haiku, to create a first-person narrative of a young man’s loss of innocence. The book follows his psychological path of being subjected to an abuser’s potent mix of love and abuse and his subsequent survival.
“There’s a lot of trauma in the world, in this story,” But, even in the midst of that, the collection is about finding yourself. You can emerge on the other side.”
explained Allen.
Tai is known for connecting and intersecting musical genres, especially blues & soul. He pairs the chapbook with two soundtracks. There is the 6-track, No Jewels: Read & Listen, soundscape mirroring and expanding upon the conversations created within the text.
Additionally, Allen crafted Reading to Self. It is a 9-track supplemental. It is instrumental and groove driven and will provide a backdrop for reading, driving or cleaning. Both compilations expand on the book’s core goals of discovery, examination and emergence.
No Jewels By Tai Allen (Editor Brad Walrond with T Tara Turk)
Paperback | 8.5 x 5.5 in | 52 pages | Flowered Concerete
About the music
www.taiallen.bandcamp.com
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble & Talib Kweli’s Nkiru Bookstore.
For more information, visit www.taiallen.com or www.floweredconcrete.com
About The Author
Tai Allen is a respected creative who excels in multiple disciplines. The Brooklyn-based creative director is a poet who sings over music he has produced. His poetry has been published in noted tomes (Bomb, Killens Reviews and African Voices) and his music has been heralded by respected publications .
He has headlined such venues as the Apollo Theater’s Music Cafe in Harlem, Nighttown in Rotterdam and the American Jazz Museum’s Blue Room in Kansas City, as well as co-hosted stages for Art of Cool Festival in Durham and BAMcafe in Brooklyn. In 2010, Allen’s album Easy Readin’ was awarded Album of The Year by the National Poetry Awards.
About The Publisher
Since 2012, Flowered Concrete offers an educational platform for readers to indulge in while being simultaneously entertained. As a small publisher, we want our literature to spread peace, growth, and insight, especially for youth between the ages of 13-24 seeking new and refreshing stories. It is our most wishful hopes that as a publishing company, we will teach the masses while providing them with a platform for imagination through vibrant literature and poetry
