Content Warning: Everything
| Author | Akwaeke Emezi |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Publisher | Copper Canyon Press |
| Publication date | 5 April 2022 |
| Publication place | Port Townsend, Washington |
| Media type | Print, e-book |
| Pages | 64 |
| ISBN | 9781556596292 |
Content Warning: Everything is a 2022 debut poetry collection by the Igbo-Tamil Nigerian writer Akwaeke Emezi. It was published by Copper Canyon Press and the collection explores themes of homelessness, survival, chosen family, and surrender.[1][2]
Plot
The poems are written from spirit-self perspectives and celebrate an essence of self that cannot be killed, drowned, or diminished.[3][4] It draws on Igbo spirituality and Christian mythology and navigated through the concept of Ogbanje. The poetry is closely connected to Emezi's memoir, Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir, and further explores Asughara, a central figure in their semi-autobiographical novel, Freshwater.[5]
Reception
Writing for Colorado Review, Robert Manaster described the collection's language as jolting and its lines as flowing effortlessly despite Emezi's sparse use of punctuation. He wrote, "Emezi's empowering voice never shies away from being themselves and taking responsibility as they reimagine this Catholic ritual..."[6]
Jeevika Verma, writing for Adroit Journal, described Emezi's voice as revolutionary,[7] while Keira Brown of SNACK Magazine observed that, "While the writing is sparse, it is stunningly selective, making you feel so much with so little."[8]
References
- ↑ "Content Warning: Everything by Akwaeke Emezi". Copper Canyon Press. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- ↑ bloomsbury.com. "Content Warning". Bloomsbury. Archived from the original on 7 August 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- ↑ "Content Warning: Everything". www.hks.harvard.edu. Archived from the original on 8 June 2026. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- ↑ Emezi, Akwaeke (2022). Content warning: everything. Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press. ISBN 978-1-55659-629-2.
- ↑ "Content Warning: Everything". The Poetry Foundation. Archived from the original on 3 April 2026. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- ↑ "Content Warning: Everything". Center for Literary Publishing. Archived from the original on 8 June 2026. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- ↑ Verma, Jeevika (14 June 2022). "A Review of Akwaeke Emezi's Content Warning: Everything". The Adroit Journal. Archived from the original on 8 June 2026. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- ↑ Brown, Keira (7 February 2023). "Content Warning: Everything by Akwaeke Emezi - Book Review". SNACK: Music, film, arts and culture magazine for Scotland. Archived from the original on 8 June 2026. Retrieved 8 June 2026.