No Savior but Love: A Review of Danez Smith’s Homie

by Siah Pawa (‘26)

Danez Smith, a poet from St. Paul, Minnesota who identifies as black, queer, and non-binary, often explores themes of race, gender, and sexuality in their work. Inspired by the loss of a close friend, Smith’s second full-length poetry collection, Homie, is a love letter to friendship—both its good and bad aspects. For Smith, friendship is a saving grace. Through their exploration of friendship, love, and identity in marginalized communities, they aim to celebrate and uplift the experiences of black and queer individuals, emphasizing the importance of seeking joy and intimacy in situations where they may be scarce. In a country full of disparity, xenophobia, racism, and violence, Smith asserts that friendship is one of the reasons for living.

In the poem “How many of us have them,” two boys affectionately tease each other and hurl abuses back and forth. The first stanza comprises one line, while the second has two lines. The poem builds up, with each stanza growing by a line until the final stanza, which consists of 12 lines. This form, which Smith has coined “a dozen,” is inspired by the dozens of insults boys throw. The uniqueness of this form shows the originality of Smith’s work and the many paradoxes that they introduce to their readers. The poet informs the reader that friendship matters more than wealth and that genuine love and support can save one from death and despair. It aims to broaden your understanding of the world, challenge your beliefs, and inspire personal growth. As Smith writes, friendship is “The way you would break me into a better me.”

Throughout the book, Smith appreciates the people who have loved and appreciated them, highlighting the importance of kindness in a society ravaged by injustice. My favorite aspect of Homie is the silver lining Smith brings forth from pain and suffering. The poet offers a confident and sensitive approach to social injustice, showing the reader that love and friendship can help one overcome the psychological effects of discrimination, and even adding that they need no savior but their own love.

I recommend this book because of its messages to society. Regardless of the book’s being directed at a black audience, any reader can benefit from Homie. The best audiences for these poems are those who have suffered pain, rejection, and discrimination, but whose lives have been changed by genuine friendships. Smith’s words are a reminder to embrace diversity, challenge societal norms, and foster meaningful relationships that can bring about change. While it is a turbulent book—part diary, part war cry, and part bright elegy— every poem in Danez Smith’s Homie appears as a maze designed to take the reader to a new understanding of friendship.

Siah Pawa is Liberian American undergraduate student at the University of Detroit Mercy majoring in Dental Hygiene. She enjoys the outdoors, music, and reading. She aspires to be a business owner of her own clinic.