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Burning the Bacon
In Burning the Bacon, debut poet L. Austen Johnson navigates through deeply personal terrain, laying waste to it and watching its flowers regrow in the four sections of the collection: “Gravity,” “In Memoriam,” “Entropy,” and “Parthenogenesis.” She explores topics such as chronic illness, love, heartbreak, memory, and growing up with a blend of accessible language and rich metaphor.
- GenresPoetry
73 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2018
2 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
L. Austen Johnson
2 books48 followersL. Austen Johnson is an award-winning writer and designer from Virginia who counts herself lucky to be from the lovers’ state. She studied English, Archaeology, and Astronomy in university, which may explain her love for stargazing and time-traveling. She holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.A. from the University of Chicago.
When she’s not working, you can find her searching for animals to pet, singing off-key in the shower, and learning the art of making the perfect cup of tea.
When she’s not working, you can find her searching for animals to pet, singing off-key in the shower, and learning the art of making the perfect cup of tea.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 24, 2018
I was actually in the process of rewriting my review policy and shutting down review requests from authors, when L. Austen Johnson approached me to ask if I’d be interested in reading her poetry collection. I was feeling so overwhelmed by the stack of books I needed to read, that I almost passed, but something about her really struck me, and I am so glad that it did, because this was a genuinely enjoyable little collection of poems.
I don’t read a lot of poetry, but I read enough that I’ve come to expect a certain formula from contemporary poetry collections, which is why I was surprised (in the best way) by how refreshing and candid this writing style is. There’s none of the repetition and slowness that I find in a lot of poetry collections, and for it to be such a short book, it tackles so many important topics that more readers than not will be able to relate to, I think.
While the collection is primarily composed of poems that relate to lost or unrequited love and being wounded by a romantic interest, the pieces that stuck out the most to me were actually the ones about chronic illness. I don’t know what the author’s daily life is like, and I won’t pretend that I can relate perfectly to the things she experiences, but as someone who has suffered from chronic pain problems for many years, I loved how understood I felt by many of these pieces.
To wonder what life would be like without our physical limitations is something that a great deal of people can relate to, but the author manages to put those feelings so perfectly into words—what would it be like to snuggle up with my own body? To love my body for everything it is, even when it causes me such heartache? These thoughts are bittersweet, but for such a widely known struggle, it’s not talked about often enough, and I endlessly appreciate L. Austen Johnson’s willingness to go there.
All in all, I definitely recommend this poetry collection, especially if the topics involved are familiar ones to you. I think the author is a natural and shows a delightful amount of potential, and I am very interested in seeing what she writes next!
All quotes are taken from an ARC and may not match the final release. Thank you to L. Austen Johnson and Gen Z Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
Did I mention
That everyone she loves
But never knew
Lives there now,
In that poem,
In that ranch
Owned by someone new?
I don’t read a lot of poetry, but I read enough that I’ve come to expect a certain formula from contemporary poetry collections, which is why I was surprised (in the best way) by how refreshing and candid this writing style is. There’s none of the repetition and slowness that I find in a lot of poetry collections, and for it to be such a short book, it tackles so many important topics that more readers than not will be able to relate to, I think.
I want to ask if he knows what it’s like
to be known like this—by what needs fixing.
To be known as broken, perpetually waiting
for that man-made thing that can actually repair me.
While the collection is primarily composed of poems that relate to lost or unrequited love and being wounded by a romantic interest, the pieces that stuck out the most to me were actually the ones about chronic illness. I don’t know what the author’s daily life is like, and I won’t pretend that I can relate perfectly to the things she experiences, but as someone who has suffered from chronic pain problems for many years, I loved how understood I felt by many of these pieces.
I rise, at points,
with envy—what would
it feel like to sleep
through a night
with no turns, to
snuggle up with my bones,
to love my body
even when it’s
revolting?
