"With the publication of her collected poems, one can survey the sheer scope of a woman who merged personal and political levels of expression with unyielding conviction." - San Francisco Chronicle

"Jordan brings to life people, places, things, and books that nourished her mind and character." - Los Angeles Times

"Though best known as a poet, she wore many other hats. All of her identities were rooted in a passion for social justice--accompanied by the belief that the powerless could eventually prevail ... In the words of this volume's title, her activities were "directed by desire"--in defense of truth and justice." - The Washington Post

"Skeptical, angry, and sick of unexamined beliefs and hypocrisy, Jordan writes warrior poems: muscled, coiled, and unerringly accurate." - The Booklist

Jordan's poems are "so immediate and vibrant in their effect that they seem to be happening right there on the page." - The Kenyon Review

'The energy and seriousness of these poems are impressive and, like the essays, they are the work of a writer of integrity and will." - Darryl Pinckney, The New York Times

"She has comforted, explained, described, wrestled with, taught and made us laugh out loud before we wept. . . . I am talking about a span of forty years of tireless activism coupled with and fueled by flawless art." - Toni Morrison