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Love & Vodka: A Book of Poetry for Glass Hearts
Love & Vodka is Christina Strigas' third poetry book. This book is written for all the hearts that shatter, that are transparent, that crack, rebuild and see truth. This is for the souls that connect through words. The poems in this book will make you breathless from their honesty. This poetry collection is full of poems that will make you contemplate the magic of connections disconnections, rejection, love, drinking, pain, marriage, loneliness, honor and the perils of living so many lifetimes in one. Delve into poetry head first and read passages over again to connect. This book has a modern feel with an ancient way of writing. Inspired by Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath and modern poets such as Mary Oliver and Billy Collins to name a few, Christina Strigas uses stream of consciousness to devour themes and words and spurt them forth into a poem. A contemporary poetry book that will not disappoint you and that will restore your faith into the power of poetry again.
- GenresPoetry
172 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2016
38 people are currently reading
914 people want to read
About the author
Christina Strigas
16 books189 followersChristina Strigas is an author and poet, raised by Greek immigrants, who has written seven poetry books. Her poetry book LOVE & VODKA was featured by CBC Books in, “Your Ultimate Canadian Poetry List: 68 Poetry Collections Recommended by you.” Her poetry book, LOVE & METAXA has garnered positive reviews, including Pank Magazine. Her poem, “Dead Wife” was nominated for best of the net 2020, as was her flash fiction "Grass" in 2023. Her latest poetry book is LOVE & GAIA. Her poetry book, FOR ALL THE LONELY HEARTS BEING PULLED OUT OF THE GROUND published by Free Lines Press, a French indie press that publishes experimental poetry. can be found on their website. Strigas has also published two novels with The Wild Rose Press.
Strigas’s poems have appeared in Montreal Writes, Feminine Collective, Neon Mariposa Magazine, Pink Plastic House Journal, BlazeVOX, Thimble Lit Magazine, The Temz Review, Coffin Bell Journal, and others.
She is a full-time public school teacher and a part-time course lecturer for McGill University.
In her spare time, Christina enjoys foreign cinema, reading the classics, and cooking traditional Greek recipes that have been handed down from her grandmother.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 25, 2017
When it comes to poetry, it’s not common to get a collection that includes all the voices and approaches of a single author. Love and Vodka is not a common collection and instead a wide variety of the different voices within the mind and soul of Christina Strigas.
From poetry that disarms with its honesty, up to and including erotic poetry, Strigas pushed for a collection that does not ask for any apologies and is absolutely her. From poignant to raw, she covers all the bases and more than once offers some deeply emotional insights which I think can educate as well as liberate.
Language and subject matter can be more on the adult side of life, but after all, the title says it all. If you have a drink normally different liquors are used in proportions to offer a smooth experience in the palate. Since this is such a comprehensive collection, it’s as if there are a whole series of poetic drinks where Love and Vodka are the main ingredients. Some are straight up strong, others are silky, some are delicate, and other feelings like sweet, intimate, warm, friendly, angry, raw, confused, hopeless, and hopeful all make appearances in this collection.
Although I tried to maintain discipline to single out a couple of poems, I’m sure I’m missing more, but among the highlights, I can mention a few.
Loving a writer. One of the shorter poems still packs one hell of a punch, especially to fellow writers. “Loving a writer is only for the strong, the ones who care to stare at the sky with you, or at a locked door.” There’s a lot of truth in those lines and the others in that poem and it was so honest, I couldn’t help but bookmark it. Used up follows this pattern of brutal honesty within metaphors that will mean something different to different people: “you should’ve played me like a piano, not a used up broken stringed guitar.”
Some poems are longer, but I constantly found myself shocked back into existence with some of the quicker writes. Oceans away took 7 lines to leave me disarmed. “The Art in Me” is an in your face look at love and sex while “Untitled” is as honest a stream of thought as it gets: “I never got your attention when I needed it the most.” For its part, “Tell me” is another of those poems that hints at truths in how we behave and the things that we do for one more glimpse of someone.
