Hot damn intense. The proem "The Banishment" sets up metaphor for women being blamed/ subjugated/ misunderstood. Discordia was sent/banished by Zeus to "hurl disaster" in the world. This sets up women as victims and women as perpetrators. A clear distinction is the past that is slowly being reevaluated. "Difficult," the following poem questions grief/terror/belief/misdiagnosis/horror. It explains and challenges how women were owned, treated, and bartered using the example of

Yes, I took a day off. And yes, I'm coordinating with friends to watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off today over several countries. I've got two books for the Sealey Challenge though today... so beware. Kim is caught up!

I have been trying to conceptualize trauma and survival, and how one finds their path through the briar. The cover, of course, had thorns, hence the word briar--but Baumann's writing is a winding path through men, betrayal, rape, trauma, forms of addictions and pain, comforts--some of these are both balm and betrayer. Stylistically, the poems are short and play with the "&" and punctuations--lending to a "edginess" or at least a moderate rebellion on the page. The change in p

Mouth Full of Seeds is conversational, feels confessional (though I'm not one to assume), and has great use of persona. The voice is spot on and reveals itself. There is a repetition of themes: religion and the conversion from/to it, place, motherhood/pregnancy, and the ideas of what is feminine and female. Being a lover of folktales--I am going to simply say that "The Brothers Grimm" is a terrific spin and partial retelling. The idea of what "searching" for a husband is like

For those keeping score--yes, this is day five. I will have another post. Connectivity was so bad that I did not even bother last night. Eduard C. Corral's Slow Lightning, is another cheat for me. My cat is sick and I've been trying to get medication in him--trust me on the lack of sleep and time. But, enough with excuse. When I was first introduced to this book (M.F.A. at American University) I was captured by the language, the images that jumped off the page in unique and s

A bit of a "now for something completely different!" For those of you who know--or don't I am a huge 90s (sometimes 80s) TV nerd. seaQuest DSV and seaQuest 2032 were my life as I grew up (shall we say obsessive compulsively? I think we shall). So, I have been gifted by the sci-fi gods to write about my favorite books!!! Yes!!! Now this is a bit of a stay tuned for more post. But I am linking you to the seaQuest Vault. http://www.seaquestvault.com/media/all-aboard/?fbclid=IwAR

I am cheating a bit. Yesterday I missed my deadline of midnight by one minute! Today, I am re-reading the poem cycle that launched my M.F.A. thesis and finished my B.A. thesis. As a note Chewbacca's ate part of the cover--(my 20.5 yr old cat). "Kyrie" is placed during the influence pandemic of 1918 and is a continuous thread of story. The first poem presented, I've found the most haunting and my most beloved. "Prologue" After the first year weeds and scrub; after five, junipe

Walker amazes with her narratives. She tells stories that feel personal whether they really are odes to (Mother, Father, Sister...) or other people that are historical. Her words and form--most with indented lines for both clarity and emphasis, emote her personal truth and her knowledge of self worth. As a note--my copy was gifted to me and is inscribed. "For my fellow poet Mac, Peace + Love and much success in all that you do. Abeena Walker 11/16/87 (with phone number)." I a

So yes, after talking smack, I thought I'd break the rules. Neil Gaiman's "wonders" are poetry with a twist. I'm going to just give you a glimmer. (I do approve of this book). "Going Wodwo," is a wonderful spec piece with twist of meaning, hints of becoming nature and becoming crazy while doing so. The wordplay is wonderful, comes off naturally, and is a delight. "Locks," is based loosely around a father telling his daughter Goldilocks, but there is a lot of play with the ide