Serpentine Loop

by Elee Kraljii Gardiner

"Writers, like skaters, score the blank sheet and test the edge of inclusion and exclusion.&nbspMost of these poems begin with a word from skating and push off to another topic. Others revisit ideas of femininity, control and language as pattern, or visit the past through movement, or enact principles from the rink such as symmetry, joy, endurance, crescendo and accent, revolution, response.&nbspThe blade melts ice via friction and pressure. I drifted away from skating but the language is imprinted in me, too, a tracing, a line extending beyond the margins." (from Serpentine Loop)

These are engaging and poignant poems about life on and off the ice.

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2016

Reviews

[Sami Al-Khalili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps one of the most understated books of poetry out there.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serpentine Loop by Elee Kraljii Gardiner is precisely laid out in an easy to navigate motif of figure skating. It’s a powerful work that invites readers into the rainy climate of expensive Vancouver, capturing the loneliness we call solitude with truths like, “hear us tapping on the stucco.” In its empathy and compassion, the collection elevates readers to touch and grasp their own “defiant act of communion,” to weave magic until the desire for reciprocal, meaningful connection transcends isolation. Insightful and concise all at once.

[Ryan Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Margaret Atwood's poem "Woman Skating" to Alice Munro's short story "The Moon in the Orange Street Skating Rink", skating has long been a cherished subject of the writing of Canada's most gifted writers. With her 2016 book "Serpentine Loop", Elee Kraljii Gardiner adds her name to that esteemed list.

In "Scribe", the very first poem in the collection, Gardiner establishes a firm connection to and respect for skating history: "I was on the ice before I could walk. // In the womb then in her arms." She refers to her mother, Olympic Gold Medallist, World, North American and U.S. Champion Tenley Albright. History is everywhere in this book. From an 1849 rescue of a drowning skater on the frozen Schuylkill River to the sombre meditation of school figures, Gardiner takes you along on a journey through time. If you close your eyes, you can almost smell the ice and hear the sound of a loop being patiently carved.

People, places and things from skating history jump out at every (three) turn: Charlotte, Maribel Vinson Owen, Henning Grenander, the Skating Club Of Boston, the Mercury Scud. The stories in this gem of a book give skating history new life.

[Biljana · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's lots to love about this book. For those of us for whom circling a skating rink without falling down is considered a major achievement, this book enlightens on the physics, the mathematics, and the embodied cognition needed for the on-ice artistry that is an unknown world to me. And, this peak into the world of the figure skater is done using varied and ambitious poetic forms. I have never understood any kind of competitive athletics, no matter how artistic; competition is the opposite of pleasure, for me. However, this line, from the poem "Scribe" has exploded my world view and consciousness:
On the ice I was treated like an athlete rather than a child. At the
rink I recognized the first of many systems for ordering the world.

[df parizeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally bought this book strictly for the cover. You can imagine my surprise when I started reading it and discovered that the poems contained within were centred around figure skating.

I have long been enamored with figure skating (one of the only Olympic sports I care to watch). The marriage of graceful, lithe movements married with technical precision is breathtaking and Kraljii Gardiner captures this essence perfectly with her words. The use of concrete poetry only serves to enhance the connection between muse and poem, creating one of the most artful books of poetry you will ever read.

[Elaine Corden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous from start to finish.

[Ish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Way too long to finish a poetry book, beautiful work from a poet I was lucky enough to meet

[Andrea MacPherson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Lovely use of language, some real stand-out poems, but the skating/water theme wore on me.