Naming the Ghost

by Emily Hockaday

A woman has both recently become a mother and lost her father, and a ghost has begun haunting this new family. What is the ghost? Why is it here? In poems of the everyday, Emily Hockaday charts a course toward healing in the face of loss, and living in the wake of death. With heartbreak and striking clarity, Naming the Ghost examines grief, physical pain, and the way chronic illness manifests itself in everyday life.

80 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2022

Reviews

[Ja'net · Rating 5 out of 5]

These poems are a stunning (and often devastating) meditation on grief. As someone who has lost my father, I could really relate to the otherworldliness of this particular brand of grief, the mortality that haunts in the wake of such a death, and the way the body manifests loss and fear. This book took me back to that time in my life when I was first learning to navigate these things. But it also reminded me that while the pain never goes away, we learn to live with it and maybe even gain something from the experience of profound loss.

I must also note that these poems tell a narrative, and nearly every one makes reference to "the ghost," which takes on different meanings at different points in the book. In the wrong hands, this could get boring and repetitive or feel contrived. But Emily Hockaday executes this beautifully; each poem drew me to the next. I wanted to know that the speaker was okay. I wanted to know that I was okay.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hockaday is the managing editor of both Asimov’s and Analog SF digests. She’s also their poetry editor and makes all the selections, so it comes as no surprise she also writes poetry. This collection centers on two overlapping major life events, the death of her father and the birth of her daughter.

It is a deeply personal and introspective search for meaning; one of which many aspects will resonant with anyone who has experienced these life milestones. Hockaday’s lyrical phrasing is easy to access and remarkably honest.

[Wendy Wisner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naming the Ghost is a searing, honest take on early motherhood and loss. The poems exist in a realm all their own and I found myself surprised, awed, and moved as I read them in one breathless sitting. This is one the best books of poems I’ve read in a while. Highly recommended.