Lighting the Shadow

by Rachel Eliza Griffiths

Lighting the Shadow is about a woman’s evolving journey through desire, grief, trauma, and the peculiar historical American psyche of desire and violence. These poems explore the international and psychological wars women survive―wars inflicted through various mediums that employ art, race, and literature. Furthermore, the collection is about a woman’s transformation and acceptance of her complicated attempts to balance her spirit’s own spectrum. Pulling the poet away from death, these poems insist that she open her life to her own powers and the powers of a greater world―a world that is both bright and dark.

Genres: Poetry

118 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

Rachel Eliza Griffiths is a multi-media artist, poet, and novelist.

She received the MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and is the recipient of numerous fellowships including Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, Kimbilio, Cave Canem Foundation, Vermont Studio Center, Millay Colony, and Yaddo.

Her literary and visual work has been widely published in journals, magazines, anthologies, and periodicals including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The New York Times, Best American Poetry 2020, and many others. Griffiths is widely known for her literary portraits, fine art photography, and lyric videos.

Reviews

[Josephine Ensign · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely and powerful collection of poems by a new-to-me poet. Thanks to Oliver de la Paz for introducing me to her work--through his Summer Reading Challenge. 'The Dead Will Lead You' is my absolute favorite poem in the collection. I look forward to reading more of her poetry. Highly recommended.

[D.A. Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much beautiful language and stark, vivid imagery contained in this great collection. Griffiths’ light and dark contrasts sets the backdrop for many of the dichotomies in this collection, the personal and the public spaces, the immediate and the historical, the spirit and the physical. Between those opposites lies a murky world containing grief and silence whether its personal loss or a broader issue such as gun violence, the “gristle of imagery” with no easy answers. But with the use of light, the poet (who is also a visual artist, excelling at Black and White photography) takes on the role of guide leading us like Virgil through an Inferno of shadows. Not something I would advise for light reading but one of the more important books of poetry I’ve read.

[Lynne Reeves Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous and memorable!

[Sarah Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would rate this a 6/5 if I could. Stunning.

[Tristan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful exploration of the mystic and the possible and black racial experience in the United States. Griffiths's verse is elegant and balances the realistic and the surreal almost effortlessly. Each piece approaches its concerns a little bit sideways and makes use of mysticism to perform its approach, like in "Human Ceremony with Watermelon Sugar" which ends,

Finally, I will meet you
at the trout's lip, my tongue,
mollusk & petal, my shellacked words,
all blown back
like the dead thrown
from our overturned boat.

I especially loved the entire final section, the poem "Woman to Lightning", "My Dress Hangs There", "Fragments of Poems Returned by Sender", "Native Fire", "Occupy Flower", "The Year in Pictures", and "'a word of rescue from the great eyes'", but the whole thing is lovely and poignant and all-around a very much worthwhile read.

[christine plum · Rating 5 out of 5]

this made me feel like I was having the most beautiful secrets whispered in my ear throughout every poem. they were not always positive, in fact oftentimes they were graphic and painful to hear. however, to encounter work that encompasses some of the individual and worldwide grief we have felt in the past years felt cathartic. within a few pages, I knew I would want to read it again, so for this one, I depended primarily on my own mind and interpretations. for future rereads, I would like to add more context (if I can find relevant interviews/analyses) to dive even more deeply into it. it is not a light read, but it is entirely worth it. there is much to chew on in this collection, and I feel I’ve only just begun.

[Ariel Kalati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this at the Sarah Lawrence Poetry Festival in 2015 and I finally read it now. It's very, very good. I'm not versed in this style of poetry, so it was a bit difficult to detangle my path into its labyrinth at times, but when I found my way, it was invigorating and fascinating.

[Annie Fillenwarth]

I wish I had a better grasp of poetry like this! The few that I feel I understood I really liked, but most went over my head.

[Angie Orlando · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lighting the Shadow by Rachel Eliza Griffinths is one of those books that sounds really cool but means next to nothing. To be fair, I know I'm not good with figurative language, and this book is one metaphor after another. I only read the book because I had to for school. I think other people might enjoy it... It's supposed to be about the evolution of a woman. Well, it sure is dark and moody.

[Chaneli · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolute favorite collections and poet.
I'm excited to pick up more from her. Absolutely stunning.