People You Know, Places You've Been

by Hana Shafi

The latest poetry and artwork collection from Hana Shafi examines the unlikely connections we make to the people and places we encounter. Despite the infinite variations of our lives, every urban dweller has sparred with a neighbour they disliked, seen beautiful strangers on public transit, told secrets to their hairdresser. We interact with these supporting characters on a daily basis―and often we are them for others. Shafi celebrates the Antiheroes of the world (the alcoholic at your local bar, teenage girls); examines those in Beautiful Leading Roles (the hot professor, the rich couple); lauds older generations of Wizards and Crones; and flags the Nemeses (men who think they’re allies, competitors for produce at farmer’s markets). We sink into recognition at depictions of Palaces such as the greasy spoon, Dungeons of public transit, and the Liminal Spaces of checkout counters or waiting rooms (including that one at the end of the cosmos). People You Know, Places You've Been is an insightful, charming collection that offers a sense of shared recognition and nostalgia, ultimately what if seemingly mundane places are actually the foundations of who you are?

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

Published October 12, 2023

Reviews

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you hug*press for a copy of this poetry book

I absolutely love poetry! I feel like I can always find a poem that I connect to in every book and this one is the same. I liked how the poems were about everyday life things, from small to big.

[Shalyn Falloon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how Hana portrays the seemingly insignificant interactions we all have during everyday life. Anything and everything can have an impact on us whether it’s big or small.

Some of my favourite poems in this collection include: heroines, gated communities, and public transit should be free; the epilogue.

Thank you bookhug for the advance copy of this poetry/art collection!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book of weird, funny and sometimes deeply touching poetry that features a selection of the anti-heroes, wizards and crones, nemeses and beautiful leading people that pepper our everyday palaces, dungeons and other settings in the theatre of our lives. These poems are easy to read and accessible, super vivid and relatable. They have punchy observations that stick with you and might cause you to reevaluate the people you see everywhere in the run of a day but otherwise might overlook.

Hana Shafi also features some of her artwork which is of the odd melty-face variety, lending the whole package a sense of bright vivacity and charm.

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection, it’s exactly the type of poetry I gravitate to and love. I likely will reread this one over the years and would recommend to anyone looking for some evocative poetry or attempting to get into reading poetry for the first time. These ones are attention grabbing and fun, a good place to start your journey to poetry lover.

Thanks to @zgreads and @bookhugpress for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading PEOPLE YOU KNOW, PLACES YOU’VE BEEN by Hana Shafi! I was excited to read this book since I loved her other book Small, Broke, and Kind of Dirty. I loved how this book has poems and full colour illustrations. I really liked the humour and the recognizable settings such as Old Toronto and Value Village. One of my fave poems is the edge male decrees which is funny to me because I love to wear band tees. The cover blurb “A joy to read.” is correct!

Thank you to Book*hug Press for my gifted review copy!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A finger on the pulse, one verse at a time.

How did the book make me feel/think?

In the hollow of my hand, I feel the beat,
The pulse that races, a rhythm so sweet,
A sign of life, a sign of fate,
A heart that beats, a soul that waits.

Hana Shafi’s hand on my wrist,
She checks the heart, she checks the soul,
A healer’s touch, a healer’s goal.

I walk the streets, I see the pain,
The suffering, the struggle, the strain,
The poor, the weak, the broken heart,
Their cries, their tears, their every part.

I relate to them, I understand,
Their struggles, their fears, their every hand,
For I have known the same, the same plight,
The same darkness, the same endless night.

But rich and poor, we all are one,
In our hearts, we are not undone,
For love and compassion, they know no bounds,
They know no riches; they know no crowns.

Walls are disappearing, the street calls our names,
Dinner is served, Corelle livingwear, unbreakable,
Forty years old, yet the dinner tastes the same.

So let us help, let us care,
For all of us, we all are there,
In the hollow of our hands, we hold,
The beat of life, the beat of gold.

Hana Shafi’s “People You Know, Places You've Been” immerses readers in the fabric of their everyday lives, a social construct that often leads us astray. Have we become too fixated on the wrong priorities? The homeless person on the street doesn’t comprehend the fear-mongering news that separates us from those in pain. Shafi's poetic reinterpretation serves as a reminder of the importance of caring for one another in a world where the media bombards us with messages of materialistic success beyond reach. Despite the chaos beyond our control, it is vital to prioritize the well-being of those around us.
​
WRITTEN: 29 September 2023

[Candace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hana Shafi was once in my life as an abuse apologist believing the lies her current spouse and my former heavily abusive ex partner told about the nature of me being relentlessly groomed, stalked, harassed, sexually coerced and slandered by. Post-pandemic, she took it upon herself to "stop guilt tripping them" when I publicly addressed lies and defamatory statements my ex made about me on a popular subreddit. She'll never see these actions as abusive and it shows.

As for this book, I was forced to read it under the guise of "current awareness" working vaguely with Canadian publishers. I could, without definitive proof, see where I'm basically subtweeted in these and subsequent publications. Shafi is the most disingenuous choice feminist authors I've had the displeasure of seeing her art on subways and at OLA conferences.

Oh and if you're reading this Hana, keep your guilt to yourself. You were one of many harassers that pressured me to give up Instagram. I could counter sue for criminal harassment on that basis, but because I'm not as litigious as you claim, I've relegated myself to warning others about you and your gross husband via GoodReads.

[Gabriel Noel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down
ARC given by Edelweiss+ for Honest Review

An expressive poetry collection on feminism, human connection, nostalgia, and racism.

Somewhat juvenile at it's core, Shafi broaches topics such as feminism with what I would call an understandable yet un-nuanced approach.

The illustrations are charming and immersive.

My favorite poems are: "good trash", "the antique store", "public transit should be free", and "gasoline."

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting spotlight on the people we come into contact with in various contexts. Whether speculating about antique store owners, or fellow laundromat or transit users or inhabiting the thoughts of a child left waiting in the grocery checkout line, these poems often offer a new view, an unanswered question and a shared understanding of what it is to be human. The complementary art makes this collection even better.

[Holly Bray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I try and read at least one poetry book a year and this one did not disappoint! It was gritty and impactful. It turned typical stereotypes on their head and forced you to look at humanity through a different lens.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't usually pick up poetry to read, but I heard an interview with the author on CBC and decided to give it a go. Oof.

Almost all the art is unconventional at best, drug induced fever dream at worst.

The poetry lacks story, art, form... Substance. Just rambling.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Reagan Kapasi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked: relatable. Disliked: artwork.

[armon · Rating 5 out of 5]

the art is soo pretty i wanna hang them as posters ngl