Love Lessons: Poems, 1973-2023

by Mary Ellen Capek

Love Lessons is Mary Ellen Capek's first collection of poems, spanning fifty years, where she describes growing up in the '50s, coming of age in the '60s, first love, sex, marriage, her mother's early death, friendships, divorce, stepchildren, and coming out as a lesbian at age 45.

Several poems central to Love Lessons focus on language, paying tribute to Adrienne Rich and other writers struggling to realize Rich's "dream of a common language," essential for describing women's lives. Her poems also focus on the interconnectedness of all creation, with allusions to essential understandings of justice, human rights, and the intersections of history and politics within our day-to-day lives.

Genres: Poetry

50 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2024

Reviews

[Oaky Tyree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the tone of this as there was a quiet strumming throughout this collection. There were a few moments where some of the wording really stood out, and the recollections were interesting to read. I liked the inner dialogue throughout most of the poems but I felt wanting more of a punch to round out the ends of most of these that somehow that threw the pacing off for me.

Great collection, mind you, and the author kept that tone well enough throughout. But I wished there was a shift at one point, or some sort of heightened adrenaline to keep me turning page after page, but that was really mild instead.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this collection. All opinions are my own.

[Milo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I do not believe Love Lessons was for me -- some of the writing simply did not click, while others were a little disjointed in a way that made it hard for me to follow.

However, one poem I did quite like was Stepson. It was rather sweet and loving, and touched on a form of parenthood that feels very yearning: close, but tied with ribbon instead of sinew. Something that, in writing, feels like it could break.

Overall I wouldn't say this was my favorite poem collection ever, however Mary Ellen has written something that creates a connection to the reader.

[Frances Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to enjoy this a lot more than I did because queer poets will always have a special place in my heart. And while I did enjoy some of the poems, and the way they were delivered others didn't quite hit the spot or missed it completely. Like I felt like I was reading a quirky or abstract magazine column at times rather than a poem. This very much could be a Me Problem. I like my poetry playful and sparse and emotive and occasionally direct. Think Mary Oliver. Think Lucille Clifton. Think June Jordan. So maybe it was me who missed the mark, not the poems or their creator.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

[Emmaby Barton Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review

technically i read this but i feel i ended up skimming quite a few… i’m sure this is lovely but it just wasn’t for me - i was drawn to the description of it being queer and inspired by adrienne rich but i just didn’t feel a huge connection to any of the poems - there was certainly gorgeous prose - i loved ‘coming home’, ‘ a language of our own’ and friendship’ in particular, as well as how she describes nature. but i am simply not enough of a poetry girly to fully appreciate these and/or they didn’t give me what i wanted

[Amelia (Taylors Version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank You Netgalley for the E-ARC*
This collection was beautifully written. However, I will admit not all of the poems were for me. I found myself unable to relate to more of them than I did. However, Capek's writing manages to transcend her readers right into the moments she was writing about something a lot of poetry seems to lack as of late.

[Iara Moure · Rating 2 out of 5]

short but sweet y nada más. no me llego ninguno de lo poemas, solo me resultó interesante la composicion de cada uno.

[Araya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arc Review:
Overall Rating: 3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This collection of poems was beautifully written but I just think I wanted to like them more then I did, and I mean no disrespect in this at all.

Thank you NetGalley