The Character

by Jena Osman

Winner of the 1998 Barnard New Women Poets Prize

The poems in Jena Osman's first volume embody the poem as performance, revealing the tensions between narrative coherence and Brechtian self-consciousness, and our constitution by "characters" of all types. Playful, mysterious, and challenging, The Character is for anyone interested in the inscription of power by means of language.

Genres: Poetry

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

Reviews

[C. Varn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an ambitious and sometimes bewildering collection--difficult to read and yet also engaging; often alienating but then strong lines pull you back in. The Brechtian elements are clear--meta-poetic but also about more than just the art itself. This is a hell of a first collection.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an ambitious book: full of innovation and wonderful language.

I do miss a bit of "heart" and emotion, though. At times, it feels terribly technical and sterile, worried about form or "message" but not much else. At least part of that is intentional to the project of the book, but I still need a bit more.

[Holly Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting mix of ludic textual experimentation and I guess what I'd call Artaud-style 'cruelty.' A hard book to read and honestly sort of a hard book to LIKE, but certainly well worth it in the end. I like it a lot more in hindsight, having read more of Jena's books-- and kind of value thinking back on how bewildered and frustrated I was reading it on a bus way back when.