Requiem for a Redbird
by Torli Bush
“Read This. It will make you proud.” — Nikki Giovanni
Requiem for a Redbird is a collection meant to take its readers through five distinct yet interwoven sections; it's a book, in Bush's own words, that is unapologetically both Appalachian and Black. Bush came to sort their work into poems whose main themes begin in Appalachia, end by reflecting on the country as a whole, and thread throughout the complexities of death, intimacy, politics, and faith.
According to the author, it is ultimately meant to be a work of joy and hope that points beyond itself: one that subverts the stereotypes of their home region, speaks truth to power, and seeks an open table of reconciliation. Appalachians of every background, minority communities, communities of faith, and anyone disillusioned with our country's political system can find something good, true, and beautiful in this book.
Torli Bush is a poet from Webster Springs, WV. They hold a Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University and a MFA in Creative Writing from West Virginia Wesleyan College. Torli is currently a poetry editor for Heartwood Literary Magazine and their work has appeared in K'in Literary Journal, Appalachian Lit, Callaloo, In the Shadow of the Mic: Three Decades of Slam Poetry in Pittsburgh, and Anthology of Appalachian Writers - Ann Pancake Volume XVI. A significant portion of their first collection Requiem for A Redbird, originally entitled American Psalms, was also named as a finalist in the 2023 Center for African American Poetry and Poetics Book Prize from the University of Pittsburgh.