Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York by Frank X Walker

I've been mildly interested (mildly because most history doesn't interest me much) in York since college, so I was excited to find this volume of poems written by an Affrilacian poet, Frank X Walker. Walker posits that York, in actions if not in words, was the true first Affrilacian Poet. I think this is a very broad artistic claim that only an academic would make, but I was willing to put up with it because the nature of the book intrigued me.

Under his premise, Walker has taken the vast accounts and histories of the Lewis & Clark (& Sacagawea & York) expedition and written poetry about the experiences from the point of view of York.

My main problem with the poems is that the themes are too obvious. The similes and metaphors aren't very sophisticated. On the one hand, this makes them more accessible to a broader audience. On the other hand, you don't have to put a lot of thought into the meanings of each poem, so reading them feels almost too…leisurely.

I do think Walker did an excellent job evoking the tone of the period and what the voice of a slave with York's background may have been like through the inclusion of an accent and straightforward, bold words. The words really set the tone time-wise, place-wise, and activity-wise…these are explorers!

And one theme throughout several of the poems that I find interesting is the propensity for identifying with the "other other," as "York" talks about his interactions with Native Americans from various tribes. His bond to Sacagawea, too seems interesting, especially as it almost seems to bridge the gender gap (in the poetry).

Interesting, but perhaps not the most compelling read.

~6/10~