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NC poet’s new poetry collection feels like an inheritance.
New books arrive all the time—but few feel like an inheritance. Enter The Book of Alice, in which NC poet Diamond Forde transforms her grandmother’s legacy into a formally inventive poetry collection rooted in lineage, faith and perseverance.
Through poems shaped by the structure and language of the King James Bible, the recently released relic traces the life of Alice—a Black woman born in the Jim Crow South.
For Forde, that structure is deeply personal: Her grandmother’s Bible is one of the only inheritances she has to remember her by—and she still holds it close. Writing within that framework became a way to stay connected. “I am trying to enter into the only poetry that my grandmother knew and understood and loved.”
The collection also reexamines familiar biblical stories through overlooked perspectives. “I’m playing with the same stories many of us who have grown up with church-related experiences know, but trying to look at them in a new way to try to excavate the women that I think have been lost in the process of canonization,” Forde explains.
Beyond its biblical backbone, The Book of Alice also draws from everyday archives—recipes, census records and footnotes—to build a fuller picture of Black life. “Recipes are a fantastic way of looking into someone’s history, both personal and familial,” says the award-winning author. “I think recipes are a beautiful testament to life.”
Though rooted in her own family, the collection has resonated far beyond it, with readers finding pieces of themselves in the book, says Forde.
At just 96 pages, The Book of Alice is intentionally approachable, even for readers who may feel intimidated by poetry. “Poetry can ask you to take a leap with me,” emphasizes Forde. “Sometimes that leap will feel daunting if you don’t feel like you’re on solid ground.” She hopes the book offers that footing—giving readers a sense of trust and a meaningful peek into the past.
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