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These Women You Gave Me
Antoinette Brim’s These Women You Gave Me brings front and center Biblical mythology and legend to prove a truth that can only be proven through poetry. Brim’s poems sing of the ability women have always had to love and thrive in spite of the most oppressive odds, or as Brim herself would say, “His heavy breath filled her ears. She awakened beneath.” This is really gorgeous work.
—Jericho Brown
In These Women You Gave Me, Antoinette Brim weaves her personification poems of Lilith, Eden and Eve into a collection that is intimate and powerful. Her sensual, precise poems take root and resonate with the feminine in each of us. “Amidst the waters of the male and female float; as only indigo shadows/stitched to the depths with light can do….”Antoinette Brim’s poetry is evocative, risky and true.
—Suzanne Frischkorn
In These Women You Gave Me, Antoinette Brim employs a meticulous, lyric sensibility to remind readers of the first women of the Bible and the roles women in the Judeo-Christian tradition have occupied since. This is a bold symphony to Lilith, the first woman, who “has read the Book and found her name erased.” Eve, the second wife, submits; Lilith owns her name, her reflection, her body, and soul. Brim counters the erasure with a brilliant light and language that empowers all women, that gives cause for each reader to consider that the story is often not fully told.
—Georgia Popoff
—Jericho Brown
In These Women You Gave Me, Antoinette Brim weaves her personification poems of Lilith, Eden and Eve into a collection that is intimate and powerful. Her sensual, precise poems take root and resonate with the feminine in each of us. “Amidst the waters of the male and female float; as only indigo shadows/stitched to the depths with light can do….”Antoinette Brim’s poetry is evocative, risky and true.
—Suzanne Frischkorn
In These Women You Gave Me, Antoinette Brim employs a meticulous, lyric sensibility to remind readers of the first women of the Bible and the roles women in the Judeo-Christian tradition have occupied since. This is a bold symphony to Lilith, the first woman, who “has read the Book and found her name erased.” Eve, the second wife, submits; Lilith owns her name, her reflection, her body, and soul. Brim counters the erasure with a brilliant light and language that empowers all women, that gives cause for each reader to consider that the story is often not fully told.
—Georgia Popoff
- GenresPoetry
47 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2017
18 people want to read
About the author
Antoinette Brim
3 books1 followerAntoinette Brim teaches Creative Writing, Composition, and World Literature at Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock, Arkansas. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing/Poetry from Antioch University/ Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Language with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Webster University. She is a Cave Canem Fellow and a Harvard University W.E.B. Du Bois Fellow (National Endowment of the Humanities Summer Institute. July 2006). She is also a recipient of the Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker Foundation Scholarship to the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown (July 2007).
Her poetry has appeared in various journals, magazines and anthologies including Reverie Midwest African American Literature, The November 3rd Club, the Cave Canem edition of Drunken Boat and the newly released anthology Just Like A Girl: A Manifesta. Her poem, K-Mart on Asher is Closing, was nominated for Best on the Net. Her poem, Thirteen Ways of Looking at Love, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
Antoinette Brims debut collection of poetry, Psalm of the Sunflower is forthcoming from Willow Books in the fall of 2009.
* Photo by Allen Loibner
"
Her poetry has appeared in various journals, magazines and anthologies including Reverie Midwest African American Literature, The November 3rd Club, the Cave Canem edition of Drunken Boat and the newly released anthology Just Like A Girl: A Manifesta. Her poem, K-Mart on Asher is Closing, was nominated for Best on the Net. Her poem, Thirteen Ways of Looking at Love, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
Antoinette Brims debut collection of poetry, Psalm of the Sunflower is forthcoming from Willow Books in the fall of 2009.
* Photo by Allen Loibner
"
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 10, 2024
A collection of poems that explore the mythology of Lilith and Eve (and sometimes a little Adam thrown in).
from In her image: "the night is a lonely house. Without roof or floor, / I make water like a beast, with only my hair to cover me. / Raven-tressed and winged, I wear the moon / around my neck like a jewel."
from Watch Woman: "Lilith bent over the still water and saw Lilith. Dark eyes. Black roping hair falling forward. She knew herself to be a recipe of mud and clay, morning dew and stardust. Of raven luft and oxen shoulder. I knew she would not lie beneath."
from In her image: "the night is a lonely house. Without roof or floor, / I make water like a beast, with only my hair to cover me. / Raven-tressed and winged, I wear the moon / around my neck like a jewel."
from Watch Woman: "Lilith bent over the still water and saw Lilith. Dark eyes. Black roping hair falling forward. She knew herself to be a recipe of mud and clay, morning dew and stardust. Of raven luft and oxen shoulder. I knew she would not lie beneath."
June 17, 2025
Stunning writing and certainly a unique look at women within the Bible and surrounding folklore. I often found myself meditating for long periods over different lines and just aching. Truly haunting and brutally honest in the best way possible.
Except from “Lilith Muses Aloud” (one of my favorites!!):
Or a woman can:
hide in the hollow of trees; part
raptor; part temptress; all legend
and lie; singing into the night chill
a tortured trill of regret; alone
and unable to die.
Except from “Lilith Muses Aloud” (one of my favorites!!):
Or a woman can:
hide in the hollow of trees; part
raptor; part temptress; all legend
and lie; singing into the night chill
a tortured trill of regret; alone
and unable to die.
October 10, 2022
Really nice poetry, I thought it was lovely to read and an interesting view on Christianity. I don't think the perspective is anything new, but it is well done. Don't read for commentary on religion, read for the poems!
June 16, 2025
Such an incredible read. I don't know much about christianity or the bible, so I was mainly reading for the poetry, and this writing blew me away.
February 6, 2018
This was a really lovely collection of poems, exploring Lilith, Adam, and Eve, and the dynamics of gender from the very beginning. Definitely recommend.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews