Solo: List 1

by Kwame Alexander
After learning a devastating truth about his unstable, rock-star father, 17-year-old Blade travels to Ghana in order to come to terms with his family history and forge his own identity.

This list covers Part One, "There's this dream"–"Phone Conversation."

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4

Here are links to our lists for other books by Kwame Alexander: The Crossover, Booked, Rebound, Swing
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. interstellar
    between or among stars
    Electric soul brother interstellar man
    which is ironic
    because he was trying to quote
    Lenny Kravitz, who

    Mom would say
    was in her top three
  2. ironic
    displaying incongruity between what is expected and what is
    Electric soul brother interstellar man
    which is ironic
    because he was trying to quote
    Lenny Kravitz, who

    Mom would say
    was in her top three
  3. arpeggio
    a chord whose notes are played in rapid succession
    Chapel
    is the great song
    in my life.
    The sweet arpeggio
    in my solo.
  4. verve
    an energetic style
    Her lines bring
    color and verve
    to my otherwise
    crazy life.
  5. tabloid
    sensationalist journalism
    He

    7:48 pm
    thinks all the things
    the tabloids say
    about your family

    7:48 pm
    are true.
  6. prophet
    someone who speaks by divine inspiration
    an electric prophet, or so he thinks,
    capturing concert worshipers
    in the vapors
    of his breath,
    as if his voice
    was preparing them
    for rapture.
  7. rapture
    a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
    an electric prophet, or so he thinks,
    capturing concert worshipers
    in the vapors
    of his breath,
    as if his voice
    was preparing them
    for rapture.
  8. acrimonious
    marked by strong resentment or cynicism
    Even after an acrimonious band breakup,

    Morrison continued to have an illustrious solo career,
    selling thirty million albums worldwide.
  9. illustrious
    widely known and esteemed
    Even after an acrimonious band breakup,

    Morrison continued to have an illustrious solo career,
    selling thirty million albums worldwide.
  10. woo
    make amorous advances towards
    Woo me.

    Woo you?
  11. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    And
    then she got up,
    sauntered off
    glancing over her shoulder,
    leaving me thunderstruck.
  12. nefarious
    extremely wicked
    Let’s not talk about your untalented, nefarious, wack
    ex-lover.
  13. relentless
    not willing or able to stop or yield
    Relentless

    Don’t haiku me, Blade. I want an epic.
  14. haiku
    an epigrammatic Japanese verse form of three short lines
    Relentless

    Don’t haiku me, Blade. I want an epic.
  15. azure
    a light shade of blue
    Your eyes are too blue
    Forgive me
    I just wanted to be sure
    Your eyes, that shade.
    Isn’t that what they call azure?
  16. valedictorian
    the student with the best grades
    So, I’m calling because
    I’m afraid that
    our valedictorian
    Alice Johnson
    has been bitten
    by a mosquito,
    and her face
    has blown up
    the size of a cantaloupe.
  17. commencement
    an academic exercise in which diplomas are conferred
    Thusly, she refuses
    to stand
    in front of
    the graduating class
    and their families
    to deliver
    tomorrow’s commencement speech,
    which means
    the salutatorian
    will have to fill in.
  18. salutatorian
    a graduating student with the second highest academic rank
    Thusly, she refuses
    to stand
    in front of
    the graduating class
    and their families
    to deliver
    tomorrow’s commencement speech,
    which means
    the salutatorian
    will have to fill in.
  19. dignity
    the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect
    Too much celebrity
    not enough dignity.
  20. crude
    conspicuously and tastelessly indecent
    Not enough No
    to drugs
    to crude behavior
    to breaking the law
    to rock & roll.
  21. inspiration
    arousal of the mind to unusual activity or creativity
    I need some inspiration.
  22. grail
    the object of any prolonged search or endeavor
    In my house
    guitars
    are the holy grail,
    the keepers

    of our secrets
    and our prayers
  23. foyer
    a large entrance or reception room or area
    Stevie
    who used to play
    drums
    in my dad’s band,
    is in the foyer
  24. imbibe
    take in liquids
    I haven’t imbibed in nine days.
  25. woe
    misery resulting from affliction
    Even though he writes
    life’s woes and wonders
    like a boss,

    he hasn’t been able
    to right his life
    since October 10, 2007.
  26. paisley
    a fabric with a colorful swirled pattern of curved shapes
    Storm was in the pool
    or getting her nails painted paisley,
    and Mom was asleep.
  27. egalitarian
    favoring social equality
    Expressionless Zombie.
    Entry Zone.
    Egalitarian Zealot.
  28. zealot
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
    Expressionless Zombie.
    Entry Zone.
    Egalitarian Zealot.
  29. aneurysm
    an abnormal bulge caused by weakening of an artery wall
    The doctor said

    an allergic reaction
    to the bee sting
    triggered

    a brain aneurysm.
  30. desolation
    sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned
    Staring into
    the desolation
    of my brokenness.
  31. swagger
    walk with a lofty proud gait
    Bumpy Umbrella, Rutherford says
    matter-of-factly,
    with the sincerest grin
    aimed at my mother
    as she swaggers
    into the room
  32. ashen
    pale from illness or emotion
    I turn ashen
    as each Oreo crumb
    turns into
    a spider
    and crawls
    off the table.
  33. intrigue
    cause to be interested or curious
    Well, now I’m intrigued, little brother.
  34. horde
    a vast multitude
    Okay, how about this: The spider is Dad, and you think he hates you and is trying to destroy your life, and Mom is the only person who can save you, but she really can’t because, you know, she’s dead, and so you stuff yourself with hordes of unhealthy foods to hide the pain of whatever journey you’re on.
  35. empathy
    understanding and entering into another's feelings
    But I got nothing:
    No empathy.
    No sympathy
    for
    the devil.
Created on Tue Apr 30 16:51:15 EDT 2019 (updated Wed May 01 11:13:55 EDT 2019)

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