And of course, “Love and Vodka” had to be on this list: “It was the vodka combined with your eyes that gave me your love in a shot glass.”
Earnest, honest, varied, deep, raw. All these words and many more should be used to describe this collection. It is definitely worth your time and I am happy to be able to have this collection to add to the poetry that inspires me to release the words and be as honest as paper and ink will allow me… which is pretty damn honest, if you ask any poet.
From poetry that disarms with its honesty, up to and including erotic poetry, Strigas pushed for a collection that does not ask for any apologies and is absolutely her. From poignant to raw, she covers all the bases and more than once offers some deeply emotional insights which I think can educate as well as liberate.
Language and subject matter can be more on the adult side of life, but after all, the title says it all. If you have a drink normally different liquors are used in proportions to offer a smooth experience in the palate. Since this is such a comprehensive collection, it’s as if there are a whole series of poetic drinks where Love and Vodka are the main ingredients. Some are straight up strong, others are silky, some are delicate, and other feelings like sweet, intimate, warm, friendly, angry, raw, confused, hopeless, and hopeful all make appearances in this collection.
Although I tried to maintain discipline to single out a couple of poems, I’m sure I’m missing more, but among the highlights, I can mention a few.
Loving a writer. One of the shorter poems still packs one hell of a punch, especially to fellow writers. “Loving a writer is only for the strong, the ones who care to stare at the sky with you, or at a locked door.” There’s a lot of truth in those lines and the others in that poem and it was so honest, I couldn’t help but bookmark it. Used up follows this pattern of brutal honesty within metaphors that will mean something different to different people: “you should’ve played me like a piano, not a used up broken stringed guitar.”
Some poems are longer, but I constantly found myself shocked back into existence with some of the quicker writes. Oceans away took 7 lines to leave me disarmed. “The Art in Me” is an in your face look at love and sex while “Untitled” is as honest a stream of thought as it gets: “I never got your attention when I needed it the most.” For its part, “Tell me” is another of those poems that hints at truths in how we behave and the things that we do for one more glimpse of someone.
And of course, “Love and Vodka” had to be on this list: “It was the vodka combined with your eyes that gave me your love in a shot glass.”
Earnest, honest, varied, deep, raw. All these words and many more should be used to describe this collection. It is definitely worth your time and I am happy to be able to have this collection to add to the poetry that inspires me to release the words and be as honest as paper and ink will allow me… which is pretty damn honest, if you ask any poet.
June 1, 2017
The plain blue cover and amazing interior is not only thing which attracts you to Christina's book. But her poems touch your heart! She writes in a way that anyone can feel connected. Love the book!!! ❤️
December 22, 2018
This volume is one of heartbreak, loss, love passion and growth. Christina manages to entice the reader into her world through utilizing modern themes that suit everyday existence. My most treasured line in the entire volume is, "loving a writer is only for the strong."
November 21, 2023
I have followed Christina Strigas on twitter for years and this book proved why. Did so much highlighting, just gorgeous.
December 17, 2018
Love & Vodka, poetry from the heart of a hurricane.
A beautiful work of poetry, achingly honest in its expression of truth, what it is to be human and cherished observations of compassionate understanding.
6 parts of individual poems arranged loosely around themes of love, human connections and frailties, of burning joyously passionate lust and throughout, the meaningful expression, be seen and wildly present in a life bound by writing.
Thus, in brevity, without spoilers the first 5 parts:
1. The draw as a writer and urgency in being real, aware of your part in the universe, presence between lovers, how memory and meaning hold us.
2. Thoughts and missives of a writers mind, internal dialogue of what was, should have and how it is.
3. Of love, intrigues and ironies, ways only a poet can capture the crash of it all, coming together and other bittersweet truths.
4. How lovers set fire to each other, deepest kisses and truth serum, shot by shot.
5. Ghosts of meaning, realities of ageing, letting go, of haunting grief and the magic of life's blessings, sharing space and the balance of want that may drive a heroine.
The gentle caresses of the earlier parts, are here revealed by the final part of unbridled poetry, each verse is art, open and still pounding on the page.
