Erika Abbott

Porgy's Revenge Erika Abbott

As a child, poet Erika Abbott recognized the struggles of disabled kids at her school. She therefore became an advocate, the ringleader of the disabled posse, but as she grew, she realized people are not always just physically disabled-many of us hide emotional, spiritual, and psychological disabilities, as well.

Porgy's Revenge is a collection of Abbott's sometimes dark, sometimes funny poems that strike at the imagination as well as modern day politics. She blends literary references with show tunes and urban landscapes. The reader is called to see the colorful world-and the miracle of life-with fresh eyes.

Abbott is more than a winder of words; she is a storyteller. She bites back against "Ugly Laws" that would persecute the diseased, maimed, or mutilated. She recalls the magic of music in poems like "Pippin" and "War." Her imagery haunts, as does her message-one that readers will not soon forget, even once the collection is closed.