Overview

Things can be much more than things. Why do we love the things that we do? The old guitar, the champagne flutes, the miniature model car--and what happens when those objects change hands? In the buying and the selling of things, objects once loved but perhaps discarded or forgotten, we find a treasure trove of untold stories. . . stories of pain, joy, hope, dreams, disappointment. What new purposes might unfold when these objects move from old owners to new? What spiritual, unseen things happen in that ordinary human transaction? Can love be passed on through pre-owned possessions? New York Times bestselling author Nikki Grimes invites us to discover what her grandmother taught her--how there is value in the old and used, and how things are much more than things--they are stories of our humanity. Wise, thoughtful, and unsparingly candid, this unique and moving collection of stories-as-verse helps us on our journeys of letting go, rediscovering purpose, and experiencing redemption and renewal for the worn out and broken places in our hearts. Step in, look around, have a listen, and be twice blessed.

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Reviews

""Nikki Grimes' voice is distinct and unmistakable. Her imagery is alive with lyricism rare in modern poetry. Her language is innocent, fresh, and alluring as ""dimples deep as joy."" Her new poems in Twice Blessed are gentle paeans that ring clear as a church bell in autumn. The originality of turning yard sale items into poetry is genius. She magically transforms the mundane into the profound. From the bittersweet memories of parting with an old wedding dress at one yard sale to inquiring about a child's model car at another, we are with her every yard step of the way. From the Sellers who pine over their sales to the Buyer in ""Lots of Pots"" who goes ""out looking to replace everything I sold,"" every item, every sale becomes a treasure. Grimes own introduction says it best, ""You can almost hear them whisper, So come on in! Take a look around. Have a listen and maybe find a treasure of your own.""--Charles Ghigna, author of The Lost Book of Life: New & Selected Poems Praise for Nikki Grimes: ""Here are poems that come from within the soul. Nikki Grimes is not just a disciple and believer, she is the voice of the beloved. Her work points the reader in the direction of salvation."" --E. Ethelbert Miller, writer and literary activist, 2023 Spoken Word and Poetry Grammy Award Nominee ""As I read these poems, I could feel Grimes's gentle grace woven into every word. She reminds us that humanity brings us together to understand the healing power of faith, the pain of prejudice, the role of hope, and the importance of a gracious heart."" --Elly Swartz, award-winning author ""I can never again hear Gloria in excelsis Deo without it bringing into my mind Grimes's hopeful, uplifting and comforting collection of spiritual poems that stem from her deep roots in her Christian faith."" --Padma Venkatraman, Diverse Verse ""These poems honor the movements of the restless human heart and offer a place of repose, bringing us finally to the joyful Good News that we need to be constantly reminded of: 'The secret's out: / the kingdom of God is here, ' and we are in its midst."" --Angela Alaimo O'Donnell, poet, essayist, and professor at Fordham University ""Leave it to the sensationally gifted Nikki Grimes to weld her devotions into one glorious body of text. It's possible to feel these deeply rooted poems finding friends even as you read them."" --Naomi Shihab Nye, Young People's Poet Laureate, Poetry Foundation

Praise for Nikki Grimes: ""Here are poems that come from within the soul. Nikki Grimes is not just a disciple and believer, she is the voice of the beloved. Her work points the reader in the direction of salvation."" --E. Ethelbert Miller, writer and literary activist, 2023 Spoken Word and Poetry Grammy Award Nominee ""As I read these poems, I could feel Grimes's gentle grace woven into every word. She reminds us that humanity brings us together to understand the healing power of faith, the pain of prejudice, the role of hope, and the importance of a gracious heart."" --Elly Swartz, award-winning author ""I can never again hear Gloria in excelsis Deo without it bringing into my mind Grimes's hopeful, uplifting and comforting collection of spiritual poems that stem from her deep roots in her Christian faith."" --Padma Venkatraman, Diverse Verse ""These poems honor the movements of the restless human heart and offer a place of repose, bringing us finally to the joyful Good News that we need to be constantly reminded of: 'The secret's out: / the kingdom of God is here, ' and we are in its midst."" --Angela Alaimo O'Donnell, poet, essayist, and professor at Fordham University ""Leave it to the sensationally gifted Nikki Grimes to weld her devotions into one glorious body of text. It's possible to feel these deeply rooted poems finding friends even as you read them."" --Naomi Shihab Nye, Young People's Poet Laureate, Poetry Foundation

Author Information

New York Times bestselling author Nikki Grimes was inducted into the Black Authors Hall of Fame in 2023. Her honors include the CSK Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the ALAN Award for significant contributions to young adult literature, the Children's Literature Legacy Medal, and the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Author of the Coretta Scott King Award-Winner Bronx Masquerade, and five Coretta Scott King Author Honors, Nikki won the Printz Honor and Sibert Honor for her memoir Ordinary Hazards. Grimes has been featured in the pages of IMAGE Journal of Arts and Religion, World, Today's Christian Woman, Poetry Magazine, Hunger Mountain, and on the Academy of American Poets series, ""Poem a Day,"" among others. Ms. Grimes lives in Corona, California.

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