6. Challenges that come with commitment and the need of word in a writers life, to be inhabited by metaphor and memory, how our narrative is not just our own.
Highly recommend, to be read and savoured over and over.
Story form narrative, love, challenge and truth that surrounds a writers soul, allows a poet to feel alive and abide in hope.
The first five chapter's warm you, gently coaxing the reader to understand the poet, to understand a different way of seeing as art, the final chapter opens the poets thousand year soul to the reader, joyously reaches in, grabbing you by the heart with the pounding reality of life consumed by the depth of beloved word.
5 stars: highly recommended
Review by CwtchyHobbes, Twitter follower and poetry fan.
A beautiful work of poetry, achingly honest in its expression of truth, what it is to be human and cherished observations of compassionate understanding.
6 parts of individual poems arranged loosely around themes of love, human connections and frailties, of burning joyously passionate lust and throughout, the meaningful expression, be seen and wildly present in a life bound by writing.
Thus, in brevity, without spoilers the first 5 parts:
1. The draw as a writer and urgency in being real, aware of your part in the universe, presence between lovers, how memory and meaning hold us.
2. Thoughts and missives of a writers mind, internal dialogue of what was, should have and how it is.
3. Of love, intrigues and ironies, ways only a poet can capture the crash of it all, coming together and other bittersweet truths.
4. How lovers set fire to each other, deepest kisses and truth serum, shot by shot.
5. Ghosts of meaning, realities of ageing, letting go, of haunting grief and the magic of life's blessings, sharing space and the balance of want that may drive a heroine.
The gentle caresses of the earlier parts, are here revealed by the final part of unbridled poetry, each verse is art, open and still pounding on the page.
6. Challenges that come with commitment and the need of word in a writers life, to be inhabited by metaphor and memory, how our narrative is not just our own.
Highly recommend, to be read and savoured over and over.
Story form narrative, love, challenge and truth that surrounds a writers soul, allows a poet to feel alive and abide in hope.
The first five chapter's warm you, gently coaxing the reader to understand the poet, to understand a different way of seeing as art, the final chapter opens the poets thousand year soul to the reader, joyously reaches in, grabbing you by the heart with the pounding reality of life consumed by the depth of beloved word.
5 stars: highly recommended
Review by CwtchyHobbes, Twitter follower and poetry fan.
November 22, 2017
A brilliant wise, witty, and sexy collection of poems.
This being my first encounter with Christina's books I can gladly say it was well received. I first encountered her on Twitter, her poems are hard-hitting, smooth, sensual, and daring. While being in a clear modern style.
My personal favourite portion of the book was the more risque poems, she pulls no punches and isn't afraid to be a woman, with Love & Vodka, her words are beautiful & brave. I will be looking to get her other poetry books soon.
And I advise anyone else interested, to read this book.
This being my first encounter with Christina's books I can gladly say it was well received. I first encountered her on Twitter, her poems are hard-hitting, smooth, sensual, and daring. While being in a clear modern style.
My personal favourite portion of the book was the more risque poems, she pulls no punches and isn't afraid to be a woman, with Love & Vodka, her words are beautiful & brave. I will be looking to get her other poetry books soon.
And I advise anyone else interested, to read this book.
July 7, 2017
I finished this book very quickly! The poems seemed carefully chosen and more like a diary than just a book of poetry. It was intimate and relatable. There were a few poems that were my favorites including Toast, Awakenings, and "Read Me." So many relatable poems that I will come back to again and again.
December 3, 2017
I am a big fan of poetry and I really enjoyed her ability to be vulnerable and raw. I enjoyed the shorter pieces but every poem I reread to get the full effect. There was so much that was relatable, which is what makes poetry successful.
September 20, 2017
Love and Vodka is evocative and sensual in parts, bittersweet and stormy in others. But, always powerful. While Ms Strigas has broken it down into parts, each one connects with the next to create a roadmap through the mind and heart of a wonderful poet.
