Poetry: Ordinary Hazards

Ordinary Hazards

by Nikki Grimes

Grimes, Nikki. Ordinary Hazards: a Memoir. Honesdale, PA: WordSong, an imprint of Highlights 2019. 9781629798813

Summary

Ordinary Hazards is a memoir written by Nikki Grimes about the first sixteen years of her life. The book is broken up into four "books": the first from 1950-1955, the second from 1955-1960, the third from 1960-1963, and the fourth from 1963-1966. Using poetry, which she discovered at the age of six, she details her mother's paranoid schizophrenia, her life in foster care with and without her sister Carol by her side, her relationship with her other family members, and other "ordinary hazards" that she experienced. Some of the poems are memories from her notebooks that she wrote as a child, which were tragically destroyed by her mother. Others are originals that she coined to tell her tale. The book includes several pictures from this time period and an author's note that explains that memory can be a tricky thing, and due to the trauma that she experienced, Nikki's memory contains gaps. Without the notebooks that she wrote as a child, she relied on stories from other people from her life, including her sister Carol. 

Analysis

Ordinary Hazards is the raw and emotional memoir of Nikki Grimes' early life. Of the poetic elements, the emotional impact is the greatest. Readers who are drawn to tragedy will not be disappointed as Grimes delivers highs and lows with a true poet's lyricism. Some events in this memoir may be uncomfortably close to home for some and those who do not share these experiences will have a better understanding about the effect that these events might have. She uses familiar words that are easy to understand, and when coupled with the direction of the white space with each poem, readers will find this book to be a fast read that is difficult to put down. Because the poems are arranged chronologically, they feel more immersive. Grimes has invited readers into life her life, looking through her eyes and feeling her feelings. It's deeply personal and readers will finish the book feeling connected to her, and to others who may have experienced similar events. Each poem reflects the age about which it was written, from a small child's perspective to a teenagers rebellious spirit. in the middle of her tragedies, Grimes shares moments of compassion, kindness, and hope that inspire others to remain strong in the face of their own adversities. Her story will stick like glue and leave readers feeling heart-broken and yet uplifted at each of her triumphs.

Excerpt

RECORD KEEPING

My spiral notebook bulges

with poems and prayers

and questions only God

can answer.

Rage burns the pages,

but better them

than me.

Connections

After finishing this memoir, students should try to write their own poem based off of a major event in their lives. This event could be a happy or sad one, but should be about something impactful. Using poetry as an outlet like Grimes has done in this memoir can help students to explore their own feelings about their experiences and express themselves in a new way. Using refrigerator magnets to piece together the basic words of their experiences might be a fun exercise as well. After assembling the main points using the magnets, students can fill in the rest of the poem with their own words.

Reviews

One writer from Horn Book Magazine wrote, "Striking free-verse poems powerfully limn a childhood marked by trauma, loss, and abuse. Throughout, Grimes reveals how a passion for writing fueled her will to survive and allowed her to embrace her own resilience. A moving and searingly honest memoir."

“Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir.” 2020. Horn Book Magazine 96 (1): 18. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=141023453&site=ehost-live.

Sierra Dickey, with the School Library Journal, wrote, " In long poems, short poems, and the occasional prose poem, Grimes guides us through her past tragedies and triumphs while keenly observed moments build her inner world... This nontraditional memoir from a long-working and highly acclaimed author will speak deeply to young readers harboring their own interest in writing or otherwise squeezing art out of life's spiky fruit."

Dickey, Sierra. 2019. “Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir.” School Library Journal 65 (9): 101–4. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=138876624&site=ehost-live.