To wonder what life would be like without our physical limitations is something that a great deal of people can relate to, but the author manages to put those feelings so perfectly into words—what would it be like to snuggle up with my own body? To love my body for everything it is, even when it causes me such heartache? These thoughts are bittersweet, but for such a widely known struggle, it’s not talked about often enough, and I endlessly appreciate L. Austen Johnson’s willingness to go there.
All in all, I definitely recommend this poetry collection, especially if the topics involved are familiar ones to you. I think the author is a natural and shows a delightful amount of potential, and I am very interested in seeing what she writes next!
All quotes are taken from an ARC and may not match the final release. Thank you to L. Austen Johnson and Gen Z Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
August 24, 2018
As the blurb states the poems in this book explore topics such as chronic illness, love, heartbreak, memory, and growing up with a blend of accessible language and rich metaphor.
Honestly rating each poem and going off that, i'd have given this 3 stars, but that doesn't feel right. 3 stars isn't bad, it's just some poems I didn't get but others really spoke to me and I felt so much from them. I honestly think nearly everyone could get something out of this. Some poems spoke to me in relation to a past abusive relationship, others about growing up and memories, and my favorite "Known" about what it's like to live with a chronic illness and needing medicine to survive. Honestly that one made me cry. A poem...not even a long one...made me cry.
I do definitely recommend this book of poems. And to not read it too fast, some of the poems got me thinking. What poems speak to you may be different from the ones that spoke to me, but I do think everyone could get something out of these poems. Also I really appreciated the little art work that went with some of the poems.
Blog | Youtube | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram
Honestly rating each poem and going off that, i'd have given this 3 stars, but that doesn't feel right. 3 stars isn't bad, it's just some poems I didn't get but others really spoke to me and I felt so much from them. I honestly think nearly everyone could get something out of this. Some poems spoke to me in relation to a past abusive relationship, others about growing up and memories, and my favorite "Known" about what it's like to live with a chronic illness and needing medicine to survive. Honestly that one made me cry. A poem...not even a long one...made me cry.
I do definitely recommend this book of poems. And to not read it too fast, some of the poems got me thinking. What poems speak to you may be different from the ones that spoke to me, but I do think everyone could get something out of these poems. Also I really appreciated the little art work that went with some of the poems.
Blog | Youtube | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram
January 12, 2020
I'm excited to announce that my debut poetry collection will be published this year! More details to come.
September 5, 2020
See this review and more on Books and Ladders!
This was a wonderful poetry collection. Full of struggles and heartbreak and mending. I really connected with so many of the poems and the words could be felt on the page by L. Austen Johnson. There was so much goodness in this one that it's hard to encapsulate in a review - the feeling of love, lonliness, fear, and hope all on the page intermingling as one really shone through for me. I think the third part was the strongest of the four but I have such high hopes for the future of poetry after reading this!
This was a wonderful poetry collection. Full of struggles and heartbreak and mending. I really connected with so many of the poems and the words could be felt on the page by L. Austen Johnson. There was so much goodness in this one that it's hard to encapsulate in a review - the feeling of love, lonliness, fear, and hope all on the page intermingling as one really shone through for me. I think the third part was the strongest of the four but I have such high hopes for the future of poetry after reading this!
February 8, 2018
By far Austen Johnson’s greatest strength is the ability to render the everyday intensely poignant. Her poetic voice – quiet yet resonant – combines the frankness of a confessional style with ironies of phrasing which register the complexity with which people contain parts of each other: “You are not mine, exactly, / You are mine, inexactly.” Her meditations on interactions with objects – a shirt that smells like a loved one, bacon in a frying pan, a body – capture the ways in which the material world facilitates these imbrications between people rendered fluid through their emotional experiences. A really exquisite collection.
August 22, 2019
CarpeLibrumIN Review:
A collection of poetry by @girlfriendofbath .
I enjoyed how she wrote her poetry. I could envision her sitting on a porch in a gentle breeze, getting it all down on paper . The way she describes objects or scenes, were easy to picture in your mind. Her poem “thoughts in a diner” was something exactly that I would do, and have done, in earlier college days. I related so much to a lot of these words, which flowed so effortlessly through the pages.
