Title: In Between the Inspiration
Author: E. Gene Givens
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 979-8-3694-4140-4
Pages: 92
Genre: Poetry
Reviewer: Ella Vincent
Pacific Book Review
In Between the Inspiration is a collection of poems about love, loss, and many other important life lessons. Readers will be inspired by E. Gene Givens’ poetry.
In Between the Inspiration has many emotional moments, even about writing poetry, such as the narrator in the title poem, “In Between the Inspiration”: “I call myself/ a poet/because I must work at it/in between the inspiration.” Givens writes about the excitement of a first love when the narrator confesses about his feelings in “Puppy Love Beginnings”: “Puppy love beginnings/occupied many sleepless nights/while my silence/never found the right words/to tell her that/you were my first love”. Givens also writes about the importance of self-love in “Self-Esteem”: “Ain’t nobody gonna make you love, or unlove yourself/you got to learn how to love yourself all by yourself first”.
Givens’ writing is very relatable and will resonate with readers when he writes about everyday problems like the dissolution of a relationship. The varied feelings about love show that marriage can be a trying experience in “A Good Dentist”: “Because being married/ was like carrying cement blocks/in a backpack.” He also details the tenderness of love of nature and writes evocatively and paints a picture with words in poems like “In the Cool of the Twilight”: “In the Utah evening twilight/a cool spring breeze raises the hair on my neck.”
Givens’ writing is a mixture of optimism about a budding love and cynicism about racism in America. The multiple subjects Givens covers show the depth of his imagination and real-life experiences that inform his art. In Between the Inspiration is brutally honest about self-doubt, feelings of loss, and struggling with abandonment. Despite the despair, the poems also deal with love and hope for the future.
In Between the Inspiration is an inspiring collection of poems that will enlighten readers. Some of the language in Givens poems may be too racially sensitive for some readers, so the text is best for adult readers. The book would also be best for readers of African-American poets who wrote about various issues impacting everyday life like Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, and Sonia Sanchez. The book would also be ideal for readers who want to read about how to navigate life’s triumphs and challenges.
In Between the Inspiration is a collection of poems that will resonate with readers. With wisdom and authenticity, this book encourages readers to embrace the process, trust the journey, and uncover meaning in every step along the way.
