Keeping Skeletons

by Tan Lixin

Poetry. From the back cover: "Keeping Skeletons is about the fight to let dreams stay alive and to remain true to oneself in a place where oppression is rife. It is an exploration of one's attempts to save what will be lost or stolen, to keep memories of what we hold dear."

Genres: Poetry

59 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[astried]

What does it mean, to finish reading a poetry book? When you've read all the poems at least once? When you understand what each meant? Can it be even finished? Won't it be necessary to go back now and then in the future? What a difficult undertaking even for a thin book like this.

I compare all poem to Szymborska's. It's not fair but I just can't help it. Currently hers is what poem should be for me. How did this one fared? It's tight enough, the selection followed the theme it has chosen. Some of them hit me in the stomach and that's always a good sign. Just to be nitpicky I'd say the more suitable order would be Skin-Bone-Brain. Szymborska's still wins by far on clarity and content. I have a feeling by some of the poems that it's obscure just for the sake of being obscure. Of course there's also a chance that it's obscure to me because I'm too dense to understand it now.

I wouldn't even try to rate it. Despite whatever feeling or thought I have for the content the book itself is priceless for personal reasons.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading what this book is about, I bought it right away. It is a collection of poems about fighting for dreams and how to keep on striving despite of the oppression that happens in life. This is my second poetry book.

The preface says, “For those who fight to keep.” Keeping Skeletons has three parts: Bones, Skin, and Brain. I just noticed that there is a typo on the table of contents as I type the three parts of the book. I don't know why but so far I had five Math Paper Press books and all of them have typographical errors. Anyway, Bones speak of identity, Skin speaks of surface and superficial, while the Brain speaks of memories.

There are poems that really strike my heart, and I believe some pieces (if not all) speak of Tan Lixin's personal life and experiences. I give it three stars (actually 3.5) because I find her poems good but not very much satisfactory. But I'm still looking forward to read more of her works.

[David Kellogg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I'm interested in the Singapore poetry scene and in Math Paper Press, the publisher that seems to be at the center of that scene. Compared to other Math Paper Press books, Keeping Skeletons was disappointing. The author seems to be a young adult fresh out of school, and the book gives the impression of one still developing. She is strongly influenced by the contemporary confessional work of Singapore poets such as Cyril Wong, and this tendency to confession both motivates and mars the work. The author is capable of fine lines in one poem ("Had You Known," an elegy for the poet's grandmother) and the most sentimental cliché in the next ("My Mother's Hand").

I find the very presence of a young poetry scene in Singapore inspiriting, and Math Paper Press is doing heroic work by putting the writers of this scene into print. Keeping Skeletons, however, seems to have been published before the poet had a book's worth of strong poems. One hopes the author will keep writing and learn that personal experience, no matter how deeply felt, is not poetry until it has been transformed by and into language.

[Guan You · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times this book felt more like a diary than a poetry collection. The verses resemble personal anecdotes that, when not redeemed by a transcendent poetic voice, bores the disinterested reader.

[Mark Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keeping Skeletons has to be one of my all time favourite poetry books. The moment I started on the book, it enthralled me. Definitely one of my best buys. Keeping Skeletons is inspirational, and well planned and thought out.

I was pleasantly surprised in having found this book, which encouraged me to find out more about the author herself. Lixin is one of the most talented writers that I've ever had the pleasure of reading, and this book gave me a great sense of satisfaction and fulfillment and prompted me to giving more thought into how I have been holding on to my experiences.

Reaching the end of the book, I'm delighted to find out that the author released another book; Before We Are Ghosts. Another visceral read that showed not just leaps and bounds of literary and emotional growth, but felt like a brand new journey itself. More on my review of that book on goodreads.

[Dayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the first local poetry book I've read.
I've never really been particularly drawn to poetry, local too.
But I've been following Lixin's work on Instagram for some time now and her words somehow always manage to speak to me.
This was no exception. Somehow, her language and words find a way and curl by the hearth of my heart in company.
There was not a single work that I did not enjoy. I love it. I really really do.
Looking forward to more of your works.

[Patrick Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read for anyone with the intellectual capacity to understand what the author tries to say. Thoroughly enjoyable

[Joely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad collection of poetry. It was engaging to get through in 1 sitting, because it is short and sweet.

[Xin Hui · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who preferred novels to any other books, Keeping skeletons is my first book regarding poetry. And I'm glad I took it at Booksactually. The beautiful words in this book may be simple, however every word serves as a reminder to me about being grateful for the littlest things in life, about being true to oneself.

Like this quote "I want to be able to let the emotions show in every line on my face, to clutch my chest openly where I hurt most, to say what I believe, to believe what I say." It may be simple, but then again in life, we often forget about these and put on a mask in today's world.

I'm glad to say, I'm in love (with this book).

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful short book of poetry. Had You Known was very moving, and my personal favourites included A Different Era and Education 2.0. Perfect afternoon read over coffee and cake.