Hanging On Our Own Bones

by Judy Grahn

Through these seven narrative poems, Grahn weaves real-life conditions with goddess mythology to construct modern interpretations of lamentation in nine parts. Song and poem lamentations have a widespread history from all over the globe and carry a wealth of forms and a few requirements they must read well out loud, they must address current pressing issues, and they must make every attempt to be truthful. Here Grahn s steadfast and rhythmic verse directs our eyes to crucial yet often buried tribulations of our times by critiquing white supremacy, honoring battered women, exalting the powers of menstruation, conflating all labor with birth imagery, and revealing lateral hostilities among potential allies all in order to arouse a meaningful social critique."

Genres: Poetry

184 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2017

Reviews

[Julie]

https://www.lambdaliterary.org/review...

[David]

I knew I would love this, since I have been a fan of Judy Grahn's work for going on four decades now. Surprised it required a Kickstarter campaign, but I have a feeling that is going to be the new model for publishing the kind of books I care about. Anyway, I was thrilled to be able to contribute to this project, and happy that I could afford the level that included a copy of my own.

I love the fact that it gathers poems from across her career so far, spanning 1973 - 2016. I hope she goes on writing forever, but the work she's done so far would be enough to make anyone proud - what a gift to the world!

I also love Kevin Killian's blurb on the back cover.

[Magdalena]

As good as poetry gets. Social justice poetry that doesn't read like a tiresome polemic is so, so rare. This is the bleeding edge of poetry.

[Isabella :)]

weak AF. maybe the worst book i have read this year

[Nadine in NY Jones]

6/15/24: I put this on hold at my library and when I got it, I opened it and it's just so full of LONG poems and I do not currently have the fortitude to make it through. I didn't even read them.

[Meggo]

okay so I actually don’t know how to read poetry