I look forward to reading future books from this “sometimes writer”, as I feel she will be doing big things, someday 🤗 #carpelibrumin #booksbeseen #supportindieauthors #bookambassador #letmereviewyourbook #indiepoetry #indieauthor #burningthebacon
A collection of poetry by @girlfriendofbath .
I enjoyed how she wrote her poetry. I could envision her sitting on a porch in a gentle breeze, getting it all down on paper . The way she describes objects or scenes, were easy to picture in your mind. Her poem “thoughts in a diner” was something exactly that I would do, and have done, in earlier college days. I related so much to a lot of these words, which flowed so effortlessly through the pages.
I look forward to reading future books from this “sometimes writer”, as I feel she will be doing big things, someday 🤗 #carpelibrumin #booksbeseen #supportindieauthors #bookambassador #letmereviewyourbook #indiepoetry #indieauthor #burningthebacon
October 7, 2019
Reviewed by Sarah Stuart for Readers' Favorite
Burning the Bacon by L. Austen Johnson comprises four distinct sections of poetry – Gravity, In Memoriam, Entropy, and Parthenogenesis. These titles fascinated me before I began to read.
The title poem, Burning the Bacon, is a declaration of love whilst Molded – one line of many says it all. “It's there in the spot you must have reserved for me in the shadows of your mind.” Nighttime Routine describes preparing for bed, but it’s included in In Memoriam – "I care for myself because you certainly didn't care for me." Entropy and Parthenogenesis are shorter than the first two sections, and each of the four are illustrated. All the poems are written freestyle in a way that allows the reader glimpses into the writer’s mind – very brave and incredibly clever.
Of all the poems L. Austen Johnson has written in Burning the Bacon, my absolute favourite is The Passion. It is based on The Lord’s Prayer, with a personal commentary after each line. Intriguingly, it ends with Amen, omitting “for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever”. Burning the Bacon is different from any other poetry book I’ve read. No way is it a “coffee table” book. Its place is in a private bedside cabinet where it’s handy when alone. Dip into Anticipation, Perspective: eight lines below the title of a poem by Walter Whitman, or Known. Burning the Bacon by L. Austen Johnson is a five-star must-have for poetry lovers and anyone ready to dip into something different.
Burning the Bacon by L. Austen Johnson comprises four distinct sections of poetry – Gravity, In Memoriam, Entropy, and Parthenogenesis. These titles fascinated me before I began to read.
The title poem, Burning the Bacon, is a declaration of love whilst Molded – one line of many says it all. “It's there in the spot you must have reserved for me in the shadows of your mind.” Nighttime Routine describes preparing for bed, but it’s included in In Memoriam – "I care for myself because you certainly didn't care for me." Entropy and Parthenogenesis are shorter than the first two sections, and each of the four are illustrated. All the poems are written freestyle in a way that allows the reader glimpses into the writer’s mind – very brave and incredibly clever.
Of all the poems L. Austen Johnson has written in Burning the Bacon, my absolute favourite is The Passion. It is based on The Lord’s Prayer, with a personal commentary after each line. Intriguingly, it ends with Amen, omitting “for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever”. Burning the Bacon is different from any other poetry book I’ve read. No way is it a “coffee table” book. Its place is in a private bedside cabinet where it’s handy when alone. Dip into Anticipation, Perspective: eight lines below the title of a poem by Walter Whitman, or Known. Burning the Bacon by L. Austen Johnson is a five-star must-have for poetry lovers and anyone ready to dip into something different.
January 14, 2018
What a fantastic collection of poetry, and an amazing debut publication by Lauren!
I was drawn into each poem and was surprised how each one pulled you in until the end. It felt like I was getting a glimpse at the author's own struggles and feelings but also that she was describing feelings all too familiar to myself as well. She has a way of ending poems that really make you think about the poem long after you've finished. On my first read through I really enjoyed 'Dear John', 'Molded', 'Buttery Lobster Heaven at Luke's', 'Birthdays', '2nd Law', and 'Known', but this is the type of poetry that can speak to you at different times of your life. I imagine if I re-read it in a year I'd see something in the rest of them that I didn't see this time. This is the first collection of poetry that really spoke to me. I'm grateful Lauren was willing to share her work with me and I look forward to her future publications.
