I know I read When the Ghosts Come Ashore. I am just not sure what I read. I mean I know what I read. Jaqcqui Germain is obvious: she explores the issues of race, gender, and violence. She talks about St. Louis and sees it live, laugh, love and bleed. She hits you in the gut and smacks you, too. But same time this is a love story. Germain is not for a one sit reading. You need to read each poem. Chew on it. […]
Do not give the sirens call a listen
I am not sure when everyone slept in We Slept Here, unless it was a drug induced state, but Sierra DeMulder does a lot of other things, too. She does not hold back. She gives you the picture of a girl growing up in a family that allowed abuse. Oh, dad did not hit mom, so that is how they justified it, but it is forever burned into her brain her father yelling and her mother taking it. She does not hold back. She gives […]
I want Olivia Gatwood as my new best friend
New American Best Friend is a book that makes me want Olivia Gatwood as my new best friend. Mostly because maybe then they can explain a few things to me. While the poems are straight forward, there are a few images I am trying to figure out what they mean as they can be interpreted a few ways. Then again, maybe that is the point? However, there is no real question about Ode to My Bitch Face (and trust me, if you say you did […]
You are bound to find something that speaks to you
Bound is one of the shortest books I have probably ever read. The longest poem is several pages long, but it is just a bunch of blacked out text. It is called (black box). I cannot put the symbol here as it is literally the black box/line that is used to block out wording in important documents. I am assuming this is the real speech of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I will call this poem “IPMBN” just to make it easier. If this is […]
Stevie Edwards is a poet, editor, and educator: read why that is
Sadness Workshop: Poems by Stevie Edwards is one of those books that you do not expect a lot of. Around thirty pages, what can she possibly have to say? A lot apparently. Twenty-four poems talking about life. Twenty-four poems talking about the ups and downs of being alive. When I see something set up so “small” I cannot help but wonder if there is a reason behind it or was that all she had at the time? Twenty-four poems: Twenty-four hours in a day? Less […]
No Matter the Wreckage there Can be Hope
Sarah Kay, along with illustrator Sophia Janowitz, created her debut collection of poetry back in 2014. And in 2018 No Matter the Wreckage came on my radar. Kay’s poems celebrate family, love, travel, as well as the oddness, beauty and darkness of the world. She is powerful and soft. Bold and quiet. She hits you over the head and whispers in your ear. To hear her read her works (so far only on YouTube) would be a grand treat. Her voice is the perfect vessel […]