REVIEW: Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes
Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes is a free-verse memoir divided into four books. Each book covers a distinct time in the author's life, chronicling her difficult, and oftentimes traumatic, childhood and adolescence in 1950s and 60s New York. Throughout the memoir, Grimes emphasizes that despite the darkness of her early years, she never let go of hope. Grimes reflects on how art, specifically literature, allowed her to see how pain can be channeled into beauty. Art and faith are constant themes that reinforce Grimes’s understanding that goodness persists despite hardship.
The poems in Ordinary Hazards are written as both standard poems and as notebook entries. This natural style helps capture the intimate feeling that Grimes is so expert at fostering throughout the book. The tone throughout the memoir is meditative, and not sensational, despite the dramatic happenings in Grimes' early life. This restraint gives the memoir a quiet power that makes it feel authentic, especially to teen readers. The poems are mostly lyric and brief, which is great as it makes them accessible to hesitant readers. Although short, the poems still contain emotional depth to keep the interest of stronger readers as well. The language in Ordinary Hazards is simple and unpretentious. The rhythm and sound in the poems are often subtle, if they appear at all. The conversational tone of the poems allows the focus to be on Grimes’ experiences and helps to immerse readers in the feeling of the poems, as opposed to being distracted by poetic form. Repetition and sensory imagery are used often throughout the memoir. Grimes often uses repetition during highly emotional moments, such as in the poem “Statistics,” when a doctor attempts to reduce her future potential for success to a statistic. The repeated declaration— “I am me. / I am me. / I AM ME!” emphasizes Grimes’ inner strength in the face of objectification. Grimes also ties feeling and emotion to physical things such as the books she reads. Many of her poems reference influential works of literature she read in her life such as Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, and The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank. The books represent not only her escape into the world of books and imagination, but they represent her path to becoming another woman writing inspirational stories for girls.
Grimes’ memoir is very relevant to teen readers due to its accessible language, short poems, and contemporary themes (such as ostracization, trauma, family instability, and the search for hope). The poems are written in an honest way that feels intimate and makes the reader forget they are reading a book. Although her early life was difficult, Grimes does not write with self-pity, and her story serves as inspiration for those who have trauma in their lives. She shows that while her past shaped her identity, it does not define her, and her message is one of resilience in spite of pain and suffering. Despite its relatability and inspirational qualities, Ordinary Hazards may not be suitable for all teen readers due to its depiction of heavy subject matter, including childhood neglect, mental illness, alcoholism, sexual abuse, and violence. While these topics are handled with care, they are presented honestly. Grimes avoids graphic detail, profanity, and explicit language and instead focuses on the emotional realities of her adolescent life. For mature readers, Ordinary Hazards offers both meaningful insight and reassurance that healing and hope are possible even after profound hardships. To introduce Grimes’ memoir to students, I would select one of the earlier poems in the book called "The Mystery of Memory #1."
Grimes’ memoir is very relevant to teen readers due to its accessible language, short poems, and contemporary themes (such as ostracization, trauma, family instability, and the search for hope). The poems are written in an honest way that feels intimate and makes the reader forget they are reading a book. Although her early life was difficult, Grimes does not write with self-pity, and her story serves as inspiration for those who have trauma in their lives. She shows that while her past shaped her identity, it does not define her, and her message is one of resilience in spite of pain and suffering. Despite its relatability and inspirational qualities, Ordinary Hazards may not be suitable for all teen readers due to its depiction of heavy subject matter, including childhood neglect, mental illness, alcoholism, sexual abuse, and violence. While these topics are handled with care, they are presented honestly. Grimes avoids graphic detail, profanity, and explicit language and instead focuses on the emotional realities of her adolescent life. For mature readers, Ordinary Hazards offers both meaningful insight and reassurance that healing and hope are possible even after profound hardships. To introduce Grimes’ memoir to students, I would select one of the earlier poems in the book called "The Mystery of Memory #1."
Excerpt:
“The Mystery of Memory #1”
Author and storyteller
I cry out for order,
logical sequences,
and smooth transitions.
A modicum of skill
allows me to create as much-
in story. But here?
Where is the chronology of a life
chaotic from the start?
There is no certainty of sequence,
no seamless transitions,
nothing as neat and orderly as that.
Only scraps of knowing
wedged between blank spaces,
flashes of who, what and when
to capture as best I can-
a poor offering I know,
But I am the widow,
And this is my mite.
I would begin with a read-aloud to help the students hear the rhythm and emotional depth of the poem. Then I would guide a discussion around memory by asking questions. Do our own lives follow a clear chronology, or are there gaps in what we remember? Why do some moments stand out while others disappear? What stories do we remember, what may be missing, and why? Pairing this poem with our own personal narratives will connect how stories are shaped and altered by the "mystery" of memory
I would begin with a read-aloud to help the students hear the rhythm and emotional depth of the poem. Then I would guide a discussion around memory by asking questions. Do our own lives follow a clear chronology, or are there gaps in what we remember? Why do some moments stand out while others disappear? What stories do we remember, what may be missing, and why? Pairing this poem with our own personal narratives will connect how stories are shaped and altered by the "mystery" of memory
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