Sweet Devilry

by Yi-Mei Tsiang

Yi-Mei Tsiang's debut collection of poetry, Sweet Devilry, explores the tenderness of loss that informs motherhood as well as the power and the conflict that come with being a woman. Both celebration and elegy, these poems find their centre in familial love. Lyric and traditional, though attuned to the visual and the experimental, Sweet Devilry also has a whimsical, and sometimes biting, sense of humour. Tsiang's smart, imaginative, and emotionally resonant work offers a keen and woman-centred perspective on the stories we tell ourselves about love, personal and societal struggle, and the inevitability of death.

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2011

Reviews

[Wenting · Rating 4 out of 5]

another unexpected read. poetry (and motherhood) are not usual subjects for me, but the cover and title drew me in. and the poems are revelations, beautifully written & observed. they feel very personal, sometimes turbulent or quiet or lyrical, and specific in their place and time and detail. i savoured everything, except the fairytales section which i was less sold on.

[Kat Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tender, honest, familial.

"Open wide - the abracadabra
of breast, mouth, milk; the secret
code of thrive."

"You don't know desire."

"Every graveyard
should have a swing-set."