{"schema_version":"bf_book_companion_v1","release_id":"20261010T034321Z-reviewed-full-unique-works","book":{"amazon_purchase_url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/1476779325?tag=bookfrontie00-20","asin":"1476779325","authors":["Saul Williams"],"book_id":"9781476779324","canonical_url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/us-a-9781476779324","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781476779324.jpg?v=189a1472eedc5c5a","description":"In his greatly anticipated new full-length book of poetry, the first since The Dead Emcee Scrolls in 2006, “the poet laureate of hip-hop” (CNN) Saul Williams presents his ideas, observations, realizations, dreams, and questions about the state of America, the American psyche, and what it means to be American. After four years abroad, Williams returned to the United States and found his head twirling with thoughts on race, class, gender, finance, freedom, guns, cooking shows, dog shows, superheroes, not-so-super politicians—everything that makes up our country. US(a.) is a collection of poems that embodies the spirit of a culture that questions sentiments and realities, embracing a cross-section of pop culture, hip-hop, and the greater world politic of the moment. Williams explores what social media may only hint at—times and realities have changed; there is a connect and a disconnect. We are wirelessly connected to a past and path to which we are chained. Saul Williams stops and frisks the moment, makes it empty its pockets, and chronicles what’s inside. Here is an extraordinary book that will find its place in the hands and minds of a new generation.","forthcoming":false,"isbn13":"9781476779324","publication_date":"20150915","publisher":"MTV Books","slug":"us-a","subtitle":"","title":"US (a.)"},"discovery":{"categories":{"all":[{"bisac_code":"POE005050","confidence_band":"medium","label":"African American Poetry","score":0.8058,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"POE023040","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Place Poetry","score":0.8057,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"POE023060","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Political & Protest Poetry","score":0.7938,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"hint":[{"bisac_code":"POE005050","confidence_band":"medium","label":"African American Poetry","score":0.8058,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"POE023040","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Place Poetry","score":0.8057,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"POE023060","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Political & Protest Poetry","score":0.7938,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"publisher":[{"bisac_code":"POE000000","confidence_band":"high","label":"POETRY / General","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"POE005050","confidence_band":"high","label":"African American Poetry","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"POE023040","confidence_band":"high","label":"Place Poetry","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"}]},"genres":[{"label":"African American Poetry","score":0.8058,"slug":"african-american-poetry"},{"label":"Place Poetry","score":0.8057,"slug":"place-poetry"},{"label":"Political & Protest Poetry","score":0.7938,"slug":"political-protest-poetry"}],"reader_fit":["Good for readers interested in poetry exploring American identity and social issues"],"related_lists":[],"series":null,"similar_books":[{"authors":["Jesse Washington"],"book_id":"9781416938798","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781416938798.jpg?v=2694b97c8f709a5e","score":0.7049,"title":"Black Will Shoot","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781416938798"},{"authors":["Ray Anthony Shepard"],"book_id":"9781662680663","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781662680663.jpg?v=f9535359629d46cc","score":0.6922,"title":"A Long Time Coming","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781662680663"},{"authors":["José Olivarez"],"book_id":"9781608469543","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781608469543.jpg?v=8bdc85114705afda","score":0.6898,"title":"Citizen Illegal","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781608469543"},{"authors":["Charles Bukowski"],"book_id":"9780060577063","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780060577063.jpg?v=9e0c5e6ac2c3dddc","score":0.6847,"title":"Come on In!","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780060577063"}],"topics":[{"evidence_refs":["keyword:slam poetry"],"label":"Poetry","score":0.1898,"slug":"poetry"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:black lives matter"],"label":"Black","score":0.1007,"slug":"black"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:social justice"],"label":"Social","score":0.0723,"slug":"social"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:political activist"],"label":"Political","score":0.0493,"slug":"political"},{"evidence_refs":["phrase_map_match"],"label":"Civil Rights","score":0.0074,"slug":"civil-rights"}],"what_you_get":["Themes: American identity, Race, class, and social realities, Pop culture and politics.","Themes: Poetry, Black, Social.","Reading lane: African American Poetry and Place Poetry."]},"llm_signals":{"confidence":0.91,"pacing":"unknown","reader_fit":["Readers interested in poetry exploring American identity and social issues"],"themes":["American identity","Race, class, and social realities","Pop culture and politics"],"tropes":[]},"source_presence":{"amazon":true,"book_detail":true,"goodreads":true,"llm_signals":true,"similarity_seed":true},"stats":{"amazon_ratings_count":68,"goodreads_ratings_count":212,"goodreads_reviews_count":28,"quality_score":0.8935}}