In part one, there is a sense of a haunted knowing, a heart that is pulling in a different direction. But, there is also wisdom in these words. While all of her writings are personal, I was especially drawn to Conversations with my daughter. There is a different kind of intimacy here that allows a behind the scenes glimpse. A dreamer and a realist. A mom trying to show her daughter the bigger role of the universe.
Part two is filled with a craving. You can feel the ache in these words. My favorite piece calls out to the universe itself.
Part three is called modern love, which fits these pieces perfectly. Her words capture the way love feels now. In Tell Me, you can feel the ache for answers, but also the desire to be whatever she is needed to be. And, I think most readers can relate to that feeling.
In part four, we get a carnal seductiveness. Each piece is filled with need. The title piece, Love and Vodka, captures the intensity of desire and lust. It paints love as addictive and destructive and absolutely necessary.
Part five is very stream of conscious writing. It is prose that delves deep with both wonderful and bitter truths. In Blue, she perfectly captures longing and how distance creates its own memories. It's beautifully raw and real.
In the last section, she takes you by the heart with words that leave no emotion unexplored. She writes to the reader, daring us not to feel something, daring us not to find ourselves in her words.
Ms Strigas is always a pleasure to read, and her third book doesn't disappoint. Her words are messy and gritty and magic, and I love every one.
Ashley
In part one, there is a sense of a haunted knowing, a heart that is pulling in a different direction. But, there is also wisdom in these words. While all of her writings are personal, I was especially drawn to Conversations with my daughter. There is a different kind of intimacy here that allows a behind the scenes glimpse. A dreamer and a realist. A mom trying to show her daughter the bigger role of the universe.
Part two is filled with a craving. You can feel the ache in these words. My favorite piece calls out to the universe itself.
Part three is called modern love, which fits these pieces perfectly. Her words capture the way love feels now. In Tell Me, you can feel the ache for answers, but also the desire to be whatever she is needed to be. And, I think most readers can relate to that feeling.
In part four, we get a carnal seductiveness. Each piece is filled with need. The title piece, Love and Vodka, captures the intensity of desire and lust. It paints love as addictive and destructive and absolutely necessary.
Part five is very stream of conscious writing. It is prose that delves deep with both wonderful and bitter truths. In Blue, she perfectly captures longing and how distance creates its own memories. It's beautifully raw and real.
In the last section, she takes you by the heart with words that leave no emotion unexplored. She writes to the reader, daring us not to feel something, daring us not to find ourselves in her words.
Ms Strigas is always a pleasure to read, and her third book doesn't disappoint. Her words are messy and gritty and magic, and I love every one.
Ashley
March 26, 2019
In the Book Description of
Love & Vodka: A Book of Poetry for Glass Hearts
, we read, “This book has a modern feel with an ancient way of writing. Inspired by Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath and modern poets such as Mary Oliver and Billy Collins to name a few, Christina Strigas uses the stream of consciousness to devour themes and words and spurt them forth into a poem.” I'm going to begin my review by talking about the “stream of consciousness.” As many, if not all writers are familiar with the stream of consciousness writing, perhaps some readers do not understand its method.
Some may ask, “What is this stream of consciousness? As a writer, you have more than likely used this literary device without realizing there was a name or style for how you were writing. If you’ve ever sat down and started writing your thoughts, feelings, and observations as they traversed through your mind, without thinking. Without considering whether a word was a word, or your structure and grammar were correct, or your punctuation, capitalization, spelling, length of sentence, et cetera. And you did so without stopping to edit, spellcheck or make corrections; you were transferring all your thoughts, feelings and observations from your head to paper. You were using the stream of consciousness literary device; you may also think of this as automatic or free writing. If you have a degree in English or Creative Writing, you have practiced the stream of consciousness writing style.
“what i miss most are all the things we never did.
