You reeked of sultry confidence

Shah, Tupac Aman. 1999. The Rose that Grew from Concrete. New York: Pocket Books.
0671028448. $21.95. Trade Cloth.

Annotation:
When he was 19, musician and actor Tupac Shakur (Tupac Aman Shah), was part of a weekly writing circle at his manager’s house. For this group, he created poetry about his life of overcoming obstacles, loves (many!), and views on injustice in the world. Tupac’s manager kept his hand-written poems and published them as The Rose That Grew from Concrete.

Awards:
2001 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
2004 YALSA Outstanding Books for the College Bound

Poetry is a good outlet for young adults to creatively express all of the emotions and new ideas that they are experiencing. In Exploding the Myths: The Truth about Teenagers and Reading Marc Aronson wrote that, “The popularity of rap music has made adolescents very conscious of the power of words, rhythm, and rhyme” (p.60). To have a book of poetry written by a famous rap star, when he was a young adult himself, could be a source of inspiration for aspiring young poets. Tupac’s poems have many themes that teenagers can relate to: the passion and heartbreak associated with new relationships, developing interests in social issues, and struggling to make something of yourself. Seeing the poems written in Tupac’s own handwriting, with scribbles and doodles, make them seem more accessible, like you’re reading a friend’s notebook. The Rose That Grew from Concrete is for fans of Tupac and rap music, and also for people who like poetry, especially poetry written by urban youth. The book also appeals as a tragedy because of Tupac’s untimely and horrible death. His last poem in the book, which forecasts an early end to his life, leaves the reader with the sad realization that Tupac, whose emotions, dreams and ambitions we’ve just been immersed in, is lost to us.

The Rose That Grew from Concrete should be included in a young adult collection because Tupac’s poems describe the young adult experience. His status as a modern cultural icon might make some teens feel that they can relate better to poetry. His style of language will appeal to teenagers who already like poetry.

The post title is a line from the poem 4 Irene (p.51).

Image from the Novelist Plus database.