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Hallelujah for the Ghosties
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 10, 2017
Yet another book from a Heather-recommended press.
I really enjoyed this collection. These poems are made of clever wordplay, childhood memories of playing in the backyard, the everyday, and a little cosmic mysticism.
Some of my favorites are "Why Astronomy Matters," which reminds me so strongly of driving around backroads at night, listening to Art Bell on the radio, and "Winter Survivor," on witnessing cruelty in nature --
Lovely.
I really enjoyed this collection. These poems are made of clever wordplay, childhood memories of playing in the backyard, the everyday, and a little cosmic mysticism.
Some of my favorites are "Why Astronomy Matters," which reminds me so strongly of driving around backroads at night, listening to Art Bell on the radio, and "Winter Survivor," on witnessing cruelty in nature --
both times your body hung up, stopped working
while your brain summed and asked and finally gave up,
your mouth dry the same way it is dry
looking at the wasp's wings which should be moving
Lovely.
March 17, 2021
Really beautiful poetry, a really interesting voice. There are thoughts on a lot of different things - life, science, art, a sense of place - but an overall flow throughout that's lovely. I particularly loved the last three poems in the book, with Why Astronomy Matters being my favorite. I'm definitely keeping my copy!
May 1, 2015
"Standing there in the hackles of the evening, he knew before we did something was coming"
Something indeed was coming for me. A dense and rich chronicle of the domestic, a closer look at the spots we try to avoid. These poems are wrought with smarts and wit.
"There is a lot to see in people, the way they hover at the edge of knowing and oblivion, the way they keep on clipping hair and making appointments, clocks with hearts."
~
"It's not that I wanted ugly, it's that I wanted real."
Real. I think that is my biggest take away from this book. The speaker is focused on a reality just below the surface, one she cannot remove herself from – one that often feels hidden but we all know is there. She cannot leave the space she inhabits. No matter her attempts, she cannot escape her imperfect environment. At every line, she is about to uncover the next lurking beastie – ghost.
"We all left dinner burning."
These poems are worth reading again – to uncover what is awful and what is human, to find that lovely grotesque just beneath the surface – I spent several weeks with the book savoring her surprising, lyrical lines. I’ve picked a few of my favorites but you’ll have to read the book to really discover them – to get to know them. This is, without a doubt, a finely crafted collection.
"This time of year, the daffodils in Tennessee are thinking of doing something, reaching out like lightning."
Something indeed was coming for me. A dense and rich chronicle of the domestic, a closer look at the spots we try to avoid. These poems are wrought with smarts and wit.
"There is a lot to see in people, the way they hover at the edge of knowing and oblivion, the way they keep on clipping hair and making appointments, clocks with hearts."
~
"It's not that I wanted ugly, it's that I wanted real."
Real. I think that is my biggest take away from this book. The speaker is focused on a reality just below the surface, one she cannot remove herself from – one that often feels hidden but we all know is there. She cannot leave the space she inhabits. No matter her attempts, she cannot escape her imperfect environment. At every line, she is about to uncover the next lurking beastie – ghost.
"We all left dinner burning."
These poems are worth reading again – to uncover what is awful and what is human, to find that lovely grotesque just beneath the surface – I spent several weeks with the book savoring her surprising, lyrical lines. I’ve picked a few of my favorites but you’ll have to read the book to really discover them – to get to know them. This is, without a doubt, a finely crafted collection.
"This time of year, the daffodils in Tennessee are thinking of doing something, reaching out like lightning."
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews