Rusty Gallows (Passages Against Hate)

There's an old iron bridge in the town of Shubuta, Mississippi that's more than just a bridge for cars and trucks to cross. It's a scene of past hate crimes--and it still stands today as a symbol of hate, albeit in a corroded, crumbling state. Oakland performance poet Dee Allen guides us through racism, White supremacy and the unforeseen Coronavirus Pandemic that simultaneously brought people apart and together in his sixth volume of poetry--and his first for Vagabond--RUSTY GALLOWS.

With RUSTY GALLOWS: PASSAGES AGAINST HATE, Dee Allen. continues his work as an alert witness to our times. Rooted in a common history and collective grievous past, Allen evokes the radical Dr. King and fuses the dream to contemporary headlines while offering an appreciation for every waking day. An alive, time transcendent collection for anyone seeking truth and a world where people prevail over profit, where racism and war are not the answer, and a room of one's own is a human right instead of a luxury, Allen's words point the direction home.--Denise Sullivan

Dee Allen's RUSTY GALLOWS: PASSAGES AGAINST HATE is a history-filled primer for how to live in a post-white supremacist world. His masterful flow of words etch deep grooves of oppression, genocide, lynchings, but also humor and inclusiveness. It's a multi-cultural examination of the horrors of white-on-top, including lynchings of Italians, scenes from the Native American genocide, and murders in churches, mosques and synagogues. Yet, he implores us to come together with song lyrics that are suitable for the next set of rallies. This voice is vital in a time of widening polarity. RUSTY GALLOWS cries for a multi-cultural community of solutions. It will be re-read for its important lessons.--Doug Stuber

Poetry. African & African American Studies.