The Sorrow And The Fast Of It

by Nathalie Stephens

Poetry. "THE SORROW AND THE FAST OF IT is a severe and tender book in its 'incalculable' correspondence between ocean and ground; the one who writes, and the one who receives"--Bhanu Kapil. It exists in a middle place: an overlay of indistinct geographies and trajectories. Stephens writes strained between the bodies of Nathalie and Nathanael, between dissolution and abjection, between the borders that limit the body in its built environment--the narrative, splintered and fractured, dislocates its own compulsion. "Stephens is obsessed by breaking free, only to find herself brakeless"--Andrew Zawacki. Stephens is also the author of TOUCH TO AFLICTION and PAPER CITY, both available at SPD.

Genres: Poetry

100 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2007

About the author

See also: Nathanaël

Reviews

[Caleb Tankersley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't poetry. This isn't prose. It's a very interesting mesh of, well, proverbial little statements that sort of string together. I'd have to say, it's not the easiest book to read. And as a whole, it didn't make a lot of sense. However, isolated sections made a lot of sense, and had some great, dark commentary on urban life. Yah, go ahead and read it. I think, as long as you know what you're getting into, you won't be disappointed, and you'll like it.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit isolating and seems less strung together, more like a clinging together. I hear the word "urgent" a lot and rarely think I read something that feels urgent.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not a book, or traditional story. It's prose, but it flows too. Staccato thoughts with a rawness, sharp edges--Nathalie allows thought to flow without apology for their intensity. I got through the book in a sitting, but found I wanted to read it again and again, in pieces.

I stand on the roof of a building that is condemned. The walls lean and I lean with them. We wait for collapse. And when it doesn't come we tear it down instead. We say no to the part that trembles. And hammer it to bits.

[Nicholas Forman · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Stephens’ melancholic lyricism throughout this story that is not a story, but I did grow frustrated at the way she tends to circle around some unspeakable horror without naming it. I believe portentous is the word. That said, there is an ineffable beauty in her circling around madness, splitting and disgust. “The body foretold the city.”

[Jennifer Chapis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathalie's writing is so original and captivating. I have read this book many times over.

[Sydney S. Kim]

Where am I going to find more of her books?