Meredith Coleman McGee’s writings challenge our democracy. One of the new poems in this edition “What of Life if Liberty is a Joke? hits multiple tiers of social justice issues. She condemns debtor’s prisons, unjustifiable police murders, community violence, and the conditions of poverty.

The line “Why is a patent so high?” reminds us that everyone doesn’t have equal access to opportunities.

She speaks with common wit. A line from one of her speeches declared, “Don’t let anybody fool you, it’s cool to be smart. Smart people get the good jobs…”

Another speech challenged the policies in her local library system. The article section reveals some of the happening in her hometown of Jackson, MS. Plus, there are several informative articles on her uncle, James Meredith, a college integration pioneer, in Chapter 4 “Something Written.”

McGee has something to say. She throws hard balls. This book is a good read.

Frances Mays