Human Work: A Poet's Cookbook

by Sean Borodale

BOOKS

Genres: Poetry

80 pages, Paperback

First published February 12, 2015

Reviews

[Kelsey Hennegen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Human Work was written entirely in the kitchen, with such specificity on particular fruits, vegetables, dishes, the preparation. But really focused and narrow. Of course, my mind would wander through various metaphors possible within the specificity of a given dish, though these may have all been projections. Nevertheless, it felt fruitful, evoking meaningful reflection. Borodale doesn’t always place the self or the speaker in the poems, so when he does, it is sort of this shocking (in the best way) pull back from the immediacy of preparation and deep into interiority. Sumptuous, rich, keen, deeply deliberate.

[Xenia Tran · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Human Work' is a collection of poems written while cooking and here the kitchen becomes a place to reflect and observe the interconnectedness of soil and salad, fisherman, storms and fish and our role and responsibility as a mindful cook and consumer. Intense, filled with warmth, awareness and a great eye for observation, each poem is a meditation in itself and worthy of several readings.

[Juliano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sean Borodale's 'Human Work' is a collection of poetry about and written in the kitchen. Borodale's writing on the whole is perfectly succinct, his expression so perfectly capturing the fleeting heat of cooking and creating - though, as a collection/ sequence, the premise is somewhat worn thin by the (still excellent) final poem.

[Leeza · Rating 5 out of 5]

exquisite !!