Traceable Relation

by Kimberly Alidio

A collection of linked essays and poems concerned with the vitality of art and writing in the wake of grief. At the intersections of poetry, sonic/ visual text, nonfiction, and arts writing, Traceable Relation portrays a writer’s practice within a lineage of aesthetic and practical sensibilities conveyed in the personal effects of her late father and the concrete tasks of communal mourning. In her ongoing practice of “speaking nearby” various works of film, sound installation and pop music, innovative, contemporary writing emerges from the diasporic arts of memory and survivance.

Genres: Poetry

126 pages, Paperback

Published September 16, 2025

Reviews

[Beatrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Traceable relation is a really complex collection of poetry, the prose, both of the verses and the poems, is really articulate. I liked how the poems and verses felt like a stream of consciousness, but I felt left out, I couldn't always understand the meaning of the author's words. While I recognize the artisticity of this work, it wasn't for me.
Thank you Kimberly Alidio, Fonograf Editions and Netgalley for the ARC.

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book feels reads like a dream. Especially in the traceable relation parts, one thought flows into the next, not quite linear and only half connected, I felt like flying through the pages.
Also, I always love literary texts that concern themselves with linguistic topics. These poems mentioned semantic and syntactical matters, but also the for poetry much more important prosody. On top of that it is multilingual. I love it!
It will certainly become a collection I will reread several times to catch all the intra- and intertextual references .(Who doesn’t love a poetry collection with pages and pages of references at the end?)
And, all in all, it is a lovely array of beautiful words, but even more than that an intersection of poetry, visual text and so much more. It was my first book by this author, but I certainly need to read more.

[Sarah Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Traceable Relation by Kimberly Alidio

Traceable Relation is a daring and multilayered collection of linked essays and poems that interrogates the vitality of art and writing in the wake of grief. Kimberly Alidio’s work thrives at the intersection of poetry, sonic/visual text, and experimental nonfiction, weaving personal loss with broader meditations on diasporic memory, linguistics, and interdisciplinary art forms. While the collection’s intellectual density and nonlinear structure may initially alienate some readers, its fragmented beauty rewards patience—offering a dreamlike, almost osmotic reading experience where meaning accrues through sensory and syntactic play.

Key Strengths:

- Interdisciplinary Brilliance: Alidio’s engagement with film, sound, pop music, and multilingual prosody creates a rich tapestry of references. The Notes section is illuminating, grounding her abstract flights in scholarly and artistic lineages.
- Emotional Resonance: The work's theoretical explorations are anchored by the personal and communal dimensions of mourning, lending vulnerability to its avant-garde form.
- Linguistic Play: Fans of experimental syntax, semantic slippage, and multilingual poetry will find much to savor, though some passages demand rereading to unpack their layered intent.

Critique:
While exhilarating for those attuned to its rhythms, the collection's niche aesthetic risks obscuring its emotional core. At times, the prose’s deliberate crypticness feels exclusionary, as if the reader is deciphering a private lexicon rather than collaborating in meaning-making. Yet this opacity invites return visits, promising discoveries with each read.

How I would describe this book:

- A luminous, challenging mosaic of grief and artistry—Alidio’s work lingers like a half-remembered dream.
- For readers who crave poetry that dances between linguistics and pop culture, Traceable Relation is a revelation.
- A book that demands—and rewards—repeated reading. Alidio’s Notes alone are worth the price of admission.

Acknowledgments:
Thank you to Fonograf Editions for providing an advance review copy. This collection, with its unapologetic complexity and haunting beauty, reaffirms the press’s commitment to bold, boundary-pushing literature.

Final Recommendation:
Approach Traceable Relation as you would a gallery installation: let its fragments wash over you before piecing together their connective tissue. It’s a book for artists, linguists, and anyone willing to embrace the disorienting thrill of creative unknowing. While not every reader will grasp its full depths, Alidio’s audacity ensures this work will spark conversations—and likely, a desire to revisit her earlier titles (Teeter, A Teaching Summer). A flawed but unforgettable addition to contemporary experimental writing.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 — Brilliant but niche, with moments of opacity)

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this felt like peering into someone's journal or perhaps a collection of fieldnotes. At times thought maybe I wasn't quite "getting it" or like I was on the outside of an inside joke. However, I was able to get over this and realized that I could get things out of the reading experience without needing to dig into every sentence, some kind of osmosis. This also means there is much I could go back to.

Definitely read it if you take interest in sensory experiences/art (sound, cinema, linguistics in particular). I appreciated the Notes section, too.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC.

[Dora Okeyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shocked me, well not because it was off course but because I was not prepared for the complexity of the author's thoughts on writing. The way the essays, prose and verse here touch on art, music, sound, movement, history- and context is something that I am still grappling with.
I'd be curious to know what someone who understands syntax- and music has to say on this, just curious.
The bottom line for me is that I have lots to learn and discover when it comes to writing and art.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arc review.

There are good things in this collection of poems & essays.
I did feel a bit ''left out'' in some of them, so I didn't really understand them.
But it's really interesting to read the thoughts.

I do think you have to have interest in the subjects ( which I think is normal hahah)
But since these are specific topics, I just wanted to clarify.

I loved the notes part, and I think that's really authentic.

3.5/5

Thank you for everyone involved for the arc!

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think overall I'm not a fan of this style (stream-of-consciousness-like essays), because I find it difficult to connect-- HOWEVER, there is the occasional moment where I do find myself along for the ride. But who the hell am I? I had one college poetry class and now they let me write reviews online. Don't listen to me.

Thanks for the ARC.

[Simi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know that poetry is up for interpretation, but where is the line between cryptic and niche? The book seemed all over the place and I could not find a common thread to tie it together, as if it was just about artistic expression. I did, however, like the change in format between pieces as it really distinguished them, as well as the notes section at the end.

Thank you to Fonograf Editions and NetGalley for this ARC for review; all opinions are my own.