Taking Off My Black & White Saddle Shoes: Cleveland Poems (PB) (2024)

Set mainly across the backdrop of Cleveland, Ohio, this debut poetry collection is a memoir-in-verse which spans Marlana-Patrice Pugh Hamer's life from her birth to the present. Through authentic, vivid storytelling, she voices the dual challenges of growing up being Black and a Woman. Confronting that intersectionality, she bravely tackles several compelling topics including misogynoir, marriage, miscarriage, and menopause. Uplifting, amusing, and poignant, this collection reminds readers that we all must keep walking, often redefining ourselves. Embracing our bare feet should be part of our journeys.