– reality” – Christina Strigas
While Strigas uses the stream of consciousness flawlessly, giving her readers a visceral experience through emotions, this literary style is challenging and not the chosen writing style of the majority of fiction writers and poets. As I said when I reviewed Christina’s BOOK OF CHRISSYISMS , “If you are a writer, regardless of genre, then words and poetry or wordplay are very likely a part of your genetic makeup. Perhaps there was a poet’s heart within you that influenced the beginning of your writing life.” When I first began to write, I was drawn to poetry and chose to write acrostic poetry so I could write without the fear of another’s prying eyes. When I was older, I played with the stream of consciousness when writing poetry. There is at least one stream of consciousness poem on my blog, from years ago. I tell you this to reaffirm the fact that the stream of consciousness is not as an easy poetic form.
“Loving a Writer
loving a writer is only for the strong,
the ones who care to stare
at the sky with you. or at a locked door. you refuse to open. and this is why
love remains crazy. undefined. unbearable. irrational. because loving a writer
has no rules. it’s like seeing the
world for the very first time.” – Christina Strigas
If you want to see this form of poetry used through the mind of a poet with profound depth, you have to read Strigas’ Love & Vodka. As a modern-day romantic, she weaves love, loss, desire, passion, sex, suffering, sanity, memories, old souls, abandonment, vodka, et cetera into each of her poems, bearing her heart and soul to her readers. I also picked up on her hidden references where she used words in place of names of some of the poets that have influenced Strigas as a poet. In other poems, she will toss a name of one of these poets into her poems, such as Anne (Sexton) Nerudo and Plath. And she does so in a way that unless you have been exposed to these poets whether reading or in school, you miss the connection; it’s quite genius.
“I am going to think without fear of what you will say let me breathe what air I admire let me paint on an empty canvas instead of burning me under dishes and wash.” – Christina Strigas
Whether you are a poet or not, I give Love & Vodka my strongest recommendation. A note of caution, Love & Vodka: A Book of Poetry for Glass Hearts contains adult content.
For my complete review of Love & Vodka visit my blog https://dbmoone.com/2019/02/21/book-r...
Some may ask, “What is this stream of consciousness? As a writer, you have more than likely used this literary device without realizing there was a name or style for how you were writing. If you’ve ever sat down and started writing your thoughts, feelings, and observations as they traversed through your mind, without thinking. Without considering whether a word was a word, or your structure and grammar were correct, or your punctuation, capitalization, spelling, length of sentence, et cetera. And you did so without stopping to edit, spellcheck or make corrections; you were transferring all your thoughts, feelings and observations from your head to paper. You were using the stream of consciousness literary device; you may also think of this as automatic or free writing. If you have a degree in English or Creative Writing, you have practiced the stream of consciousness writing style.
“what i miss most are all the things we never did.
– reality” – Christina Strigas
While Strigas uses the stream of consciousness flawlessly, giving her readers a visceral experience through emotions, this literary style is challenging and not the chosen writing style of the majority of fiction writers and poets. As I said when I reviewed Christina’s BOOK OF CHRISSYISMS , “If you are a writer, regardless of genre, then words and poetry or wordplay are very likely a part of your genetic makeup. Perhaps there was a poet’s heart within you that influenced the beginning of your writing life.” When I first began to write, I was drawn to poetry and chose to write acrostic poetry so I could write without the fear of another’s prying eyes. When I was older, I played with the stream of consciousness when writing poetry. There is at least one stream of consciousness poem on my blog, from years ago. I tell you this to reaffirm the fact that the stream of consciousness is not as an easy poetic form.
“Loving a Writer
loving a writer is only for the strong,
the ones who care to stare
at the sky with you. or at a locked door. you refuse to open. and this is why
love remains crazy. undefined. unbearable. irrational. because loving a writer
has no rules. it’s like seeing the
world for the very first time.” – Christina Strigas
If you want to see this form of poetry used through the mind of a poet with profound depth, you have to read Strigas’ Love & Vodka. As a modern-day romantic, she weaves love, loss, desire, passion, sex, suffering, sanity, memories, old souls, abandonment, vodka, et cetera into each of her poems, bearing her heart and soul to her readers. I also picked up on her hidden references where she used words in place of names of some of the poets that have influenced Strigas as a poet. In other poems, she will toss a name of one of these poets into her poems, such as Anne (Sexton) Nerudo and Plath. And she does so in a way that unless you have been exposed to these poets whether reading or in school, you miss the connection; it’s quite genius.
