Throaty Wipes

by Susan Holbrook

In 1934, Gertrude Stein asked "What is poetry and if you know what poetry is what is prose." Throaty Wipes answers this question and many more! How does broadband work? Does "chuffed" mean pleased or displeased? What if the generations of Adam had mothers? Through her signature fusion of formal innovation and lyricism, Holbrook delivers what we've been waiting for. Susan Holbrook is the author of three poetry books, including Joy Is So Exhausting and Reading (and Writing About) Poetry (Broadview Press, 2015). She lives in Leamington, Ontario, and teaches at the University of Windsor.

Genres: Poetry, Canada

88 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2016

About the author

Born in 1967, Susan Holbrook is a Canadian poet and professor. Holbrook received her B.A.from the University of Victoria, and her M.A.from the University of Calgary. She teaches North American literatures and Creative Writing at the University of Windsor, in Ontario.

Susan Holbrook’s teaching, research and writing is propelled by her interests in contemporary poetry and poetics, Canadian literature, American Modernism, gender studies, and creative writing. She is poetry editor for Coach House press. She is currently working on a poetry manuscript (Throaty Wipes, forthcoming in 2016), and an edition of Daphne Marlatt’s collected poetry.

Reviews

[Jennie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I first became interested in this collection of poetry after hearing the author read at Biblioasis in Windsor. I found this collection to be rather one dimensional. I liked the wide range of topics, yet I felt that some of the poems were trying a bit too hard to be considered 'poetry'.

[Jocelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Holbrook's new collection of poems, Throaty Wipes, is a real tonic. Hilarious and clever. This is a book to return to again and again.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the used book store, as I flipped through Throaty Wipes, I saw a poem that I really liked. Since the book was cheap and I figured that there must be more like that one poem, I bought the book. Alas! I was wrong. Throaty Wipes contains a lot of sound poetry which is a type of poem that is very hit or miss with me. There wasn't really an overarching theme to the book, and many of the poems seemed to just be playing with the sounds of words. Which, okay, is a thing you can do. I prefer poetry with less erratic imagery and a more directed purpose. At least the Disney Princess poem was good?

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure I loved these poems but I loved the variety of structures that she used in this collection and the way the structures added to the poems.

[ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

slay girly pop I hate this book !!!!

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these poems are absolutely brilliant, while others were a bit too out there for me. The poet actually sums up my feelings on her work rather well in "Run On": "Poems either go too far or not far enough." I would definitely recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys smart experimental poetry that alights upon the confessional from time to time.

[alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book a few times, all the way to the end, then you may understand 1/3 of it.
Disney Princesses is by far my favourite poem in this book, but I love the thought put into all of them