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Wild Brides
Shhh Shhh the lights are out
and the little suspicion
sleeps and dreams
and whimpers in its crib
Its tongue is ugly and blue
She climbs She climbs
in silence and fury spinning groggy
in darkness and wind Look
her left hand bears for you sweetly
a gift of lightning
and lillies to please you Though
O Tonight
in her right hanf she
has invented gravity
- from Woman Kills Sweetheart With Bowling Ball This first collection of poems is an extraordinary book by an authentic young poet. Laura Kasischke's work is powerful in its vision, its memorable persona, its haunting music. The imaginative details in these poems throw the reader off-balance with their strange blend of savagery and sweetness, tragedy and joy. Here is a poet who is able to evoke the mysteries of folklore and life both sadly and wisely, and to combine the ancient and the contemporary with an eerie intensity. The result is a brilliant book of poems full of dark and stunning images that cannot be comfortably forgotten.
and the little suspicion
sleeps and dreams
and whimpers in its crib
Its tongue is ugly and blue
She climbs She climbs
in silence and fury spinning groggy
in darkness and wind Look
her left hand bears for you sweetly
a gift of lightning
and lillies to please you Though
O Tonight
in her right hanf she
has invented gravity
- from Woman Kills Sweetheart With Bowling Ball This first collection of poems is an extraordinary book by an authentic young poet. Laura Kasischke's work is powerful in its vision, its memorable persona, its haunting music. The imaginative details in these poems throw the reader off-balance with their strange blend of savagery and sweetness, tragedy and joy. Here is a poet who is able to evoke the mysteries of folklore and life both sadly and wisely, and to combine the ancient and the contemporary with an eerie intensity. The result is a brilliant book of poems full of dark and stunning images that cannot be comfortably forgotten.
- GenresPoetry
108 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
5 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Laura Kasischke
45 books411 followersLaura 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 10, 2013
I rarely read poetry but this was amazing! Incredible grip on our language.
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January 7, 2023“Love dies slowly but it does and what it leaves behind looks just like love.”
My professor’s first poetry collection—hoping to make my way through more of her works. She bends language in such a beautiful way.
My professor’s first poetry collection—hoping to make my way through more of her works. She bends language in such a beautiful way.
September 17, 2023
Textes très particuliers, sans aucun doute uniques, mais je n'ai pas vraiment accroché
July 11, 2024
Miam, womanhood at its best, weird and gruesome imagery, excellent
May 12, 2010
This one was really hard to rate. A lot of poems were just astounding, and true, and marvelous, and exciting. But others in the book really fell flat for me. Unhelpful review!
September 18, 2012
Interesting intro to Laura Kasischke's poetry. I'll dig more of her.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews