Shifting Bone

by Alison Malee

Shifting Bone works to make familiar again all the pieces of one's self that were almost forgotten. This collection speaks of one's aching for the unknown, the desperate need to become known to ourselves, and just how healing love can be. Alison Malee writes of love, heartache, and healing with a truthful and delicate touch. This collection is for anyone who has ever felt lost and for those who were triumphant in finding themselves along the way.

Genres: Poetry

200 pages, Paperback

First published March 18, 2016

Reviews

[Beatrice]

Oh man... this is an underwhelming collection. The poems are repetitive, unoriginal and lacked the emotion. I swift through this book but I feel empty.

[Taylor]

I've never really read poetry before so I wasn't sure how I would like Shifting Bone but after finishing this book, I'm definitely a fan of poetry. Every single poem in this book is so incredibly beautiful and well written. I loved this book so much.

[shannon🏹]

3.75 stars

not my favourite poetry book, did love many poems and found some great in fact. however, some of the poems felt repetitive and i had to skip through some. although, some of these poems made me feel things and i am very happy i read this and some felt right for my life right now. thank you alison malee.

[Douna]

Such lovely and delicate words.

It touched pieces of me that have been aching for some long time. If you have lost your way back to your own self for some time now... this book might be for you.

"If only words could express
the war plummeting through my veins and into
my heart and pounding through my skull
and keeping me alive and yet killing me slowly.
Locked in this prison;
content to keep secret the love affair
I am having with this beautiful world.
What does one have to do to
break
free?"

"It takes great courage to let
your mind,
your body,
your soul wander
into the unknown.
Surrender to the
wilderness within you."

[Mel]

A lot of the poems felt like generic life advice. The poems are true, yes, but they lack depth. A poem shouldn't be about telling me self-love is important. Most people already know this. We've heard it before. Being told it's important to love yourself isn't striking or rememberable. Poems shouldn't merely tell about feelings. They should express them.

I'm numb to generic life-advice. I want to feel the importance of this advice, not to be lectured about how maybe I am lonely and want to be validated by others is because I don't love myself enough. Because I know this. I don't want to be told how to fix myself. Loving myself isn't an step I can just take. Everyone knows that. These poems seem to simplify that, which is probably not the poet's intention.

Her intention, I think, is to offer hope. I admire that. This could be accomplished better by focusing on a moment rather than a feeling; by recreating that moment with words rather than just talking about words. Emotions are found within moments. Malee's stronger poems were some of the relationship poems because they start to bring out specific moments. They still, however, tend to lean towards the abstract and vague. Unlike what many poets think (and I have heard poets say this), being general doesn't make it easier for people to contect with the poem or to find themselves within the words. It makes it harder because emotions aren't being evoked; because there is no details to make connections with.

These poems are a good start but not ready to published in my opinion. Others might enjoy them as they are, and that is fine, but I think they could be a lot stronger. Malee has the potential to do that too.

[Elena ( The Queen Reads )]

" When I am utterly lost in the words,
hidden deep within the secluded pages of a tenderly dressed novel–that is where I find myself. "

[Raquel]

This book is breathtaking. Alison's words express the growth and pain of womanhood in the most beautiful way. She is an inspiration and I will cherish this book for all my days.

[Shahd Thani]

Every poem moved me. Every single word.

[Chloe Frayne]

Alison Malee is, and always will be, my favourite writer. She has such a uniquely beautiful talent and I am in love with the way she uses it. There is something so deeply poignant and thought-provoking in her words, which is a gift that is not often seen. I can't recommend this book or this author enough.

[Cameron]

This is a moving and powerful anthology and comes in a day and age when true poetry was thought to be dead. But not with Alison, her moving prose and deep insight to love, hope and meaning is worthy of a timeless status

[Abbey Chong]

Such a beautiful and delicate collection. I have no words...

[Mary Louise]

3.5 stars...the last section was 5 stars for me.

[Safa Bader]

Simply. This should win the 2019’s best poetry book!

[Vero]

Beautifully written, choice of words made it very poetic and prose is artfully composed.

[Eleni LL]

Left me feeling empty.

[Shannon O'Connor]

Soft and dreamy.

[Janine]

some are good

[Hanna Tamara]

I have decided to give this 4 stars. I really enjoyed this collection!

[Ellie]

I am disappointed. The back of the book made me think there would be poems about motherhood but the only one is the last page :/

[Daniela]

Loved this book!

My absolute favorites poems were:
Options
Reminder
Forgivness
Power

[Jody]

A calling, a shift, reflection and embrace.

Powerful work that resonates. A must-read, and must-REread. A stroke of brilliance, truth, and reminder to self of all that is within.

[Jamrock]

I recently read (all, I think) three books, so I am posting the same review for all of them

==
I recently crashed headlong into a kindred spirit with a shared love of words and music genres. One of our shared discoveries was the work of Alison Malee. I consumed quite a lot direct from her Instagram but then plunged headlong into the well of words that is her published output. Where to start? I'm not sure if you ever "finish" a poetry book, even if you read it cover to cover as I often pick up anthologies and find new meaning in poems I once skipped over. Some poems are like catching whispered fragments of private conversations, others are like glimpsing private notes to her current partner or former lovers. Many poems left me wondering what the author had to experience or endure in the creation of the poems. Many of the poems, the ones bookmarked, felt like reliving personal emotions and experiences or hopes (and fears) of future feelings.

[Nariman]

A book filled with such beautiful and delicate words, especially the last chapter 'become' which changed my mind about giving the book 3 stars rating to 5 stars ✨
A must read for every young woman going through the ups and downs of the process of personal growth and self realization.
I'm keeping this book for my future daughter ❤️

[alissa]

4.5*

Alison Malee's poetry always leaves me a little bit starry-eyed and unable to truly pin down what I feel about it. Suffice it to say that her work is quiet, bold, gentle, powerful, soft, kind. It is every adjective out there; it is truly beautiful.

[rmh]

this is the collection of poetry that inspired me to start writing over a year ago.
a favorite.
still a favorite.
always a favorite.

[Jamrock]

My first Malee

Loved the freedom of the verse. Can’t wait to receive my physical copy of the new book and build the collection.

[Heather Picardat]

Beautifully thought out. I had never read Malee before and I absolutely love her style

[Morgan Nikola-Wren]

These poems are balm. Pure and simple.

Equal parts gentle and fierce, Malee has assembled a sensuous homage to womanhood that can make everyone who reads it feel strong, cherished, and a little less alone.