Teahouse of the Almighty

COVER & BOOK DESIGN Linda S. Koutsky

COVER ARTWORK © Maurice Evans (mauriceevansart.com)

AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH © Peter Dressel (peterdressel.com)

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Smith, Patricia

Teahouse of the almighty : poems / by Patricia Smith.

p. cm.

ISBN: 978-1-56689-366-4

1. African Americans—Poetry. 1. Title.

PS3569.M537839T43 2006

378. 1'06—DC22

2006011899

FIRST EDITION | FIRST PRINTING

1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the editors of the following publications where these poems first appeared: Spirit and Flame: An Anthology of Contemporary African-American Poetry: “Building Nicole’s Mama,” Asheville Poetry Review: “Map Rappin’,” Underwood Review: “Forgotten in All This,” Willow Review: “Teahouse of the Almighty,” Callaloo: “Her Other Name.”

Special thanks to Edward Sanders, and to the benefactors and supporters of the National Poetry Series; to Luis Rodriguez, Michael Warr, and Marc Smith for an invaluable birth; to Stephen Dobyns and Tom Lux for the friendship, support, and unflinching guidance; to the national poetry slam community and the staff and students of Cave Canem, and to Kwame Dawes, the perfect “go-to guy.”