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The Tradition by Jericho Brown

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description The Tradition by Jericho Brown Overview

The Tradition is a 2019 poetry collection by American poet Jericho Brown that won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. The book interrogates the traumas of systemic racism, violence, and medical experimentation while exploring themes of queer identity and personal survival. Brown also utilizes a poetic form he invented called the "duplex" to weave complex repetitions throughout the work.

help The Tradition by Jericho Brown FAQ

What is Jericho Brown's duplex form in The Tradition?

The duplex is Brown's invented 14-line form combining elements of the sonnet, ghazal, and blues. Lines recur with small transformations, making repetition itself part of the poem's emotional movement.

Which major prize did The Tradition win?

The Tradition won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Copper Canyon Press published the collection in 2019.

What subjects does The Tradition address?

The collection examines Black life, queer intimacy, violence, illness, family, and the vulnerability of the body. Poems such as "Bullet Points" place personal experience alongside police violence and systemic racism.

Is The Tradition connected to the Tuskegee syphilis study?

Yes. The title poem invokes medical exploitation and the history of the Tuskegee study while also using flowers and gardening as recurring imagery.

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