On that one-way trip to Mars

by Marlena Chertock

ON THAT ONE-WAY TRIP TO MARS is a version of the Voyager’s Grand Tour, if the spacecraft had skeletal dysplasia. It is a space journey that includes sexual encounters with astronomers, the increasing warmth of the sun, and zero gravity to give aching bones a break. These poems travel the solar system. Blast into orbit and head on that one-way journey with them.
Buy: http://bottlecap-press.myshopify.com/...

Genres: Poetry

102 pages, Unknown Binding

Published May 1, 2016

About the author

Marlena Chertock has two books of poetry, Crumb-sized (Unnamed Press, 2017) and On that one-way trip to Mars (Bottlecap Press, 2016). She uses her skeletal dysplasia and chronic pain as a bridge to scientific poetry. She regularly moderates panels at literary conferences, participates in podcast interviews, facilitates writing workshops, and performs poetry at open mics and reading series. Find her at marlenachertock.com or @mchertock.

Reviews

[Simone Levy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! So cool to see Marlena's poetry. Her poetry is insightful and poignant; absolutely inspiring!

[Richard Agemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a big universe out there, and Marlena Chertock’s poems cover an impressive range of subjects and feelings to match it. I greatly admire the diversity of her work which is organized in sections titled after the planets and the Sun. A few of my favorites:

Armpit arsonist
With vivid imagery, these 25 short lines tell a sad story that has haunting staying power.

Find us
Darkly funny speculation about what extraterrestrials may think when our paths at last cross.

Under the weeping willow
A daughter’s flashback about being with her father. Simple and elegant.

On that one-way trip to Mars
The poignant thoughts of the author (who has a rare bone disorder) about why she would go to the Red Planet, if only she could, and what she would do there.

The shape of it
In the section for Saturn, this down-to-earth poem about a ring shines.

Voyager I lands and Voyager II lands
These two poems brilliantly capture the amazing missions of the two Voyager two spacecraft that flew by and studied several planets (which included Neptune, the section in which these poems appear) and carried into the cosmos the “Golden Record” that contains photos and sounds of people and places of Earth. The Voyager II poem has wonderful humor.

First fish
A short, beautifully crafted story-poem about the innocent expectations of love.

And just to be clear, one doesn't have to be a space aficionado to enjoy these poems!

[Courtney LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of poetry focuses primarily on two topics - the poet's bone disorder and her desire for space travel. While at first glance these two things seems far apart the poet is able to bring them together, weaving them into a story you want to keep reading. Throughout the book there are also poems about her family, including one of my favorites, "Dinner uncooked" which laments baby birds inside their oven and her mother's inability to use the oven. Another favorite is "Armpit Arsonist" which has the wonderful line "He didn't think a dollar-store lighter / would make them turn over and over, / like he danced when he was drunk."

Overall this book of poetry was a delightful read, I recommend it.

[L. D. Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A marvelous and marvelously brave book gently probing outer and inner space and illuminating, in the end, that ever elusive still point at the center of our cosmos: the courage to go on in the face of ultimate mystery. Highly recommended!

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting collection. Very physical poetry, which makes for a fresh perspective. Recommended.

A full review will appear in Star*Line 40.2 and in Amazing Stories in due time.

Full review: http://www.sfpoetry.com/sl/reviews/16... (collections listed alphabetically)

[Elle Maruska · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful collection of poems; the voice is strong throughout and the mash-up of outer space and the inner worlds of conflict, disease, broken hearts and loss works very well. I enjoyed how family history intertwines with planetary history, how themes of being small in a vast universe are handled, debated, explored. Overall this was a very enjoyable book and I'd recommend it to anyone with a chronic or debilitating illness who feels at both at home in and at odds with a universe that is so much of a mystery still

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chertock weaves narratives of the self with imagery of the solar system, from an ode to "my astronomer" who "looks for quirks in the light" ("Star Searcher") to imagining Jupiter's daughter being sent to anger management ("Jupiter's Daughter Was So Angry") to centos made of Bowie lyrics ("At three o'clock in the morning"). At the heart of this collection is the speaker finding the distance and imagery to deal with a bone disorder. These poems are stunning, blending the self with astronomy, pain with humor: "I would go to Mars if I wasn't too short / for NASA's height restrictions. / I'd tell them you can fit more short people / into a rocket." Highly recommended.

[Raima Larter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard this poet read at a book signing, and loved the concept of a series of poems based on the planets, so I bought this small chapbook and read the rest. Very nicely done - funny in places, moving in others, and a pleasure to read. I will definitely look for more work by this talented poet!