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The Lumberjack's Dove
“Serious art does not need to be weighty or explicitly topical. It can be, as it is here, apparently as light as a feather: The Lumberjack’s Dove is, in its manner, a folktale; it is also a meditation on attachment, on loss, on transformation. Like its less humble relatives, myth and parable, it is pithy, magical, its many insights, its cautions and clarifications, unfolding in a chain of brief scenes and koan-like revelations. This is a book of unexpected lightness and buoyancy, as necessary in our tense period as the more urgent confrontations.” --Louise Gluck
A boldly original and visceral debut collection from the winner of the 2017 National Poetry Series Competition, selected by Louise Gluck
In the ingenious and vividly imagined narrative poem The Lumberjack’s Dove, GennaRose Nethercott describes a lumberjack who cuts his hand off with an axe—however, instead of merely being severed, the hand shapeshifts into a dove. Far from representing just an event of pain and loss in the body, this incident spirals outward to explore countless facets of being human, prompting profound reflections on sacrifice and longing, time and memory, and—finally—considering the act of storytelling itself. The lumberjack, his hand, and the axe that separated the two all become participants in the story, with unique perspectives to share and lessons to impart. “I taught your fathers how to love,” Axe says to the acorns and leaves around her. “I mean to be felled, sliced to lumber, & reassembled into a new body.”
Inflected with the uncanny enchantment of modern folklore and animated by the sly shifting of points-of-view, The Lumberjack’s Dove is wise, richly textured poetry from a boundlessly creative new voice.
A boldly original and visceral debut collection from the winner of the 2017 National Poetry Series Competition, selected by Louise Gluck
In the ingenious and vividly imagined narrative poem The Lumberjack’s Dove, GennaRose Nethercott describes a lumberjack who cuts his hand off with an axe—however, instead of merely being severed, the hand shapeshifts into a dove. Far from representing just an event of pain and loss in the body, this incident spirals outward to explore countless facets of being human, prompting profound reflections on sacrifice and longing, time and memory, and—finally—considering the act of storytelling itself. The lumberjack, his hand, and the axe that separated the two all become participants in the story, with unique perspectives to share and lessons to impart. “I taught your fathers how to love,” Axe says to the acorns and leaves around her. “I mean to be felled, sliced to lumber, & reassembled into a new body.”
Inflected with the uncanny enchantment of modern folklore and animated by the sly shifting of points-of-view, The Lumberjack’s Dove is wise, richly textured poetry from a boundlessly creative new voice.
96 pages, Paperback
Published October 2, 2018
11 people are currently reading
1022 people want to read
About the author
GennaRose Nethercott
7 books976 followersGENNAROSE NETHERCOTT is the author of a novel, Thistlefoot, a Vermont Book Award winning short story collection, Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart, and a book-length poem, The Lumberjack’s Dove, which was selected by Louise Glück as a winner of the National Poetry Series. A writer and folklorist alike, she helps create the podcast Lore, and she tours nationally and internationally performing strange tales (sometimes with puppets in tow). She lives in the woodlands of Vermont, beside an old cemetery.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
November 11, 2022
A lumberjack loses a hand to his own axe. The hand becomes a dove. The hand tries to fly away but the lumberjack catches it beneath his shoe. You know this story. The lumberjack ties one end of a string to the hand & the other to his belt. Then the lumberjack walks out of the forest, the airborne hand fluttering along behind.
Nethercott spins an odd fable/poem that enchants the reader. Her evocative words conjure a strange beauty, and in the enchanted forest of her creation, ferns unfurl, ivies twine, the smell of the earth swells, and yet there's something not to be trusted in the air. Anything can happen . . .
The witch doctor sets a sewing needle to flesh. Along his lifeline she stitches streambeds gone dry. Thread becomes woodlands. Seeds are buried & saplings embroider up towards the sun. Boys are born along the silk. They learn to hold weapons & to unbutton a dress in the dark & they learn to hew the forest at the waist. They learn to claim what may or may not be theirs to claim. The witch doctor sews & as she does, forests & boys rise & fall.
A magical tale that manages to be both lovely and disturbing.
Nethercott spins an odd fable/poem that enchants the reader. Her evocative words conjure a strange beauty, and in the enchanted forest of her creation, ferns unfurl, ivies twine, the smell of the earth swells, and yet there's something not to be trusted in the air. Anything can happen . . .
The witch doctor sets a sewing needle to flesh. Along his lifeline she stitches streambeds gone dry. Thread becomes woodlands. Seeds are buried & saplings embroider up towards the sun. Boys are born along the silk. They learn to hold weapons & to unbutton a dress in the dark & they learn to hew the forest at the waist. They learn to claim what may or may not be theirs to claim. The witch doctor sews & as she does, forests & boys rise & fall.
A magical tale that manages to be both lovely and disturbing.
October 29, 2024
The love I have for GennaRose's writing is unmeasureable.
This is one of those stories that I see myself coming back to at various points in my life and finding new lines to resonate with and new angles to approach it with, which is I think exactly what this narrative wants of its audience.
For future reference for myself, the bit that connects with me the most here and now is:
Today, home is a thing he can hold, as long as he doesn't hold too tight. A place that balances in an open hand. This will not happen again. Home is not in the habit of repeating itself.
This is one of those stories that I see myself coming back to at various points in my life and finding new lines to resonate with and new angles to approach it with, which is I think exactly what this narrative wants of its audience.
For future reference for myself, the bit that connects with me the most here and now is:
Today, home is a thing he can hold, as long as he doesn't hold too tight. A place that balances in an open hand. This will not happen again. Home is not in the habit of repeating itself.