“I am going to think without fear of what you will say let me breathe what air I admire let me paint on an empty canvas instead of burning me under dishes and wash.” – Christina Strigas
Whether you are a poet or not, I give Love & Vodka my strongest recommendation. A note of caution, Love & Vodka: A Book of Poetry for Glass Hearts contains adult content.
For my complete review of Love & Vodka visit my blog https://dbmoone.com/2019/02/21/book-r...
Read
June 15, 2017If poetry is sheer madness and exuberance, word is wine to the mind. A dash of emotions, oodles of sensuality gently caressing the mind, sheer passion running through the soul and it tastes like the hurricane force of intimacy. Love and Vodka is the gentle breeze that captures everything aesthetic as the author invites you inside her world and emotions running deep through modern love, resist, love, dirty talks, tug of war and see you anon. The book takes you by storm and doesn’t leave any shred of emotion unturned, flinging right in front of your fate and existence. In one shot, it’s exuberance in all its forms.
Narration:
Christina’s choice of words is fearless and limitless making the soul alive and vibrant in all its forms. There is no limit to anything yet it embraces everything. The ‘conversations with my daughter’ is gentle and removes all burdens of past, present, and future where gap is just a word that society imposes as a stamp. Words that simply cuddle you and snuggle into the arms of an invisible love reaffirm the faith in sheer madness and messy. Be real. Christina sends a gentle but provocative message.
Full review here:
https://vishalbheeroo.wordpress.com/2...
Narration:
Christina’s choice of words is fearless and limitless making the soul alive and vibrant in all its forms. There is no limit to anything yet it embraces everything. The ‘conversations with my daughter’ is gentle and removes all burdens of past, present, and future where gap is just a word that society imposes as a stamp. Words that simply cuddle you and snuggle into the arms of an invisible love reaffirm the faith in sheer madness and messy. Be real. Christina sends a gentle but provocative message.
Full review here:
https://vishalbheeroo.wordpress.com/2...
January 4, 2019
**Captivated by Christina’s masterful poetry.
Christina takes her readers through an internal war with her inner self through her own experiences in loss, love, and heartbreak in a delightful collection of poetry. She exposes her beauty through words from darkness to light. She tears herself apart to reveal her soul on pages covered with beautifully written poetry.
I can relate to her sadness, loneliness, grief, agony, anger, fantasies, desire, passion, and thoughts on love with her very personal true to life writing style.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
Christina takes her readers through an internal war with her inner self through her own experiences in loss, love, and heartbreak in a delightful collection of poetry. She exposes her beauty through words from darkness to light. She tears herself apart to reveal her soul on pages covered with beautifully written poetry.
I can relate to her sadness, loneliness, grief, agony, anger, fantasies, desire, passion, and thoughts on love with her very personal true to life writing style.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
May 29, 2017
Christina is one of the most insightful poets I've read. As a poet myself I am moved by her use of word. She paints her thoughts like a great masterpiece, and the vivid imagery leaves a lasting impression on your heart.
July 9, 2017
Honest, brutal and beautiful poetry that deals with all manner of subjects in an emotional and interesting way. Short poems are urgent, long poems travel...all grab you!
December 20, 2018
Such a lovely collection by a talented writer!
December 22, 2018
This book of poetry truly took my breath away. As I read each section, I was brought back to situations in my own life. Christina captures so many things we've all experienced. Reading her work felt like a warm conversation with an old friend. Part 2 is filled with shorter poems that have a deep and relatable impact. Part 5, tug of war is particularly impressive. Deeply personal writing which showcases Christina's talent and form. If you are a poetry lover and also a lover of honest writing, I highly recommend love and vodka. I very much look forward to her future works!
February 7, 2017
Christina Strigas does it again with her latest collection of poetry, "Love & Vodka". She unflinchingly bares her soul in a swirl of cigarette smoke, sex, memories, and broken glass. If you've read Strigas' chapbook and her second collection, then you know what to expect here. She reminds her readers of the brilliance and brittleness of life and love. And I, for one, am always thankful to her for that.