I was drawn into each poem and was surprised how each one pulled you in until the end. It felt like I was getting a glimpse at the author's own struggles and feelings but also that she was describing feelings all too familiar to myself as well. She has a way of ending poems that really make you think about the poem long after you've finished. On my first read through I really enjoyed 'Dear John', 'Molded', 'Buttery Lobster Heaven at Luke's', 'Birthdays', '2nd Law', and 'Known', but this is the type of poetry that can speak to you at different times of your life. I imagine if I re-read it in a year I'd see something in the rest of them that I didn't see this time. This is the first collection of poetry that really spoke to me. I'm grateful Lauren was willing to share her work with me and I look forward to her future publications.
February 22, 2021
ARC given by NetGalley for Honest Review
The poetry collection was a fast and easy read. While a few poems struck a chord, it was an overall mediocre mix. This is not to say it was not enjoyable. The metaphors were clever, the writing style clean and pretty, and the stories well told. It is most certainly something you have read before and can be something you want to read again but for me it did not "stand out" (per say) against other poetry collections of the same caliber. I did not feel a pull into the book like I've felt with others.
That being said, Johnson did a great job with creating a confessional poetry collection that doesn't read like it belongs on a throw pillow and I appreciate that!
The poetry collection was a fast and easy read. While a few poems struck a chord, it was an overall mediocre mix. This is not to say it was not enjoyable. The metaphors were clever, the writing style clean and pretty, and the stories well told. It is most certainly something you have read before and can be something you want to read again but for me it did not "stand out" (per say) against other poetry collections of the same caliber. I did not feel a pull into the book like I've felt with others.
That being said, Johnson did a great job with creating a confessional poetry collection that doesn't read like it belongs on a throw pillow and I appreciate that!
February 27, 2021
*special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
I had a fun opportunity to chat with the author about another one of her works and she mentioned this poetry collection and I had to read it!
I do not read a lot of poetry, but these were so personal and touched a lot of difficult topics with grace. Because of this, I found this poetry collection to be a great read. It was easy to connect to because it was so richly human.
Maybe I am a poetry reader after all.
I had a fun opportunity to chat with the author about another one of her works and she mentioned this poetry collection and I had to read it!
I do not read a lot of poetry, but these were so personal and touched a lot of difficult topics with grace. Because of this, I found this poetry collection to be a great read. It was easy to connect to because it was so richly human.
Maybe I am a poetry reader after all.
March 18, 2021
This poet writes in a voice similar to how high fantasy novels are written. For some people, reading this collection will be a positive and enjoyable experience - the poems range in topic from heartache to home life to finding pieces of yourself. However, it may not be your cup of tea if you don't enjoy the wordier approach to poetry. I generally don't enjoy that style, so I had a hard time connecting to any of the poems on a personal level. As poetry is very subjective, I don't want you to think the poems aren't any good - they just don't speak to me as a reader, and that happens sometimes.
December 11, 2019
A collection of poems which explores lots of different subjects. They are very powerful. It may even help.you through difficult times in your life
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 7, 2020
L. Austen Johnson offers a collection of poetry here that feels human and perceptive. It's a beautiful first collection, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves contemporary poetry--especially poetry that struggles with the pain of human relationships.
March 20, 2021
A wonderful collection of poetry with a catchy title and beautiful cover.
February 13, 2018
Austen Johnson's poetry collection does a wonderful job evoking emotion and feeling within the reader. Each poem has a unique voice and a compelling message that made me want to keep reading and provided me with deeper perspective. The intriguing metaphors and the rich language that Johnson uses throughout her poems to explore various topics adds new layers to her poetry and I found myself unable to stop turning the pages. Great job, Lauren!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews