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Dr. Robert J. Woodbine grew up in Harlem and the South Bronx amid the social and economic upheaval of the 1960s. As a member of Sonia Sanchez's year-long Black Writers Worskhop at the Contee Cullen Library in Harlem in 1970, he was published in her anthology, 360 Degrees of Blackness Coming at You. He is an active member of the Harlem Writers Guild. His poem, jitter the bug (for Mr. Calloway), will be published in the Killens Review of Arts & Letters, Spring 2024 issue.
Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite
Canela con Miel y Clavos: Cinnamon with Honey and Nails is an introspective anthology of poems, short stories, personal anecdotes, and an essay by Dr. Robert J. Woodbine. Born in Queens, New York, to two Caribbean immigrants, Robert was still a child when he was sent to live with his grandmother and aunt in Colon, Panama. In this moving collection, the author pens some mesmerizingly powerful verses that shed light on the bloody history of America, the subjugation of its Native American peoples at the hands of European colonizers, as well as the systematic discrimination faced by the members of the African American community. Woodbine highlights these topics while sharing his own personal story of growing up in Harlem, the Bronx, and Roxbury during the rise of the Black Power and Arts Movements in the 60s and 70s.
Powerfully provocative and emotionally resonant, Canela con Miel y Clavos: Cinnamon with Honey and Nails is an enthralling collection of poems, autobiographical memoirs, and flash fiction stories that leave their imprint in your mind long after you've finished reading the book. Dr. Robert J. Woodbine has a way with words, and he uses them to speak to your soul through poetic storytelling that plucks at your heartstrings and makes you contemplate your own place on this planet. Dr. Woodbine's emphasis on touching upon some vital social issues, such as racism and classism, is even more relevant with the recent rise of fascist ideologies all over the world and the ever-increasing wealth gap between the top 1% and the rest. Woodbine's poems, personal chronicles, and stories tell a tale of hope amid adversity and tyranny. Highly recommended.