Easily among my favorite writers of contemporary poetry.
Easily among my favorite writers of contemporary poetry.
January 21, 2018
Haunting and beautiful
Glass hearts: fragile and beautiful. A poetry book of romance (but with a heartbreaking emotional distance between the two lovers). There was a sense of loneliness about this writing
Glass hearts: fragile and beautiful. A poetry book of romance (but with a heartbreaking emotional distance between the two lovers). There was a sense of loneliness about this writing
February 6, 2018
Beautiful, real and vivid! A must read! Christina writes in such a beautiful, unique and detailed manner. I felt her emotions in some poems and felt I was there with her in others. Love and Vodka has both short and long poems, and Christina writes both well. Each page left me wanting to read more.
October 23, 2018
The way Christina captures words is how the heart resonates with each beat. As I’ve come to follow her on social media I’ve come to see the beauty that lies beneath such an inspiring poetess I’m honored to come to know.
March 1, 2020
Hadn't read a poetry book in a long while and this lovely book compensated for that.
The words resonate with me, touch me and speak the words I long to get out. So simple, yet so powerful.
Read it again and again and one more time.
The words resonate with me, touch me and speak the words I long to get out. So simple, yet so powerful.
Read it again and again and one more time.
December 28, 2016
Love and vodka are two of my favorite things. Both of them make us feel good, but vodka never disappoints. Same with Christina Strigas. This is her third poetry book, and I’m savoring each one.
Writers never stop writing. Whether we're consumed with thoughts of a person or the sunrise, the urge to write is constant. Words never leave our minds. But we're always busy doing things too: Mundane things. Life's necessities. Still, we can't stop the words from flowing and wanting them to form into verse or prose. “Toast” is the perfect example of this constant intrusion of creativity and passion during the daily tasks in life:
“By the time the toast pops
I have created a few lines of
a story in my head that includes a character
with your nickname. Wouldn't you like
that? You always wanted to be in
my stories, but deep down
I think you don't. You just want to
pretend that you do so I could love you more
or less. I have to spread the butter now.
Toast popped and hands are sticky.”
Yes. “Love & Vodka” is a magnificent interweaving of dreams and life, satisfaction and longing, and liquor and caffeine: chocolate martinis are the exceptions and can be enjoyed at the same time. But the bottom line in all of Christina Strigas’ heartfelt poems is that no matter how all-consuming the dream may be, it cannot be discarded. Room must always be made for it beside the laundry, the grocery shopping, and the Metaxa coffee.
Writers never stop writing. Whether we're consumed with thoughts of a person or the sunrise, the urge to write is constant. Words never leave our minds. But we're always busy doing things too: Mundane things. Life's necessities. Still, we can't stop the words from flowing and wanting them to form into verse or prose. “Toast” is the perfect example of this constant intrusion of creativity and passion during the daily tasks in life:
“By the time the toast pops
I have created a few lines of
a story in my head that includes a character
with your nickname. Wouldn't you like
that? You always wanted to be in
my stories, but deep down
I think you don't. You just want to
pretend that you do so I could love you more
or less. I have to spread the butter now.
Toast popped and hands are sticky.”
Yes. “Love & Vodka” is a magnificent interweaving of dreams and life, satisfaction and longing, and liquor and caffeine: chocolate martinis are the exceptions and can be enjoyed at the same time. But the bottom line in all of Christina Strigas’ heartfelt poems is that no matter how all-consuming the dream may be, it cannot be discarded. Room must always be made for it beside the laundry, the grocery shopping, and the Metaxa coffee.
November 2, 2020
The book's atmosphere is free, healing, intimate and empowering. The topics of this book might seem dark but there's always a bright light carrying the reader on, much in the style of the current Instagram -poetry trend where the topics are usually varying in survival and the said - empowerment. This reference to "Instagram poetry" is not to be seen as criticism, it is just stating the fact that the poetry people are into these days tends to be short in form and stating an aphoristic wisdom, with a cursive statement in the end of each poem. This can be seen also in this book of poetry by Christina Strigas.
