Book Review: Brazos by Justin Carter

By: Emily Barnard

Brazos is the first book written by former Cream City Review contributor Justin Carter. This poetry collection primarily focuses on Carter’s upbringing and childhood in a small Texas town. The poems within Brazos have themes within them that many, whether they’ve grown up in a small town or large city, can relate to. Themes of belonging, growing up, and desire for change are all found within Carter’s thought-provoking poems that ring true for many Americans’ lives. 

One poem in Brazos, “Self-Portrait Without Adornment,” details how Carter views his hometown after spending many years away. Like many, Carter left his hometown as an adult to discover what else was out there. In this poem, Carter reflects on the behaviors and mannerisms of the people he used to call neighbors. An excerpt from the poem that portrays this feeling of displacement reads: 

“I visit / for holidays & leave again, / a tourist in a world of familiarity. / Self-portrait as endless train. / Years ago, an electronic billboard / advertised the fireplace store / & the boat repair shop. But one morning, / I looked up and saw Barack Obama’s face / behind prison bars. I knew, then, / I needed to escape.” 

There were many factors that made Carter feel alienated from his community, and the imagery that he uses to display these complex feelings is phenomenal. These differing opinions and values in life were the deciding factor for him to leave his hometown behind and look to the future, to find a place where he can truly feel a sense of belonging. Without feeling connected to your community, it can be very hard to live a fulfilling life, which Carter portrays beautifully in this poem. 

Even though Carter emphasizes how important it was for him to leave his hometown behind, he does not gloss over the challenges and hardships that came with renouncing everything that he knew. Carter displays some of these melancholic feelings in this excerpt from “Self-Portrait Without Adornment”: 

“I’m 32 & know I’ve seen my parents / more in the past than I will / in the future.” 

Though Carter reflects on his hometown with a feeling of sorrow, there are some bittersweet aspects of his childhood that he looks upon with fondness, as seen in the poem “Some Things I Miss”: 

“Every bar called a beer joint & my uncle in a cowboy hat crooning George / Jones songs on Friday nights, the drift of cigarette smoke, the small / impact of pool cues. Straining my eyes in the midnight fog for a lone / doe beside the road, ready to swerve away.” 

The way Carter incorporates senses in this poem, such as hearing his uncle sing, and smelling cigarette smoke, helps readers imagine what life was like for him in this town. Though Carter knew that he had to leave his hometown to move forward with his life, he still holds fond memories of living there. Sometimes the smallest moments can be the most meaningful, and Carter illuminates this nostalgic feeling exquisitely.  

The poems in Justin Carter’s book Brazos display a sense of humanity that encourages reflection upon one’s own life. Growing up, moving away, and discovering who you are, are all aspects of life, even if hard, that everyone must go through. And even though it is important to move forward in this way, we should hold and treasure the memories that have shaped the people we have become. 

Bios:

Justin Carter: Justin Carter’s poems have appeared in The Adroit Journal, Bat City Review, DIAGRAM, and other spaces. Originally from the Texas Gulf Coast, Justin currently lives in Iowa and works as a sports writer and editor. Brazos is his debut collection.

Emily Barnard: Emily Barnard is an undergraduate student at UWM. She is majoring in English, currently on the Creative Writing track, and minoring in Film.