Derrick Austin’s This Elegance exists at an intersection of time and mediums, functioning in both the written present and implied eternity. This collection opens a dialogue spanning centuries to emphasize the urgency of finding beauty in life by any means possible. When the comfort of human connection falls short in a world that feels increasingly disconnected, Austin alerts us to the pleasure of music, language, and even, uniquely, fashion. One of my favorite poems in this collection is Ode on Symone’s Do-rag, in which he writes “I am yards of blue satin.” Not only is this comparison almost eerily lovely, but it proves Austin’s lyrical mastery by reversing the mechanisms in the commonly used literary machine of personification.
The question this collection poses is: When the spaces you inhabit are filled with people who do not look or think like you, where do you find consolidation? Austin answers with a blue do-rag. A bowl of apples and peaches. A Björk album from the early 2000’s. He answers with the ocean.
Though I read this work with solemnity, I found that Austin’s pen is often double-edged, using humor to force contemplation. “We’re the only Black gay men in our building so he has me over for Sunday tea.” This line, cuttingly honest, elicited two reads for me, the first a laugh, then an awareness of the weight of this identity–- the loneliness that must accompany being one of two. Austin’s writing is unflinching in its own awareness.
But to be clear: this collection was not written for the purpose of being digestible. Every sentence seems to be an act of resistance. There are direct references to increasingly volatile current events that ground the reader in modern urgency. This is an exceptionally relevant read, and Austin does not hesitate in making that apparent.
Port City
“There’s a word in your language that once meant to be refreshed. Now it’s used in bathhouses to say I can top if you want.”
In summary, if you’re looking for an incredibly honest and lyrically masterful portrait of what it means to feel alone in a crowded room, look no further. This Elegance takes great care to notice the world around us through a multi-media lens of aesthetic awareness, pay tribute to the impact of Black artistry, and cut across time to create a conversation between reader, author, and artists that transcends modernity.
Hayes Keith is an undergraduate at the University of Rochester, where she is earning her bachelor’s degree in creative writing and has received awards for her writing. When she isn’t writing, she spends most of her time reading, trying new recipes, and taking care of a very demanding tabby cat named Star.