IMHO, the best poems of this book are the long, flowing and detailed, such as one of the last poems of the book called "For you, the Reader". Her style is often very open and raw, and it might feel that you're almost too close to the writer. But in the end, that's why you are reading the book. She saves no area of life from her poetry as the descriptive scenes of intimacy and personal space are broken or gone into in details time after time again. Also I would like to praise the poem "Emergency in two parts" which reminds me of a lot of the genre that will be even more popular in poetry in the future.
IMHO, the best poems of this book are the long, flowing and detailed, such as one of the last poems of the book called "For you, the Reader". Her style is often very open and raw, and it might feel that you're almost too close to the writer. But in the end, that's why you are reading the book. She saves no area of life from her poetry as the descriptive scenes of intimacy and personal space are broken or gone into in details time after time again. Also I would like to praise the poem "Emergency in two parts" which reminds me of a lot of the genre that will be even more popular in poetry in the future.
May 11, 2017
Amazing poetry with passion and bittersweet beauty. I've always loved Christina's work and was pleased to see some experiments in style here that show her range and depth, and raw passion. I was really moved by so much of her work, and can't recommend it highly enough. My favorite piece? Where do I begin?
September 6, 2024
“Love & Vodka” seems to embrace all those who have loved successfully and unsuccessfully. The poetess draws upon her own passionately-, deeply-felt experience and understanding while living with other authors who are shadows who have loved (and lost).
At first I thought the poems lent themselves to pop and could be successful lyrics for popular music. I also felt layout was affected and without meaning in some poems. The “f…” word was also overused and inappropriate as if the poetess were bragging or trying to be someone she wasn’t, and isn’t…but as I read on the authenticity of the “voice” really got to me:
………it was
your hands that led
me to your car. we
made the back seat
sink with jealousy.
i fell from the sky
in 1987 and your hands
held me tight.”
This quote could serve for everything praiseworthy and dubious about this collection. Some of the verses are downright mundane “led / me to your car…” but then the infusion of feeling “sink with jealousy”, the humour, and the specific date (with love defying “gravity”) make the poetry work, plus of course the “me, we, jealousy” and the massive allusion to love-making without sex even being mentioned! I still question the “I”: Why small? And even the verses may seem to some arbitrarily divided, and does “hands / held me tight” avoid cliché?
Finally, why vodka? A drink that is against the cold, or alcoholism, maybe liquid resembling water but not water? The suggestions are there to be mulled over. Many suggestions. Poetry can do this far better than prose.
At first I thought the poems lent themselves to pop and could be successful lyrics for popular music. I also felt layout was affected and without meaning in some poems. The “f…” word was also overused and inappropriate as if the poetess were bragging or trying to be someone she wasn’t, and isn’t…but as I read on the authenticity of the “voice” really got to me:
………it was
your hands that led
me to your car. we
made the back seat
sink with jealousy.
i fell from the sky
in 1987 and your hands
held me tight.”
This quote could serve for everything praiseworthy and dubious about this collection. Some of the verses are downright mundane “led / me to your car…” but then the infusion of feeling “sink with jealousy”, the humour, and the specific date (with love defying “gravity”) make the poetry work, plus of course the “me, we, jealousy” and the massive allusion to love-making without sex even being mentioned! I still question the “I”: Why small? And even the verses may seem to some arbitrarily divided, and does “hands / held me tight” avoid cliché?
Finally, why vodka? A drink that is against the cold, or alcoholism, maybe liquid resembling water but not water? The suggestions are there to be mulled over. Many suggestions. Poetry can do this far better than prose.
March 29, 2022
This is the first book I have bought in a very long time. Because I had put my life on hold, merely existing inside an invisible cage. A life without art or passion, without hope. Buying and savouring this book was another step out of the dark and it shines on inside my heart
April 9, 2019
beautiful, soul-crushing book of poetry! loooooved it!
August 11, 2019
Liked it. Varied works.
December 3, 2024
Didn’t enjoy this collection. Feels random and unpolished.
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