How Like Foreign Objects

by Alexis Orgera

Alexis Orgera's poems perpetually, vitally involve the reconceiveing and reenacting of the means of intimacy even as they say again and again, I can no longer be myself. These are love poems between strangers who may for a moment celebrate and endure recognition; their voice is arch, angelic and at odds with itself, mercurial in its metaphoric riches, captivating in improvisation zeal, beautiful, and impossible not to love. -- Dean Young.

Genres: Poetry

118 pages, Paperback

First published March 7, 2011

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself completely enamored with this book--Orgera seamlessly shifts between the colloquial to the surreal, and her poems take fascinating imaginative leaps. Every poem feels like a roller coaster as we plunge down and shoot upwards between her various talents and her fluid imagination. And despite the strange surprises in her images, the poems resonate with a strong sense of realness, of humanity.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find this collection fascinating. On the surface, it just isn't the type of poetry that I would typically fall in love with - it's more experimental than narrative, more ephemeral than confessional. In short, it is a collection of poetry that I probably would not recommend to myself.

And I would be completely wrong to ignore it. Orgera continually drew me in with these fantastically written poems. I'm not sure that I could really begin to explain their power, but this collection is absolutely worth a read, worth a purchase, worth a look.

I was drawn in by the title... (if you haven't signed up for the H_ngm_n books e-mail newsletter, do so immediately - you receive one book for 50% off...) I stayed until the end because of some fantastic, unexpected poetry.

[J.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Alexis Orgera broke up with me. She did it in a book. The book was how like foreign objects. One minute we were dating and so intertwined and then I became a pit in her stomach and near the end we were banished from one another, Orgera tearing the relationship out of me like a hot knife..." Read the full review at PANK: http://www.pankmagazine.com/pankblog/...

[James Grinwis · Rating 5 out of 5]

these are some of the most amazing poems I've read in a long, long time.

They really move and there is an undercurrent of what makes a poem alive in our language, and it happens every time. She is basically a sharpshooter firing her pain into organs that are more distinct and entirely waiting to be hit.

Whatever that means…. Its a great book. Great Press, hot book.

[Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Illuminator" is the standout piece in this collection, probably because it has time to develop. Most of the other poems are too fragmented for my taste.

[Hannah San Juan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing