What It Wasn't

by Laura Kasischke

A collection of poetry by Laura Kasischke.

Genres: Poetry

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Laura Kasischke is an American fiction writer and American poet with poetry awards and multiple well reviewed works of fiction. Her work has received the Juniper Prize, the Alice Fay di Castagnola Award from the Poetry Society of America, the Pushcart Prize, the Elmer Holmes Bobst Award for Emerging Writers, and the Beatrice Hawley Award. She is the recipient of two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as several Pushcart Prizes.

Her novel The Life Before Her Eyes is the basis for the film of the same name, directed by Vadim Perelman, and starring Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood. Kasischke's work is particularly well-received in France, where she is widely read in translation. Her novel A moi pour toujours (Be Mine) was published by Christian Bourgois, and was a national best seller.

Kasischke attended the University of Michigan and Columbia University. She is also currently a Professor of English Language and of the Residential College at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She lives in Chelsea, Michigan, with her husband and son.

Reviews

[Chelsea]

nobody does creative imagery like laura

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Kasischke’s book of poetry, What It Wasn’t is a remarkable display of her talents as a poet and, more so, as a writer. She has mastered the ability to tell a story through poetry utilizing detailed imagery, metaphors and in-your-face visions. There are a few instances – while reading her poetry – the reader might wonder what the poem was about but those instances are few and far between and are overshadowed by her illustrious use of language. Mechanically, her poetry is the epitome of how poems should be constructed. Her conscious use of enjambment creates timing and rhythm that are the support structures for the words it holds up. From beginning to end, What It Wasn’t will captivate and mesmerize any reader.
The title poem for the book, “What It Wasn’t” is an ode to youthful days long gone when all that matter was a particular instance in time. This is one of my favorite pieces in the book because of the alluring detail and language with which she paints a picture for the reader. The resounding “what it wasn’t” echoes vibrantly in her imagery providing the perfect tone for the piece, showing the memories of youthful vibrance, imagination and wonder. The poem never strays into the mundane or into the realm of excessive creativity but is grounded in it’s all too real characters.
Something that I found absolutely wonderful about Kasischke’s book is that it begins with a poem entitled “Morning” and ends with one entitled “Night”. A miniscule detail about the book – at most – but the intrigue lies in the way the two poems compliment each other. There is nothing really outstanding about the two poems other than the way their simplicity captures the attention. They are just what they are titled, morning and night. Short and compact, they are the dawning of a new day and the end of one passed.
Of the twenty four poems that make up What It Wasn’t, “Gray Ladies” is my favorite overall piece. The paranormal tone of the poem and the imagery of “female heaven” is powerful in its language, tone, rhythm and concrete details. The description of Heaven in the poem as being “clammy and cool” somehow gave me the feeling of serenity as I read it. At the same time, the idea of “another evening of dull, parlor games” invoked feelings of eternal boredom. It is those two instances – as well as others throughout the piece – that make this poem my absolute favorite. The changing mood throughout really drove the poem for me.
As a reader, I found Laura Kasischke’s book of poems entertaining, easy to read and a river of vivid detail that made it overwhelmingly easy for me to turn page after page. As a writer, what I took away from What It Wasn’t was Kasischke’s meticulous use of the mechanics of poetry writing. It is not hard to say that I now have a new favorite author and can’t wait to read more of her work.