Mud Woman: Poems from the Clay (Volume 20)

by Nora Naranjo-Morse

The clay sculptures of Nora Naranjo-Morse have been critically hailed for both their humor and their blending of traditional and modern styles. Now with Mud Woman she calls on her equal talent as a poet, juxtaposing clay and words to capture not only the essence of the creative process but also the satisfactions and complications of what it means to be a Pueblo Indian woman in the late twentieth century.

Genres: Poetry

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1992

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost think I like the photos of Naranjo-Morse's clay sculptures included in this volume more than the poems themselves. The poems are mostly fairly simple, but they display and communicate a deep love for her relatives, for the original language of her people, and most of all for the creative process itself, whether it manifests itself in human activity or some other guise. All of this is framed however by a profound sense of humor which gets communicated more through the figures than through the poems, so as a unit the book works very well. Too much seriousness and art degenerates into politics and becomes merely timely, casting a low grey ceiling over the work. It is the injection of whimsy, of the joy of simply being that creates, to paraphrase Leonard Cohen, the crack in everything that lets the light get in. This artist knows this well.

[Greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mud Woman is a wonderful collection of poetry and pictures of the author's sculptures. Loved hearing it read out loud to me at bedtime and look forward to studying the pictures while rereading some of the corresponding poems. Nora Naranjo-Morse is a wonderful writer, poet and clay artist; she is a great contemporary talent.

[Sean]

Dog-eared:
"Gia's Song"
"My Father's Hands"
"Ta"
"Pit Firing a Milestone"

[SuZanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mud Woman: Poems from the Clay is one of my favorite reads. Nora Naranjo-Morse, a well-recognized ceramicist, is an equally brilliant poetic voice.I had the privilege of having Nora herself put this book in my hands and change my life.

I could visualize the mud beneath her fingernails as she writes, "All of this gets soaked up,/storing in a chamber/called my heart/and when the sponge is full,/ it is wrung out./Wrung out into these clay forms you see/wrung out into these words I offer you." And there they are together in this book-- her clay figures and her words.

We readers are treated to this glossy-paged little colorful book, brimming over with honest poetry, female-centered, tribe-centered and earth-centered. Crystal clear color photos of her clay figures like Mud Woman, Pearlene, Gia and Daughter illuminate the poems for a double treat.

"Daily rituals/reminding me to celebrate." Buy it, you won't regret it. Then you can celebrate witnessing an artist in love with her work and her simple daily life.

[Brendan]

Rating: 3 1/2

It's a combination of art book (clay sculptures) and poetry. The sculptures are closer to 4 stars, with the poetry being more like 3 stars. She definitely seems like a sculptor who got into poetry, not a poet who sculpted.

My favorites:

"Wandering Pueblo Woman"
the Pearlene series
"My Father's Hands"

As for the sculptures:

Pinto Bean and Grasshopper Ate My Lilacs and Didn't Even Care
An Intellectual from Tuba City
Pearlene Teaching Her Cousins Poker
A Sister's Dream
Yuppie Yazzies

In her best sculptures, she depicts people, but in a playful way that makes it clear she doesn't take it too seriously. They're fun.

Her poetry strays too much into prose territory for my liking. But she knows modern Pueblo Indian life and her best work reflects that.

[Sophia Nuñez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The quiet poems accompanied by photographs of Naranjo-Morse's pottery are beautiful, reminding the reader of the worth of the little rituals of our daily lives, of staying grounded, and of staying true to ourselves and our traditions amidst difficulties. There was something healing about this book.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful poetry along with great images of clay sculpture

[RICKMAN YVONNE · Rating 4 out of 5]

GOOD BOOK!

[Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!} · Rating 4 out of 5]

need to be reviewed.