In A2: A Scholarly Poetical Science Discourse (Second Edition), Ayo Sekai, PhD, offers a distinctive and innovative contribution to Africana intellectual traditions by advancing what she terms “poetical science discourse.” This framework is situated at the intersection of literature and critical theory, fusing the aesthetic creative force of poetry with the analytical rigor of social science discourse. The combination is a text that bridges conventional boundaries between creative expression and academic scholarship, building on a holistic engagement with knowledge that is effective and intellectual.

The text is “theory in motion.” Each poem carries the cadence of artistry while also serving as cultural critique, theoretical intervention, and scholarly reflection. As a Black Jamaican woman, scholar, mother, writer, and publisher, Dr. Sekai brings her lived experience into dialogue with broader questions of identity, resistance, and liberation. The result is a body of work that defies traditional disciplinary boundaries, enlightening us with new ways of reading, feeling, and digesting history. The introduction of the Poetical Science Discourse Method positions poetry as a primary method for generating data and fusing what is known of poetry as creative with the analytical rigor of scholarly discourse. “Distinct from conventional poetic inquiry and arts-based research, The Poetical Science Discourse Method gives us a five-step process: (1) selection of theme or phenomenon; (2) composition of a poem as the initial act of inquiry; (3) application of an explicit theoretical lens; (4) integration of social, historical, and cultural context; and (5) presentation of poem and scholarly discourse as a single, citable research artifact.”

I first encountered this framework at the National Conference for Black Studies in Cincinnati, Ohio, in Spring 2025, where I was introduced to Dr. Sekai by my university professor. Her mentorship as a scholar and guidance quickly became transformative. What she gave me in the gift of this book is an intellectual and emotional experience.

Every page compelled me to reflect, to interrogate inherited assumptions, and to reimagine the relationship between poetry and scholarship. Dr. Sekai’s words resonated not only with my academic training but also with my lived reality as a Haitian American navigating life in the United States. In her work, I found a model for blending critical thought with cultural expression, one that feels urgently needed in both academia and the public sphere. Published by Universal Write Publications, the press Dr. Sekai herself founded, A2 is also emblematic of a larger mission to give voice to Black Scholars. In my reading and learning about her collaboration with Dr. James Stewart, an economist and president of the Manasota branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), where Dr. Sekai is a life member, along with the National Council for Black Studies (NCBS), these alliances signifies her strong believe in bridging the voices of the Black Arts Movement, and reflects the groundbreaking works of James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and Franz Fanon among others who amplifies the richness, resilience, and intellectual depth of the African diaspora. This publishing house is committed to works that teach, transform, and expand the canon of knowledge.

In A2: A Scholarly Poetical Science Discourse, Dr. Sekai offers a book that serves as a methodology for living, thinking, and writing at the intersections of art and science. It is a work I will continue to return to, not only for its insights but also for its courage in reshaping what scholarship can be.

Highly recommended.