Unmuted: A Poetry Collection of Healing, Identity, and Reclamation – Book Review
Today, we are talking about Unmuted: A Poetry Collection of Healing, Identity, and Reclamation. As many of you already know, I am a huge fan of poetry, so I was very excited to get a review copy of this one to enjoy.
From the very beginning, the book says, “This book is a long overdue love letter to myself” and I was hooked. I knew I was going to love what I found inside, and it definitely met my expectations, and beyond.
Unmuted by David Andrew Tittle is not a book that respectfully begs for your attention; rather, it makes a claim in a voice that has been honed by life, tempered by introspection, and fortified by perseverance. Intimate and unafraid, this collection of poems transports readers to a world where truth is boldly expressed in rhyme and silence is no longer accepted.
The book begins with a table of contents that lists the different sections of the book and each poem as a new chapter. As some of my regulars will know, I’m a big fan of this. I love section and chapter titles that give us little hints into what will be covered in each section. And I also love it because it allows you to go back and find a specific poem or section easily in the future.
Sections include titles like “Blueprints and Barriers”, “Borders, Burdens, and Belonging”, and “Masks and Mirrors”. I also really loved that the book begins with a forward by the author’s sister, Lisa Tittle Caballero. In it, she also includes a poem that I very much enjoyed. I love the little inner peek it gives us into their lives, their connection, and the backstory of this poetry.
Tittle establishes the tone right away in the opening poem: these are living examples of memory, identity, and resistance rather than merely words put together for aesthetic purposes. Every line has weight; at times it is bright with love, and at other times it is heavy with grief. While some pieces remind us that vulnerability itself can be an act of power, others feel more like subdued offerings of consolation. Still others attack injustice with a sharp clarity.
The author’s opening lines in the preface state, “I have always had a complicated affair with words.” And I feel this is such a perfect way to start a collection of poetry such as this. Sometimes the words are the poison, and other times they are the antidote. We get it all here in this book.
The balance of Unmuted is what makes it so captivating. It doesn’t try to neatly wrap everything in bows of resolution, nor does it merely dwell in pain. Rather, it oscillates between harshness and tenderness, protest and recovery – replicating life itself with its words. The book’s beat reflects the beat of life, where angry outbursts and reflective periods coexist, and the process of becoming oneself is a constant.
This collection is like holding a map and a mirror in your hands. The poems occasionally mirror our own hardships and yearnings for acceptance. At other times, they draw routes through quiet, indicating resilience and reclamation. You will leave this book changes, regardless of whether you came for solace, challenge, or just a greater understanding.
Poetry from Unmuted is not something you read once and put away. It echoes, it lingers, and it begs you to come back. You’re definitely going to want to re-read; I have done this already with many of them. Tittle has provided us with a body of work that transcends historical and cultural barriers, reminding us of what it means to fight, to live, and, in the end, to assert one’s own space.
It’s an easy FIVE STARS from me!
This book is a must-read for anyone who thinks that words have the ability to heal, awaken, and demand justice. Available on Amazon in paperback, hardcover, Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited.
One line summary: Unmuted lingers long after the last page – both a mirror and a map for anyone reclaiming their voice.