Deeper the Tropics

Broaddus’s enchanting, hallucinatory sophomore volume (after Temporal Anomalies) explores the fantasy of identity. One series of poems imagines the inner world of J. Robert Oppenheimer through a funhouse mirror, while another—titled “African Mask” after the work of photographer Phyllis Galembo—imagines a series of increasingly ominous false faces. While identity is seemingly a construct, Broaddus also demonstrates how difficult it is to shed when the state enforces penalties for doing so. He references Nigerian poet Christopher Okigbo, who died fighting for Biafran independence, in a poem about police violence that begins, “Another black man is/ dead. My country is authorized).” Elsewhere, Broaddus combines surreal and apocalyptic imagery with playful rhyme to charming effect: “Deepsea lobsters, suddenly beached,/ explode. Is there no place in creation for the haphazard/ crustacean?” A comically bizarre poem titled “What to Do If You Are Stuck in an Elevator” answers its own question and perfectly epitomizes the poet’s tone in the first line: “You will need a goat.” This skillful collection will resonate with those attuned to late-stage capitalism’s many absurdities. (Oct.)