Some Thoughts On the Novel Ours

The passage I copied here from Ours by Phillip B Williams creates a metaphor that compares a facial expression with an overcast sky. At least in my opinion, Ours is more of an extended prose poem than a plot or character-driven novel. This is not to say there is no plot or characters of note. Williams explains in an author's note:

There is no main character and therefore no side character. The story is one of freedom and slavery, and like stories of slavery, stories of freedom require the investigation of a range of figures as well as an understanding of how they all relate. The town itself is a character, and the evolution of the experiences and relationships are to be read as a unit.

Especially toward the end, Williams includes much material from African religious traditions. It should be noted that these are polytheistic religions -- not Islam or Christianity; as one character in Ousmane Sembene's picture Guelwaar notes: neither Jerusalem nor Mecca are in Africa.

Williams' novel reminds me of three other first novels, each written by a professional poet that explore the African American experience: 

1. The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr
2. The Love Songs of WEB DuBois by Honoree Fannone Jeffers
3. Hell of a Book by Jason Mott

I recommend all three.

I enjoyed Williams' novel for its lyrical deep dive into the African American experience, its well-constructed metaphors and sentences.

A final word. My journal is handmade and Stacy has others for sale on her Instagram @journal_as_you_wish