Hum - Paperback >
/ Hum - Paperback

Hum - Paperback

Regular price$15.95
/
(Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.)
✔ Authenticity Guaranteed — Verified Designer Goods
✔ 100% Money-Back Guarantee on Eligible Items
✔ Prices Displayed in Your Local Currency
✔ Final Price = No Surprise Import Fees
✔ Complimentary Insured Worldwide Shipping on Qualifying Orders
✔ Select Collector & Specialty Pieces May Require Secured Delivery Handling
Our authentication process ensures every item meets strict luxury verification standards. Learn more
Complimentary worldwide shipping on qualifying orders

by Jamaal May (Author)

2014 Notable Book Award from the American Library Association
2013 Silver IndieFab Award Winner
2013 NAACP Image Award Nominee
2013 ForeWord Book of the Year Award Finalist
2013 The Boston Globe's Best Books of 2013 List
2012 Beatrice Hawley Award

Linguistically acrobatic and] beautifully crafted. . . Jamaal May's] poems, exquisitely balanced by a sharp intelligence mixed with earnestness, makes his debut a marvel." --Publishers Weekly

"The elegant and laconic intelligence in these poems, their skepticism and bent humor and deliberately anti-Romantic stance toward experience are completely refreshing. After so much contemporary writing that seems all flash, no mind and no heart, these poems show how close observation of the world and a gift for plain-spoken, but eloquent speech, can give to poetry both dignity and largeness of purpose, and do it in an idiom that is pitch perfect to emotional nuance and fine intellectual distinctions. Hard-headed and tough-minded, Hum is the epitome of what Frost meant by 'a fresh look and a fresh listen.'" --Tom Sleigh

Jamaal May's debut collection, Hum, is concerned with what's beneath the surfaces of things--the unseen that eats away at us or does the work of sustaining us. Reading these poems, I was reminded of Ellison's 'lower frequencies, ' a voice speaking for us all. May has a fine ear, acutely attuned to the sonic textures of everyday experience. And Hum--a meditation on the machinery of living, an extended ode to sound and silence--is a compelling debut." --Natasha Trethewey

In his percussive debut collection Hum, Jamaal May offers a salve for our phobias and restores the sublime to the urban landscape. Whether you need a friend to confide in, a healer to go to, or a tour guide to take you there, look no further. That low hum you hear are these poems, emanating both wisdom and swagger." --A. Van Jordan

From Mechanophobia: Fear of Machines:

There is no work left for the husks.
Automated welders like us,
your line replacements, can't expect
sympathy after our bright
arms of cable rust over. So come

collect us for scrap, grind us up
in the mouth of one of us.
Let your hand pry at the access
panel with the edge of a knife,
silencing the motor and thrum.


Author Biography

Jamaal May is a poet, editor, and filmmaker from Detroit, MI where he taught poetry in public schools and worked as a freelance audio engineer and touring performer. His poetry won the 2013 Indiana Review Poetry Prize and appears in journals such as Poetry, Ploughshares, The Believer, NER, and The Kenyon Review. Jamaal has earned an MFA from Warren Wilson College as well as fellowships from Cave Canem and The Stadler Center for Poetry at Bucknell University. He founded the Organic Weapon Arts Chapbook Press.


Number of Pages: 80
Dimensions: 0.4 x 8.9 x 5.9 IN
Publication Date: November 19, 2013
Award: ALA Notable Books (2014)
Award: IndieFab awards (2013)
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Backordered, shipping soon
Shop with Confidence
  • ✔ Authenticity Guaranteed — Verified Designer Goods
  • ✔ Sourced from Authorized European/U.S. Luxury Distributors
  • ✔ Secure Checkout — SSL Encrypted Payments
  • ✔ Fast Global Delivery — 3–11 Business Days
  • ✔ Easy Returns on Eligible Items
  • ✔ 100% Money-Back Guarantee — Full Refund if Not Satisfied
Verified Trust Rating: 91/100
Amazon American Express Apple Pay Bancontact Diners Club Discover Google Pay Mastercard PayPal Shop Pay USDC Visa SSL Secure
Amazon Pay Logo Fast checkout with Amazon Pay. Use your Amazon account to skip entering shipping or card info.
Trusted by discerning buyers worldwide — secure, verified luxury sourcing

AUTHENTICITY GUARANTEED

Reserved for you — complete your purchase to secure this piece.

Authorized Designer Inventory Secure & Encrypted Checkout Tracked & Insured Delivery

OFFICIALLY AUTHORIZED RESELLER

Discover Officially Authorized Authentic Items at STORE7994.com - Certificates Available on Request!

Independently verified for store quality and customer safety.
Trust score: 91/100

All designer items offered by STORE 7994 are sourced from trusted luxury distributors and verified through independent authentication services.

Learn how STORE 7994 authenticates luxury items

Guaranteed Authentic — Includes Brand Documentation & Third-Party Verification Options.

Shipping information

  • Free Shipping* on all orders over $300 USD to most countries* Estimated delivery: 2-5 business days Mon-Sat to U.S., CA, EU etc.
  • Tracking available: DHL Express
  • Store 7994 Shipping policy
  • Global delivery in 3–9 business days (location dependent).
  • Free Worldwide Shipping $300+. International duties & VAT are calculated by destination country and may be collected upon delivery. UK orders are subject to 20% import VAT upon delivery.

Our innovation isn’t just in the brands we carry — it’s in the way we connect them. From our automation engine that keeps collections globally updated to our commitment to authenticity-first presentation, STORE 7994 exists where timeless design meets modern precision.

Every product we offer is:
Elevated · Intentional · Exclusive · Authentic

STORE 7994 is an authorized reseller of luxury fashion houses. Certificates and proof of authenticity are available to brand owners and partners upon request.

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Returns & Refunds

We want you to shop with confidence at STORE 7994. If your purchase does not meet expectations, eligible items may be returned under the conditions below.

Return Eligibility
Items must be unused, unworn, and in original condition with all tags, packaging, and accessories included. Items showing any signs of wear or damage will not be accepted.

Return Window
Return requests must be made within 14 days of delivery.

Return Shipping
Customers are responsible for return shipping costs unless the item is defective, damaged, or incorrect.

Luxury Items
Items valued over $1,000 may be subject to a 7% restocking fee upon approved return.

Non-Returnable Items
For hygiene and product integrity reasons, the following items are final sale once opened or used:

• Underwear
• Fragrances
• Any worn or used items

Made-to-Order Items
Custom-designed products, including STORE 7994 hoodies, are made exclusively for each customer and are final sale. These items are not eligible for return or exchange unless defective or incorrect.

If you receive a defective or incorrect item, please contact us and we will make it right.

International Shipping & Duties
Many of our products ship directly from trusted international partners. Any applicable customs duties or import taxes are calculated at checkout and are non-refundable, even if the item is returned.

Returns & Associated Fees
All approved returns are subject to a $24 return processing fee. For international orders, duties, taxes, and return fees will be deducted from the original payment.

Shipping Policy
Complimentary shipping is offered on orders over $300. Orders below this threshold are subject to standard shipping rates at checkout.