AUGUSTA SAVAGE The Shape of a Sculptor's Life

Acclaimed poet Marilyn Nelson narrates her own words in this biography-in-verse of the Black sculptor and teacher Augusta Savage. Born in Florida in 1892, Savage moved to New York City in 1921. There her sculpture commissions earned her praise and scholarships for further study in Europe. With slow, elongated diction and a flat cadence, Nelson conveys the dreamy wonder of the artist's inner world. While her deliberate-sounding narration is sometimes too careful to convey the authentic dialect and emotions of the artist and her community, the triumph of Savage's accomplishments is unmistakable in Nelson's voice. The afterword, narrated in a smooth journalistic tone by Grace Angela Henry, provides useful context for the poems. S.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2022]