The Loyalty of Chickens

by Jenny Blackford

Jenny Blackford’s first full length poetry collection continues the theme of household animals and their obligations, expanding the universe to include history and geography, family and mythology – overlaid with the knowing wry humour which is her trademark.

With selected barnyard illustrations by Gwynne McGinley.

Suitable for readers 11 plus.

Genres: Poetry

103 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Jenny's first full-length book of poetry, THE LOYALTY OF CHICKENS, was published by Pitt Street Poetry in 2017. They also published THE DUTIES OF A CAT, an illustrated suite of her cat poems, in 2013. Her degree was in Classics (Greek and Latin). Pamela Sargent called her subversively feminist historical novella set in ancient Athens and Delphi, THE PRIESTESS AND THE SLAVE, "elegant."

Reviews

[Mary Soon Lee]

This is a lovely poetry book by Jenny Blackford, who is also the author of the entirely wonderful tiny poetry book "The Duties of a Cat." This volume is both longer and more diverse than "The Duties of a Cat," although cats do feature in a number of the poems. Certain elements -- classical references, cats and other creatures, the sea -- recur repeatedly, and several of the poems cross into science fiction and fantasy. I love the voice of the poet: humane, wry, compassionate, affectionate. My copy is now liberally scattered with approving tick marks. Which poems I like best varies with my mood, but today my two favorites from this collection are "Polenta Memories" and "Dipping into that lake," both of which moved me greatly.