Thank you to Button Poetry & NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available. 

In his second poetry collection, Rudy Francisco is exuberant and boundless with his play of form and word building. Not satisfied with the English lexicon, Francisco's "I'll Fly Away" is staged by a series of invented words which he then strives to define and put into context. It's a delightfully creative thesaurus to browse through with deep ponderings on life in America as a black father, a poet, and a teacher. There's something just uplifting about Francisco's poetry, its effusive & direct approach, its hope. Much like a hot air balloon, this collection will blow you away. 

Memorable lines: 

"I fumble through/the only language I know/and find everything/but an answer"
"I want to laugh so loud/my demons pack their belongings and decide to move."
"loneliness is a rumor your thoughts are spreading about your bones"
"I tell myself that every hour is happy hour, as long as I am on this side of the ground."

I. LOVED. THIS. 
I don’t want to spoil the concept since it was so creative, but if you like poetry at all, you need to read this! I love how deep these poems are about love, parenting, race, and self-worth. 

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an intriguing beautiful piece of art. Taking made up words, giving them definitions and creating heart breaking sentences to perfectly describe what the words would mean. This book of poetry moved me, broke my heart, and just brought to light so many changes and things in this world. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This writer never does disappointing and reading this book is certainly proof of this as Rudy Francisco returns with a new wonderful collection of poetry. Told in his own voice throughout every poem, this collection couldn’t be formed by anyone else and it makes for a collection of poems that will make you mad, sad but also put a smile on your face – these poems flow right together and it makes for a read that will take you to every emotion you have. 

The words the writer creates break up this collection of poems that connect back to the word and it works so effectively as they draw you in. No matter how short these poems are there’s something to take away from them as Francisco delivers lines that are just perfectly pitched – poems such as ‘Here I Am Today’are short but sweet with that last line that hits you with incredible feeling. How each poem is delivered throughout leaves you hoping for an audio version. 

 A collection of poems that covers a spectrum of things and all delivered perfectly, Rudy Francisco returns with a collection that gives until the very end of the book. ‘I Hope The Camera Gods Bless You With A Steady Hand’ is such a light and bright slice of joy here, then you have the impact of ‘When They Say He Is Black’ which is just a striking slice of poetry that sticks to you from the moment you read it. This collection is a perfect balance. 

Button Poetry has published so many great poets, and Rudy Francisco is certainly another of them, another stunning collection from beginning to end.

<i> My parents
were in a long distance 
relationship for over 30 years,
and they lived in the same house.

I learned you can
be right next to someone but 
also 1,000 miles away from
them without asking geography
its opinion.

Often, the space between 2 people
can be measured by the number
of the times they look at each other

and feel nothing. </i>


Rudy Francisco is easily my favorite modern poet. His poems always touch something inside my soul. Always make me emotional. I don't know how he does it, but he does it. 
Helium is one of my favorite modern poetry books. I loved this too, but not as much.

I'll Fly Away by Rudy Francisco is a stunning collection of poetry covering important themes such as marriage, love, fatherhood, racism, discrimination and more. There is a magnificence to Rudy's writing, which is raw, refreshing, emotive and sometimes hard-hitting. I've only just come across Rudy Francisco, and he is now one of my favourite poets. I'll Fly Away is probably the best poetry collection I've read in a long time. Thanks to NetGalley and Button Poetry for this advanced reader copy.

Unfortunately this just wasn't for me.  I struggled to connect with the style and couldn't connect emotionally either.  I'm sure this will be perfect for someone, it just wasn't right for me.

I’d heard Francisco’s spoken word poetry, but I’d never read one of his collections before. So I was excited to receive an ARC of I’ll Fly Away from @netgalley. 

Honestly, I loved this collection. Francisco’s poems are funny and honest and lyrical and sad all in one verse. I especially loved the central idea that shapes the collection: inventing new words for specific feelings or actions. I loved how these invented words set the mood of the following poem.

Seriously, you need to get a copy of I’ll Fly Away. It’s one of the best poetry collections you’ll read this year.

*Thank you to NetGalley, who sent me an ARC in exchange for an honest review* I’d heard Francisco’s spoken word poetry, but I’d never read one of his collections before. So I was excited to receive an ARC of I’ll Fly Away from @netgalley. 

Honestly, I loved this collection. Francisco’s poems are funny and honest and lyrical and sad all in one verse. I especially loved the central idea that shapes the collection: inventing new words for specific feelings or actions. I loved how these invented words set the mood of the following poem.

Seriously, you need to get a copy of I’ll Fly Away. It’s one of the best poetry collections you’ll read this year.

*Thank you to NetGalley, who sent me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

When. I saw a new collection of poems by Rudy I needed to request it right away. I love his last books and I always listen to him when he shows up when I'm scrolling Button Poetry facebook page. This set of poetry is stunning and I am so excited to get it in print. I could hear his voice throughout which really makes it more meaningful. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

Miranda Rights (Erasure) 
“You have the right to remain silent. you can be used against you in a court of law. You cannot afford an attorney,. It is the year 2036 and yes, J-Lo still looks amazing. Morgan Freeman still looks like...Morgan Freeman. Lil Wayne is 53. He still drinks lean and recently stated telling everyone that he invented hip hop. It is an election year. Beyoncé is Democratic Presidential Nominee, and her campaign slogan is “To the left to the left.” Conversation is officially a word; skurtskurt is also a word. On TV, there are commercials asking if you drank Four Loki in the 2010’s, because you might qualify for financial compensation. Popeyes just brought back the chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A responds by opening on Sundays and McDonald’s finally fixed the ice cream machine. Arby’s went out of business 10 years ago, and no one noticed. Candy corn is illegal, Milky Ways are also illegal, but you can still buy guns at Walmart. We had a mass shooting last week, and it wasn’t even on the news. We still write poems about racism. Most of the police force has been replaced by drones. Unarmed black people are still being killed, but now it’s being called a mechanical error.”

I’ll Fly Away by Rudy Francisco is a MUST-READ! I encourage you to find a copy as I know you’ll enjoy the work he has put into this most necessary collection of poems. His showcase of creativity in building words and concepts that do not exist in the English language is so thoughtful and real. After all, it got me to thinking: why should language be confined to boxes that do not exemplify all things especially: brilliance. I AM HERE FOR the alternate endings, also known as NOMORTICE, as well. This collection spoke to me and moved me on so many levels. Covering a variety of themes (some potentially triggering, others not) from mass shootings, social justice issues, politics, law and order, violence against women etc, each piece left me desirous for more. 

Easily one of my favorite collections of the year! Kudos.

Thank you to NetGalley and Button Poetry for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! 

Publication Date: 12/8/2020

I was introduced to Rudy Francisco (@rudyfrancisco) about 9 months ago from @ButtonPoetry through his book #Helium. I wasn’t blown away, but I’d pick it up again and give it a reread. Some of the angst, while witty, seemed a bit trite.

BUT, and I STRESS THIS IN ALL CAPS, Francisco’s I’ll Fly Away (#illflyaway) is one that takes me off the ground and keeps me soaring. The wit is sharper, punctuated, and convicting.

The concept is fun. He invents new words and gives them a definition. Then he fleshes the definition out in short poems. Sometimes he pulls (or erases) the words of lyricists to set him up, but he always is the one launching tone.

Dominated by first person poems, he acknowledges that he is one of many and may never see the end of this human experience migration, but he is a part of it. He writes:

“What I know is this / a runner doesn’t always cross the finish line, / but a baton can look like a microphone depending on how you hold it.

Francisco just notices things that are so simple, yet he makes the mundane so fresh in conversation with his reader. Such as:

“I’m rooting for you / because I know the sun is not stingy with its rays and has enough light to go around.” 

Or

“Have you ever noticed / how much water hates to argue? / How it molds itself into the shape of the pour,”

Not long ago, I read and gave a brief review of Ain’t Never Not Been Black (#aintnevernotbeenblack) by Javon Johnson (@javonism). I highly recommend it. Francisco's work hits me just as hard with lines reclaiming John Henry with an “alternate ending” compared to his powerful brother.

Rudy Francisco has wings to soar thousands of times beyond my review. Winner of poetry slams, a So Cal phenom performance poet, I highly recommend this text. I was carried away and read in a single sitting.

@netgalley #poetry #poems #poet #bookreview

In this stunning poetry collection, Rudy Francisco makes up his own words to express different things about his life and the world. He writes with so much honesty and raw emotion that you can't stop reading until you consume and absorb every single word. Every time he writes about something serious, he says it in a way that is so straightforward that it knows the air out of your chest.

When I ran into this collection on Netgalley, I was so excited to read this that I dropped everything I was reading and I dove in and didn't get out until I read the last word. It was such an impactful and stunning poetry collection, and I really recommend it. It's a short book but one with so much impact.

Thanks to Button Poetry for the DRC!!
I'm so glad I requested this book, because now I know so many new words I never heard before. 
Love all the poems!

