Black Milk: Poems

by Tory Dent

Beloved author, Tory Dent died of an AIDS-related infection in December 2005. She wrote HIV, Mon Amour (Sheep Meadow Press, 1999), which won the Academy of American Poetry's James Laughlin Award and the Eric Mathieu King Award.

Genres: Poetry

Hardcover

First published December 1, 2005

Reviews

[Juliet · Rating 5 out of 5]

SEARING!

[Julene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Milk is a hard book to read. It is Tory Dent's final book, written in the final years/days of her life, that deals with her degeneration from AIDS. It is not a book one can read on a sitting and I've been reading it a long time. It is not easy to read, partly her subject, but also because it is an academic masterpiece, and she used so many latinate words. It is worth reading because she goes to the core of existence and the fundamental choices one is faced with during any disease and dying process: what is life? do we have the right to end our life, to say no to life-saving drugs that 'have never worked.' In the long poem that is the name of the book she writes, " This time I won't be seduced by second chances,/that impressive gravity reversal of natural progression/that wind-tunneled and time-warped/my return from graveside to sickbed,/coaxed me with soft words uttering lore of the future/like flute-playing off the ledge."

In a heart wrenching stanza she clings to her husband and gives in to his encouragement. What does one do for oneself and for others when on the brink? This is the most honest book to face death I've ever read. One stand alone stanza, "Hope-work is like grief-work." She lived with AIDS before the medications could truly save her into a long term chronic illness.

She deserves a five, but the Latinate words hold me back. This is an academic book, as are her other two. Her degrees are from Barnard College and New York University. She was supported by fellowships and grants from the best sources. Some of her poems have lines from the likes of Gerard Manley Hopkins (clearly in his style), & John Donne, she translated an Italian poem and uses lines from in her own work. She had the gift of time and money to create this masterpiece. It will remain one of the best books written by an author on her process of dying, and the heart of this book translates to us all. It is a tome for our health and the care we receive. She writes, "Like the War on Poverty, poverty will always lose against the Fortune 500." She had good care and it did not save her.

[Niel Rosenthalis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as immediately impressive as "HIV, Mon Amour." I'm not sure whether this is overall a complete masterpiece or a collection of uneven and haphazard poems. There are many, many great moments, and the title sequence of poems is fantastic. Definitely more reader-friendly but still retains the edge that electrifies.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

For seventeen years
I've said, 'I won't live another year.'

Tori Dent died soon after this book was published (by less than a year, I believe) and these linked poems are stunning and exceptionally emotional. More lyrical than her earlier work and based on other poets' work or lines from their poems, this is a gorgeous book of poetry.

And apparently I only added some of my poetry collection to GR when I first joined...

[atito · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was overwhelming. absolute favorite