As I move through reading There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce by Morgan Parker I find myself questioning where these poems are taking me and what their true intentions are. Parker touches on the topics of race, sex, beauty, and violence so far. Not only what it means to be a woman, but to be a black woman and how the topics of sex, beauty, and violence intersect with this. With this I particularly think of the first poem in the collection, “ALL THEY WANT IS MY MONEY MY PUSSY MY BLOOD”. She writes,
I could die any minute of depression.
I just want to have sex most of the time.
I just want my student loans to disappear.
I just want to understand my savings account.
What is happening to my five dollar one cent.
I am free with the following conditions.
The way that Parker is able to articulate these issues without outwardly expressing them is beautiful in a way. By doing this there is still exposure to them, but there is also a silent understanding between the people who have experienced these issues or situations where certain things do not have to be said or explained. She is speaking of the black experience as though it is something that is not meant for people to outwardly explain or to be understood which I am very much enjoying and thinking about incorporating into my own pieces as well. While I am reading I do have to say that there are pieces that I am confused about and drawn to look deeper upon such as the poems primarily about Beyonce. I question why Parker is making these associations and what is the true underlying meaning upon doing so. Here is a quote from “Beyonce on the Line for Gaga”,
I open my legs, throw my shades on like,
Divas gettin money. Hard as the boys.
Give me all
your little monsters and I will burn them up.
Give me your hand
and I will let you back this up.
Tonight I make a name for you.
As I continue to read further I hope that I can understand the meaning behind these particular poems.
As I begin to take on my own project I look towards Parker’s work as a guide. It has brought new ideas to the forefront of my own project and how I want to present it. The way that she is able to say a lot without saying too much and also the language that she uses, which some may call informal at times. I admire how she owns her work through her words and the way that she is unapologetic for this which I hope I can do the same for my work as well.
Poems I have read: “All THEY WANT IS MY MONEY MY PUSSY MY BLOOD”, “The President Has Never Said The Word Black”, “Hottentot Venus”, “Another Another Autumn in New York”, “Poem on Beyonce’s Birthday”, “Lush Life”, “Beyonce on the Line for Gaga”, “We Don’t Know When We Were Opened (Or, The Origin of the Universe)”, “My Vinyl Weighs a Ton”, “Beyonce Is Sorry for What She Won’t Feel”, “Afro”, “These Are Dangerous Times”, “Rebirth of Slick”, “RoboBeyonce”, “Delicate and Jumpy”