We (the People of the United States)

Praise for Bennett's most recent book, Spoken Word:
“Bennett renders this lush history in lively, captivating prose, smoothly transporting us back to the city blocks, bars, cafes and stages these artists traversed and inhabited . . . What makes this book shine with a refreshing dynamism is that this history is also [Bennett’s] own.” —Tas Tobey, New York Times

“[A] rich hybrid of memoir and history [that] surveys the institutions that have shaped spoken-word poetry for the past five decades.” —The New Yorker

“While competing with his collegiate slam team at the University of Pennsylvania, Bennett absorbed a powerful lesson from a mentor. He learned that performance poetry could be interpreted as an ‘insistence on his own survival.’ That’s a ringing endorsement for this art form, and this book.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Joshua Bennett, one of the genre's most exciting and knowledgeable writers, provides a wide-ranging cultural history of this form in his new book Spoken Word (Knopf). It's a story that takes him from the Obama White House to Broadway to street corners and cafés across the country to hear the song of America.” —Ron Charles, CBS News 


Praise for Bennett's prevoius collection, The Study of Human Life:

“A tender celebration of vulnerability and the strength that blooms quietly in its presence.” —The Atlantic, “Ten Poetry Collections to Read Again and Again”

“With a singularly expansive and compassionate view of history, Bennett sweeps across generations of joy, suffering, and connection.” —Lit Hub