Blackberries, Blackberries by Crystal Wilkinson

This is a collection of short stories about black country women in Kentucky. Many of them are told in first person. They are almost lyrical, although the experiences described by the narrators are very down to earth. I was not at all surprised to learn in the end notes that the writer is part of a group of performing poets.

To my ear, the language seems generations old, but the events and contexts make it clear that they are present day stories. Perhaps where I grew up language had shifted more than in the hills of Kentucky - or perhaps I simply was never exposed to black culture. For whatever reason, these stories have a rhythm and flow that I have seldom encountered and compelling imagery.

It is possible, I suppose, that it would be a very difficult style to sustain for the length of a novel, but it would be interesting to see what she could do with it.