“ltpgtltigtUnwashedltigt gives readers the pure delight that people on Torontos oral poetry scene have been enjoying for a while the beautiful profound poetry of Daniel Maluka sings and speaks from these pages with the voice of the poet in person There is lightness and sadness unflinching awareness and equal resilience in these poems that combine contemplative stillness and the momentum of story and song I think of beautiful poems like Field Notes on the Hermit or The Dream where Two silent riders arrive at the ruined tower In ltigtUnwashedltigt Maluka enters deep into the contemporary self while at the same time living fully beautifully often sadly in our world of tv dinners John Lennon dreams midnight regrets assistant managers cats waiting for a handout social injustice and the haunting presence of a father aware he sent his son into a world that hates him A F Moritzltpgt ltpgtDaniel Malukas ltigtUnwashedltigt is the unvarnished truth about the experience of feeling unwanted unloved and unfree in the midst of Canadas largest city Maluka turns his eyes forensically on the lives of his family friends lovers and neighbours and on the conundrum that is Canadian Multiculturalismso welcoming so liberatingyet frustrated so insidiously by White Supremacism These poems are scarily poignant they are for all the unwashednot to bleach or brainwashbut to clear away the threat of whitewash with the promise of baptismal rebirth Welcome now Daniel Maluka George Elliott Clarke author of ltigtCanticles III MMXXIIIltigt and Parliamentary Poet Laureate of Canada 2016 amp 17ltpgt ltpgtltigtUnwashedltigt articulates a coming into awareness of the junk enchantments animating identity and social belonging in Canada today Daniel Malukas voice lays down a story of betweennesswhere ones sources of family and meaning conflict bodily and psychically with the foundational myth of home A bid for tenderness permits hope in this first book of poetry Dale Martin Smith Toronto Metropolitan University professor and author of ltigtThe Size of Paradiseltigtltpgt ltpgtDaniel Malukas ltigtUnwashedltigt stirred parts of my soul I didnt know could be reached The emotions are so vividly captured it feels like hes written a piece of my own heart Carlos Anthony author of ltigtShades of Blackltigtltpgt ltpgtDaniel Maluka is a keen and talented observer of the changing social fabric These poems contain worlds Moez Surani author of ltigtOperationsltigt and ltigtThe Legend of Baraffoltigtltpgt ltpgtunwashed saying sew strong daniel maluka sz ltbr gt sure n trew lines 4 heering n reflekting who goes wher 4 ltbr gt what alwayze telling asking a brillyant vois daniel maluka ltbr gt compassyunate n sew stedee alwayze reveeling brillyant ltbr gt writing th genius uv saying showing how he n his frends ltbr gt n familee stay moov n change th lineage th longings th ltbr gt alertness n mooving th care 4ward brite aware n reeching ltbr gt langwage sew strong n carreeing all th lives daniel maluka ltbr gt writes abt sew adept n kleer wun uv th best books evr ltbr gt bill bissettltpgt”