By far one of my favorite poets of all time. He has a voice that speaks to my soul. I was so sad that this book had to end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

I found this to be such a well put together collection. It was so creative to use words of his own making to get across the depths of his poems, many of which struck a chord with me and had me thinking for a while after reading them. I can’t wait to see how Rudy’s poetry will continue to grow!

In I’ll Fly Away, Rudy Francisco builds. He builds a new vocabulary of words that don’t exist yet—words that do not yet exist but express the feelings/attitudes/actions that drive his world. Francisco builds room for joy and wonder while recognizing the pain all around him. Building poetry from lyrics, he uses the found poem form to reveal simple, but affecting truths about relationships, friendships and love. He builds a looking glass into a future: from humorous meditations on our celebrity worship to serious commentary on police brutality and climate change. 

There’s a lot happening in this collection, which I think works to its benefit. There’s something for everyone to learn and be moved by.

I said it with Helium and I'll say it again with Rudy's new book, I love his work. I've followed him for so long and LOVED his spoken word pieces. When I saw this on NetGalley, I freaked out.

Unsurprisingly, this was wonderful. I always think poetry is mostly subjective because we will all connect with it differently, but I do think Rudy Francisco is someone that everyone can enjoy. His writing has something for everyone, but more importantly, makes you feel that connection between his words and your own personal experiences. I also really loved the inclusion of words that don't exist in the English language but should. Honestly, if you're going to read any poetry this year... I highly recommend Rudy's work.

3.5/5

My memory is pretty bad; so i requested the book because i was sure i already read Helium, his previous book. Turns out, that wasn’t true at all. I haven’t read it, ha. Buuut, I can say for sure, it will be one of my next reads.

I’ll Fly Away is truly a well written poetry book. Some poems were #relatable and III was the most difficult part, the last one shows what family means for the author and for a lot of people. Besides, it talks about such important topics as racism, police brutality, gun violence, depression, etc. 

Drowing Fish probably is my favorite poem (the poem where I lie about everything, something I’m the mess, it is the year 2036, When they say he is black, Uwani, And the morning shows up, were also pretty good).



But also about resilience and happiness in the small things:

I want the kind of happiness
that you can smell in my clothes,
and a smile so big, you can still
see it when I’m walking
in the opposite direction.

I want to laugh so loud,
my demons pack their belongings
and decide to move.

So these days, I try to take
the most mundane things,
like waking up or doing laundry, 
and challenge myself
to carve a small celebration
into every single one. 



So, this is such a beautiful book. I highly recommend it.

📖 I’ll Fly Away 📖 Rudy Francisco 📖 5 ⭐️ 📖 ⁣
⁣
I was never really worried about a sophomore slump for Francisco’s second collection because I follow him on social media and really just have all the faith in his abilities. I was drawn to his work after hearing “My Honest Poem” (Please seek this out!) it spoke to me on many levels and his first collection, 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘶𝘮 did not disappoint. ⁣
⁣
He writes in a way that really elicits a reaction from his audience—a smile, a laugh a tear. He takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. He reminds us of the fragility of life, yet begs us not to forget the joy in life, too. I’m not going to pick favorites here, but I definitely do have a few standouts from the collection. I also loved his erasure poems and the words the don’t exist, but should play on form he does throughout the collection.⁣
⁣
Equal parts humorous and meditative, joyful and perceptive, this collection is able to send you up like the beautiful cover art, up, up, up, and able to touch the sky and see things from a new perspective. ⁣
⁣
Thank you @netgalley and @ButtonPoetry, and most of all thank you @RudyFrancisco for saying what I wish I could say with far more mastery and grace than I ever could. My heart is purple, too. ⁣
⁣
📖 #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksta #books #bookish #readwithme #booksofinsta #booksofig #instabooks #bookclub #poetry #buttonpoetry #RudyFrancisco #IllFlyAway #poems #honestreview #booksonbooksonbooks #bookshelf #bookchallenge #bookworm #booknerd #guysreadtoo 📖

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

It took me a while to think about how to write this review. 

This collection of poetry, 'I'll Fly Away' is one of the most powerful collections I've ever read. It is simply stunning and the fact that Rudy Francisco created new words for this book is intriguing. 

With every made-up word, he delves in and explores further in depth the meaning of the word through a poem.

I found this to be quite relatable at certain points, as well as inspiring too. 

This is the second book I've read by Rudy Francisco - the first one is Helium, which I also enjoyed reading.

Before reading the book bare in mind these trigger warnings: Depression and mentions of gun violence.