MASQUE

by Elena Karina Byrne

In verse simmering with sensuality, Elena Karina Byrne eloquently reveals, then carefully slices away, layer after layer of the masks we wear until our most secret selves are exposed. Pretense is overthrown in her exotic and electric imagery, irresistibly drawing the reader into an unabashedly intimate internal dialogue.

Genres: Poetry

86 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2007

About the author

Elena Karina Byrne, former 12 year Regional Director of the Poetry Society of America, is a visual artist, teacher, book reviewer, editor, Poetry Consultant /Moderator for The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Literary Programs Director for The Ruskin Art Club, and poetry teacher for the Idyllwild Arts Academy. Her books include: The Flammable Bird (Zoo Press/Tupelo Press 2002), & MASQUE, (Tupelo Press 2008); forthcoming works in progress include, This Fable Language (poetry), Voyeur Hour (poetry/ art) & Beautiful Insignificance (essays). A 2008 Pushcart Prize winner, Elena's publications include, Best American Poetry 2005, The Yale Review, Paris Review, American Poetry Review, Tri-Quarterly, Denver Quarterly, Barrow Street, Crazyhorse, , Colorado Review, Ploughshares, Antioch Review, Verse,Agenda (UK), Volt, Poetry Daily Anthology, Anthology of Magazine Verse & Yearbook of American Poetry, and Spunk and Bite: A Writer's Guide to Punchier, More Engaging Language and Style. Her book reviews have appeared in Slope and The Journal, among others.

Reviews

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

mini-review:

--Read as 3 1/2 stars.

--I'd like to rate it much higher as many poems in the collection were absolutely fantastic. It simply got downgraded because I found myself bored with other pieces in the collection. Some felt simply overwrought and overworked to me.

--Though that sounds extremely negative, the positives far outweigh that in this book. I came away with some new knowledge, impressed by her use of language in general. This is, for the most part, fantastic work.

[Lynnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

an endlessly rich and resonant collection, that while it riffs on the persistent trope of the "mask" or persona, continued to suprise me with the variety of voices and sets of images and the attention to stretching the boundaries of form. one to dip into again and again...