Courtney Faye Taylor’s First Book, Concentrate, Starts a Pivotal Conversation

Soror Courtney Faye Taylor’s first book, Concentrate, considers the life of Latasha Harlins—a fifteen-year-old Black girl killed by Korean-American grocer, Soon Ja Du, in 1991. Her murder, along with Rodney King’s beating, served as a catalyst for the 1992 L.A. Uprising. Through poems, photography, visual collages, dialogues and micro essays, Concentrate explores tension between Black and Korean-American communities, specifically how white supremacy is the inventor and instigator of that tension.

Concentrate reflects on the precariousness of Black girlhood and womanhood. As socially-engaged Deltas, we’re always contending with the intersection of our race and gender—considering how to show up in the world, how to make our voices heard, and how to live unapologetically. Concentrate unveils this reality, speaking to the hardship and celebrations of Black identity. The book also deals with racial injustice and solidarity between communities of color—topics that Delta Sigma Theta engages with and uplifts through service and scholarship.

Likewise, this book is a pivotal conversation starter and a great option for Delta book club discussions.

Soror Taylor’s book is the winner of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize, an award for emerging Black poets. This award was given to two U.S. Poet Laureates, Tracy K. Smith and Natasha Trethewey, at the beginning of their careers. Ms. Magazine listed Soror Taylor’s book as “one of the most exciting and necessary collections” forthcoming in 2022. She received her bachelors degree from Agnes Scott College and her MFA from the University of Michigan Helen Zell Writers’ Program where she was a recipient of the Hopwood Prize in Poetry.

You can preorder Concentrate now at https://courtneyfayetaylor.com/preorder.