In Mahdi Asim’s book, I Can Show You Better than I Can Tell You: Volume 1, the Chicago native visits his past and reinvents the future. This volume of poetry pulls no punches, delivering harsh perspectives on even harsher realities. Despite reflecting the stark aspects of Chicago street culture, his work shines with a luminosity and humor that bear witness to his strength and courage – as well as to his emotional depth. When he writes, “Instead of adapting I adopted apathy,” he exposes a common way many choose to handle the “Weight of the World,” although Mahdi himself seems to have avoided this pitfall. The frequent use of alliteration and assonance enhance his rhymes; in fact, many of these poems are best read aloud. Mahdi’s poetry is a clear voice seeking to illuminate the love and loss, disappointment and joy that make up the human condition. He shines a bright light on adversity and readers can celebrate with him when he notes that against all odds, “I have arrived.” Let’s hope that he will continue to share his voice through poetry he has not yet even written. -Carol O’Connor.Ph.D. Author, ‘A Hip Hop Pedagogy: Effective Teacher Training for the Millennial Generation’ & President, Rhyme-N-Reason Foundation