It was so disturbing Definitely not for the faint of heart or for people who can t handle explicit sexual language I guess I would say to read this because you should know of the sour to appreciate the sweet.

This is a good collection of stories and poems, which I had ther fortune of seeing Sapphire read most of when I was a senior at NYU She has one of the most powerful slam styles, almost making me believe I like slam poetry.

My favorite poet.

this woman never ceases to amaze me this is powerhouse writing in my book.

my favourite book for poetry

this book convinced me that my words are not too ugly to be beautiful.

This is a terrific collection of poems, stories, and performance pieces While the core emotion from which these texts of incest, trauma, rape, sex work, and recovery come is than enough to draw a reader in and hold them riveted, Sapphire also proves herself a consummate artist in this collection Having seen her perform and read her texts a few times back in NYC in the 90s, I was happy to come across this collection over the summer in a second hand shop, and to finally take the time to read her [...]

no words can describe the PAIN of an adult who was MOLESTED as a child, however SAPPHIRE Poetess extraordinaire manages to creatively find those words, and clues us all in and in turn, we are all somehow made better because of such bravery such humanness and such talent.

Edgy, spoken word type pieces Probably come to life when performed.

good very graphic but good

In American Dreams, Sapphire creates raw graphic poetry that gets under your skin and makes you realize how difficult the plight of young people can be I found it hard to separate the story in the poem from the devices the writer used to tell the poem If you read the poems in chronological order you can see a character narrator developing that is showing how people go from early childhood sex abuse to continue to be objectified by men She talks of stripping, drug use and prostitution The protago [...]

Hard core Raw with no chaser.Although I do recommend drinking while reading this There s some tough topics dealing with molestation and sexual abuse.Yet, there are some tough lines that are spun so beautifully.

To be honest, I didn t even know WHAT I was reading or what it meant most of this book All I did know was that whatever she was saying, she felt it literally from the deepest part of her core This book is just filled with emotion, real life emotion It s told in short stories , and I think each one was supposed to have a deeper meaner, but I really couldn t even tell a difference among ANY of the characters Male or female, the characters just suffered, and it was heartbreaking yet moving as hell [...]

I love Sapphire for her real and raw honesty With that said, the truth can be hard to listen to at times It took me a while to read it, because at times, I just had to put it down and come back to it because of the emotional overload I found the overall tone of the book to change constantly between sad and triumphant Sapphire speaks for those who are unspoken for I ll always love her books simply for exposing the truth about the things the we don t like to talk about in mainstream culture and so [...]

This collection gets four stars not because I enjoyed it but rather because I found it exceptionally necessary Sapphire s writing is brutal, harrowing, and unequivocally real She sugarcoats nothing, imbuing her work with all the anger and ugliness that the situations possess when experienced in real life At the same time, she manages to write of horrible and traumatic experiences in sometimes beautiful ways which makes the ugliness of the situations cut sharply I believe this collection offers [...]

I don t know why I had not read this collection sooner I loved the author s book Push but was upset with The Kid, the sequel to Push This book killed me Really killed me I read it, then reread it, and still I waited to write a review Prose and poetry, the book is over 20 years old, but sadly, its message the treatment of women, particularly sexual abuse, prostitution, moms and daughters, and violence is still relevant today This is not an easy collection to read, and it s certainly not for the f [...]

To quote the St Louis Post Dispatch, This collection of prose and poems will rattle your bones and rock your soulHer uncompromising voice is one we seldom hear The racism, sexual violence, and anger depicted in this collection make it unsuitable for young readers its in your face honesty, passion, and pain make it a must read for anyone interested in understanding the harsh reality lived by too many in American society.

This book of poetry and prose is extremely raw and painful, but also very well written and like a snapshot of the thought process of many who have suffered abuse and oppression Sapphire is very gifted, but if Push was not for the squeamish, then American Dreams is for those with a really strong stomach A hard read, but very powerful and moving.

Not for a soft heart because too much disturbing explicits in it till you can t cope reading it any, but then what do you expect from Sapphire herself Will do finish it, but for now, American Dreams shall be put down for a while.

This book is a bit out of my usual reading list, but it was good.The rage in some of the poetry and prose jumps off the page, and so does the need to be loved.Why do people we love treat us so badly Why do strangers treat us badly Be strong, be strong, and be stronger yet.

Dark, raw, vulnerable and real This book evoked every emotion from fear, pain, anger to small moments of joy It was visceral in a way that helps you think critically about yourself and the world we live in Nothing is gratuitous.

Raw, disturbing, and incredibly powerful read Probably should not have read it in one sitting it was painful and uncomfortable at times, but an equally compelling read Not for the faint of heart.

I didn t like this at all I had to read it for a college English course and it was depressing and dark It s not supposed to be all roses and sunshine but that doesn t change the fact that I didn t like Maybe it s literal genius but it didn t speak to me.

For class, again.

Her poetry cuts like a knife I loved it.