Rusty Gallows
Now Available!
Vagabond is proud to present, Rusty Gallows, by Dee Allen.
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.
Available Nationally on February 1, 2022
“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, San Francisco Examiner
Dee Allen’s “Rusty Gallows: Passage 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, edits Poems from the Heron Clan [ Magazine ]
"Being Black shouldn't be a death sentence." Dee Allen.
“Dee Allen. is a fiery voice thundering against oppression in his latest book Rusty Gallows. The poet bears witness to the ongoing pandemic, racism, and fascism with powerful poems of solidarity. Each poem reaches straight for the heart, illuminating injustices both past and present, daring the reader to join him in the struggle for a better world. Allen. lyrically declares, “This disease won’t stop us from showing love,” and indeed, the poet’s love for humanity shines upon every page.”
~ D.L. Lang
Vallejo (CA) Poet Laureate (2017-2019)
“Dee Allen. brings a ripe, necessary fruit of literature in a time of doubt and hopelessness with his sixth collection, Rusty Gallows. A growth spurt in this Oakland bard's attention to his now and ancestral history is captured throughout this collection. There's terror, truth, and history wrapped up in a pandemic. Lockdown with this book, you won't regret it.”
~ Edward Vidaurre, author of Pandemia & other poems,
and publisher of FlowerSong Press
