Knife Throwing Through Self-Hypnosis

by Robin Richardson

In her second collection of poetry, Robin Richardson charts a path through a surreal otherworld that is at once carnal and aerial, fine-grained and crude. With her unique and engaging voice that mixes pop culture, archaic mysticism, and inventiveness with lyric forms, these poems play with reality and fantasy, distorting perception, and are universal and personal at once.

Genres: Poetry

88 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Robin Richardson is an award-winning author and public speaker, teaching the art of deliberate creation.

She is a McDowell, Doris McCarthy, and Berton House Fellow and is the recipient of the Trillium Book Award among others. She is a graduate with honours from Sarah Lawrence College Master's in Writing Program.

Reviews

[Lisa Nikolits · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such piecing imagery you want to weep with joy and sorrow. You want to shout yes and, oh no, does it have to be that way and then, in answer, you know that it does.

Our daily sorrows become jewels, our struggles, stars, our torments, meteors.

This is the kind of collection to keep handy, to read when life doesn't make sense. Robin is the great explainer, the unraveller of mysteries and experiences are magnified, turned inside out and pinned to the wall in a way that you will never forget.

The poems in this collection are as brilliant as a full moon on a clear night.

[THE TORONTO QUARTERLY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, Everyone! Please check out my interview with Toronto poet Robin Richardson as we discuss her second collection of poetry, Knife Throwing Through Self-Hypnosis (ECW Books, 2013). Read the interview and 3 poems from Robin's new book on my TTQ Blog now. http://thetorontoquarterly.blogspot.c...

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upcoming review in CV2!

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehension level 5
Enjoyment level 100

[Jessica Surgett · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was everything I’d hoped it would be.

[Peter Fokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zipped through this book on first reading and then read each poem very carefully a second and third time.

I'm very impressed with Richardson's Knife Throwing Through Self-Hypnosis. In many poems, memories of her youth are refracted through her fine poetic sensibility as in 'Little Robin Explains Growing Up' : "...fits / of finding out about the bomb, caldera, / how a cell can kill its neighbours ..." And yet in other poems, such as 'Tertiary Characters: A Beheading', the sharp edge of her language and images makes us feel the knife blade and blood of immediate experience: "to let the head fall gentle to the pit. Simple. Rag to / wipe the blade. Now dragging self through field ..."

Looking forward to reading more poetry from Robin.

[Jason Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is explosive in thought. Each line I read was so creative and perfectly placed within the poem. Robin’s words displayed the same meticulous thought in their arrangement as a chess player would use carefully moving knights and bishops. I was not surprised having read some of her work online and seeing her YouTube clips. She is someone I will read for many years to come. A true artist, fearless with her words of poetry. Check out this book today.

[Lynn Tait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Robin's poetry books have been a great read, but also, a poet myself, a great learning tool. Her Word choices and economy of phrase have been incredibly helpful. Her poems have made me think, and inspired me! Many standouts. Inheritance; Nay,It Is,i Know Noy "Seems"; Lucky Numbers; and Abandoned Mannequin Plant.

[Bryan Richard]

It was definitely interesting. A little weird perhaps, but then after all it was a poetry book wasn't it now? I enjoyed it.

[Margaryta · Rating 5 out of 5]

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