"Tshaka Campbell's Blood at the Root: An Nkisi is a spellbinding reminder that we are eternity’s human cargo on a sensual journey of intricate relationships circulating in rivers of blood."
 
—Tureeda Mikell, Poet, writer, cultural activist and author of Synchronicity: The Oracle of Sun Medicine (Black Lawrence Press, 2020) and The Body: Oracle of Memory (Black Lawrence Press, 2024)
 
 
“Blood at the Root: An Nkisi is simultaneously a lyrical exploration that grips the soul and intellect and is also a poignant journey through parenthood, love, identity, and heritage. An intimate offering, Campbell explores the profound responsibility and joy of raising a daughter, weaving together reflections on roots and resilience through ancestral wisdom, unflinching love. Much like the titular phrase suggests, this work digs deep, unearthing truths that are raw, haunting, and profoundly beautiful.”
 
—Javon Johnson, author of Ain’t Never Not Been Black (Button Poetry, 2020) and Killing Poetry: Blackness and the Making of Slam and Spoken Word Communities (Rutgers University Press, 2017)
 
 
“Tshaka Campbell’s Blood at the Root: An Nkisi is an aria of unconditional love from a father to his daughter. These poem offerings are simultaneously creation myth, praise song, and protection prayer. If you know Tshaka’s work, trust that this book will both break and mend you. If you don't know it yet, you are about to be blessed in discovering.”
 
—Arlene Biala, author of her beckoning hands, American Book Award winner and Santa Clara County Poet Laureate, 2016-2017
 
 
“Tshaka Cambell is one of the most powerful poetic voices of our generation. His work has been a gift in my life. For over twenty years I’ve watched him captivate audiences with his rhythmic wisdom and unforgettable performance style. Blood at the Root: An Nkisi deepens the conversation. It is a compelling compilation of poetry from a master of his craft.”
 
—IN-Q, Emmy-nominated poet, multi-platinum songwriter, world renowned keynote speaker, and the best-selling author of Inquire Within (HarperOne, 2020)
 
 
“I love Tshaka Campbell’s language, it sings from the page. It’s intimate, it’s raw and I can clearly hear the ancestors speaking through him to us. But most of all, I hear a lyrical father we all need for our daughters.”
 
—Babs Gons, Poet Laureate of the Netherlands (2023-2025)
 
 
“Tshaka Campbell, equal parts herald, homie, and babalawo, is once more writing at the top of his game. Blood at the Root: An Nkisi is an opus work that belongs on the bookshelf between your Bible, Things Fall Apart, and The Autobiography of Malcolm X; or stored in the kitchen next to the Lawry’s, the ginger, and the echinacea. At a moment when so much is at stake, these glass bottle poems are both inspirational and necessary for our wellbeing, so keep them close by.”
 
—Tama L. Brisbane, Poet Laureate Emeritus of Stockton, California and Executive Director of With Our Word /WOW Inc.
 
 
““What piece of myself do I leave for her and what should she never know? / Is DNA enough?” Tshaka Campbell’s Blood at the Root: An Nkisi is a passionately masterful dive into fatherhood and family. These are observant stories, fables, “verses as lanterns in the darkness” centered on grandparents, masculinity, relationships, self-respect, and even on surviving 9-11—all beautifully rendered with the most delicate truth and clarity offered to the author’s daughter. Tshaka has a long, solid resume of essential work and this collection is proof of his power, all rooted in community and family.”
 
—James Cagney, Cave Canem fellow, award-winning author of Black Steel Magnolias in the Hour of Chaos Theory (Black Lawrence Press, 2023) and Martian: The Saint of Loneliness (Nomadic Press, 2022)
 
 
“Tshaka Campbell is a powerhouse whose poetics effortlessly bends conventional expression to arrest emotion and attention. In this collection, Campbell invites readers into an intimate journey where the desire to be worthy of the title “father” becomes permission for a process of self-discovery through a tender unpacking of bloodlines and histories. Here, breathing life into ancestral and lived silences becomes a means of self-revival which simultaneously says to the inheritor of his bloodline, that she is power, walks in it, comes from it and should never forget who she is. ”
 
—Tolu Agbelusi, author of Locating Strongwoman (Jacaranda Press, 2020)
 
 
"By uniting vivid impressions with reflections on purpose, pivotal moments, and the importance of human bonds, Campbell ultimately awakens readers to the transformative power that emerges whenever people truly connect.”
 
—Anthony “Ant Black” Blacksher, poet, professor, and publisher of the San Diego Poetry Annual
 
 
 
 
Tshaka Campbell is the first black, Santa Clara County Poet Laureate and has authored books of poetry entitled Tarman, Muted Whispers, Stuff | Will Write More, Tunnel Vision and Blood at the Root: An Nkisi. His words have been featured in Bridges Review, BBC UK, Content Magazine, Speakeasy Vol. 1, Liminal Animals, Rigorous, among others. A city of Milpitas and city of Sunnyvale commendation in the arts award recipient, Tshaka has also collaborated on projects with the World Health Organization (WHO), the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the NUMU and Triton museums, as well sits on the Board of Directors for Silicon Valley Creates arts council and Poetry Center San Jose. He has partnered with the Silicon Valley Transit Authority and community members to deliver youth programs centered around expanding poetry and literature.  He has four spoken word albums entitled ONE, BLOODLINES, SKIN vol.1; and his most recent release NKISI is currently available on all streaming platforms. Tshaka has toured a number of US cities and across the globe, featuring at venues such as the legendary Apollo Theater and the O2 in London England.