Canada Reads·Highlight

Humble is ready to rumble

On Day Two, Humble The Poet went on the offensive, explaining why he thought Fifteen Dogs had more dimension and depth than perhaps people were giving it credit for.

Humble The Poet comes out swinging for Fifteen Dogs

8 years ago
Duration 1:33
Humble The Poet defends Fifteen Dogs against criticisms of accessibility and misogyny.

After addressing criticisms that his chosen book, Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis, lacked strong female characters, Humble The Poet went on the offensive, explaining why he thought this story had more dimension and depth than people may be giving it credit for.

"I didn't pick a book that looks like me, sounds like me [or] represents any type of minority that I might check off on a box," he said during Canada Reads' Day Two show. "I picked a book that represents me to my core. Everybody in this room has regrets, anxieties. Everybody in this room is struggling with the thoughts in their head. Everybody in this room struggles with jealousy, irrespective of your race, your gender, your orientation, your economic background… This is the only book that talks about that, over and over again."