Customer Reviews

To Repel Ghosts: The Remix

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I was already a fan of Kevin Young's more recent books when I picked up "To Repel Ghosts" at a used bookstore. I also happened to be familiar with the story of arts world phenom Jean-Michel Basquiat as well. But still, I was surprised by the depth, complexity and surprises found in this book.

The scope of "To Repel Ghosts" is enormous. Kevin Young trains his keen eyes on not only Basquiat -- the life he lived, the people who knew him, what drove him and his art -- but on Basquiat's own obsessions: the people, objects and themes which populated his art. Young tells the story of Basquiat's life, yes, but it ways that surprise and reinvent themselves in all its 350+ pages, a true testament to Young's command and ambition.

For instance, Young lifts phrases from Basquiat paintings (which Basquiat himself sometimes lifted off of other people) to use in this poems, so in doing so creates hybrids of Young and Basquiat's poetics. Young also quotes (in poetry and as stand alones) other people's views of Basquiat, both positive and negative, allowing us breathers from Basquiat's wild thoughts as well as insights into the journey Basquiat was on. Young also responds directly to Basquiat's art work, writing numerous poems responding to one painting each. And this is just a few examples of styles and approaches which Young utilized in creating this book. And the stunning end product is a dense hybrid-world, where you are constantly zooming inside and outside of Basquiat's mind and his art. You become obsessed with Basquiat's obsessions, and yet are kept soberly aware of Basquiat's harrowing future, the choices he is making (or not making) which will lead to his early demise.

This wouldn't necessarily be the first book I'd recommend as your first Young's poetry, or poetry in general (especially if you aren't already familar with Basquiat's story). Young's more recent books (especially "Dear Darkness") are a lot more accessible and reader-friendly to those people making their first foray into poetry.

But I strongly recommend this book if you are a Young and/or Basquiat fan, or if you are a fan of poetry and want to see it taken to a whole other level. Hugely inspiring and sprung from an obvious deep well of passion, I am so happy that "To Repel Ghosts" has found a home in my library.