Of the Deepest Shadows and The Prisons of Fire is a literary canvas of leaders who
have affected humanity in very serious and unquestionable ways. The core of this artistic
engagement is the destiny of the black world. There are tangential departures into
territories with crises the world cannot afford to ignore. The poet visits each leader, living
or dead, with equal passion. His curious brush is delicate, ecstatic, melancholic or even
celebratory depending on what image or circumstance he pans into view. This corpus
comes with the characteristic anguish and tenderness of a very sensitive and caring mind...
“Nwankwo’s visceral, hypnotic lines are filled with unexpected and challenging metaphorical
combinations. His poems display the intense political commitment and Diasporic
awareness of a skillful, seasoned poet.â€
—JOSEPH MCLAREN, Hofstra University, New York
“(In this volume), Chimalum Nwankwo holds the globe in his hands; his craft presents
it to us in cadences of dance and déjà vu…â€
—CHUKS ILOEGBUNAM, Nigerian Vanguard
“Chimalum Nwankwo’s enchanted language, rhythm, and startling juxtapositions make
him a poet of prodigious beauty and genius–simply one of the best poets writing in
any language today. (This collection) … is a dazzling performance…a great feat of
thought and expressive range.â€
—ODE OGEDE, Professor of English North Carolina Central University Durham
“… a remarkable weaving of thoughts and feelings into rhythmically supple verse…â€
—EMMANUEL OBIECHINA, Associate Fellow W.E.B. Du Bois Institute,
Harvard University & Fellow of Nigerian Academy of Letters
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