"[Tracy K. Smith is] a poet of formal breadth and consistent excellence. . . . This collection is a commanding reminder that the former poet laureate is one of the most important poets writing today."–Emilia Phillips, The New York Times Book Review
"Haunting and vital, [
Such Color is] the perfect encapsulation of a remarkable body of work."
–TIME "[
Such Color] solidifies Smith as one of the most talented writers in American poetry, a writer who is sure to continue crafting remarkable verse for years to come."
–Ronnie K. Stephens, The Poetry Question "The collected poems reflect the bright arc of Smith's career. . . . [Her] admirers will enjoy revisiting favorite poems and reading new works, while this volume will stand as a welcoming and dazzling introduction to Smith's poetry for first-timers."
–Booklist, starred review "Both timeless and urgent, [
Such Color] serves as a humbling and invigorating reawakening from sorrow and apathy."
–Publishers Weekly, starred review "Moving from dark to light, grief into joy, these contrasts form the graceful swiveling energy of Smith's verse, which is on full display in
Such Color. . . . You don't read a Smith poem; you fall into it, surrendering, like an embrace, as in the best poems of Lucille Clifton."
–John Freeman, Alta Journal
"In
Such Color, Smith has forged a remarkably cohesive collection by joining the accumulated force of her first four books with the momentum of her newest work. These poems confidently range across time, space, and national boundaries and speak to the current moment with a needed charge."
–Sylee Gore, The Harvard Review