Bright Dead Things

By Ada Limon,

Book cover of Bright Dead Things: Poems

Book description

Bright Dead Things examines the chaos that is life, the dangerous thrill of living in a world you know you have to leave one day, and the search to find something that is ultimately "disorderly, and marvelous, and ours." A book of bravado and introspection, of 21st century feminist swagger…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Bright Dead Things as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I love the gorgeous, lyrical language Limón uses to sort out loss, own her power, and the power of the “huge beating genius machine” of the heart.

Limón uses imagery so visceral I can touch it, and examines the light and dark of womanhood when she declares, “…the largeness of me, the hot/gore of my want and wants, wants to disarm/the fixedness of this”. I like that what she writes is understandable, but never easy. Limón currently serves as our nation’s Poet Laureate.  

Want books like Bright Dead Things?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Bright Dead Things.

Browse books like Bright Dead Things

Book cover of Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs
Book cover of The Woman Who Fell from the Sky: Poems
Book cover of Perfect Black

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,592

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in New York City, presidential biography, and New York State?

New York City 1,149 books
New York State 563 books