June 26, 2018
At first glance, this poem could be an Audrey Niffenegger story. I was captivated by the tale it told. The language was poetic and vivid. Slowly I began to appreciate it as poetry: repetition, similes, metaphors... and then it is over. I was sad to let this one go. Sad that I won’t have the opportunity to read this one again with fresh eyes. However, I am sure that I will revisit this book from time to time.
December 26, 2018
I'm super duper picky about poetry. I married one of the winners of the first Louder Than a Bomb Massachusetts slam competition. I have unfairly high standards.
But THIS.
THIS IS A POEM.
Do NOT let it slip under your radar. Even if you've never read a poem in your life. Even if you couldn't be paid to read poetry. Tough luck. You will read this and it will gut-punch you over and over and leave your heart all soft and wanting and your insides all cavernous and windy. You will read it and remember every time you've ever lost something, sacrificed something to regain something else, found something you didn't expect ever to find. You will--if you've any sense at all--want to run to the nearest person and force it into their hands so they can share your weird lingering sense of mis/understanding. If you've slightly less sense, you might run to the nearest tattoo artist instead, to get some of these lines inked onto your skin. So you won't forget.
I'm literally considering just not reading anything else until 2019 because I want this to be the note my year of reading goes out on. Wow.
But THIS.
THIS IS A POEM.
Do NOT let it slip under your radar. Even if you've never read a poem in your life. Even if you couldn't be paid to read poetry. Tough luck. You will read this and it will gut-punch you over and over and leave your heart all soft and wanting and your insides all cavernous and windy. You will read it and remember every time you've ever lost something, sacrificed something to regain something else, found something you didn't expect ever to find. You will--if you've any sense at all--want to run to the nearest person and force it into their hands so they can share your weird lingering sense of mis/understanding. If you've slightly less sense, you might run to the nearest tattoo artist instead, to get some of these lines inked onto your skin. So you won't forget.
I'm literally considering just not reading anything else until 2019 because I want this to be the note my year of reading goes out on. Wow.
April 7, 2021
Every poetry book I read, it seems, is better than the last. This book is heart breaking and healing and all of those beautiful things. I'm surprised that it doesn't have more popularity. Very strange for such a piece of artwork. I guess this is one of those hidden gems :)
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October 8, 2024I'm sure this was great but I genuinely think I'm too stupid to "get" poetry
September 10, 2018
A mesmerizing fable-poem, filled with gorgeous imagery and powerful truths.
June 17, 2021
Okay this is exactly my kind of shit. A hand turning into a dove?? A reflective narrator?? Surrender?? Abandonment?? Love?? I so enjoyed this story, and only wish it was longer!
June 27, 2024
as soon as i read the first few pages i knew this was a new favourite, so unique and tender and strangely relatable. i love bookclubs for making me discover new things that i never would’ve otherwise!!!
April 29, 2025
Well that was weird and awesome as fuck
December 26, 2018
Possibly the best poem I've ever read. Speechless.
November 25, 2018
This book was exquisite. If you dig poems that are folktales and folktales that are poems and commentary on storytelling, attraction, home, and loss, this book is for you.
January 11, 2019
"Marty McConnell/Vox Ferus for providing the writing prompt that somehow unfurled into an entire book. (Name an object. Name a body part. Now, replace the body part with the object...)"
July 8, 2024
I did not know what to expect as I don't really read poetry.
GennaRose writes in a way that makes it impossible to stop reading.
A beautiful story that makes it easy to relate and understand.
GennaRose writes in a way that makes it impossible to stop reading.
A beautiful story that makes it easy to relate and understand.
November 30, 2024
Tolkien is often cited for his rather humorous hatred of allegory, but less often is the totality of that opinion shared, namely that in place of allegory, he preferred 'histories, with their many applicabilities' to paraphrase. To write a story that does not have a singular meaning the reader can get correct, but one that is fluid and flexible, earnest in its construction, and applicable to numerous circumstances. This poem dances on that distinction with glee. I found myself falling into the trap of thinking I have figured out what specific idea or emotion this is an allegory for, before being whacked over the head by the beautifully vivid imagery that it isn't that simple. And truly what magical imagery it is. If you have a penchant for striking imagery this poem has it in spades, although that praise doubles as a warning for those of the more squeamish variety. As Nethercott says, this is every story, and whatever your story is, let it be found here. At the end of the day this poem allows you to do what we all ought to do with great poetry, fester with the beauty of the words in their own right, and let whatever meaning truly speaks to you come at its own pace.
March 21, 2022
I liked this. On the surface it seems like something I’d really connect with… but it didn’t speak to me as expected. Weird and well written, just not what I needed for now. I’ll definitely revisit it sometime, though.
May 27, 2025
Ik wil méér verhalende poëzie!! Dit leest als een sprookje. Er zit eigenlijk zo weinig in, maar je kunt er zóveel uit halen.
Opening & closing, clasping each other, widening palms to catch beginning rain. O there is so much to hold. <3
Opening & closing, clasping each other, widening palms to catch beginning rain. O there is so much to hold. <3
July 12, 2023
This funny little poem book wrecked & rebuilt me. I love it very much. Thanks, GennaRose!
June 5, 2024
3.5-4 ! so imaginative
June 22, 2024
What a trip.
December 2, 2024
Every Nethercott book feels like she reached into my brain and wrote exactly what I’ve been looking for
December 21, 2024
A strange but beautiful tale of a woodcutter who loses his hand. Poetic, and filled with a sense of folklore and fairytale. I enjoyed all the truth in the rules of storytelling.
October 6, 2018
Wow. This took my breath away. It is a lovely, enjoyable, magical read. And it will be magical and enjoyable to read again and again. I highly recommend this book.
December 19, 2022
A delicate strangeness. I loved the folktale style, the different paths the story could/would take, and the tenderness with which it was told. A story that does not offer answers, only possibilities.
December 2, 2018
A book that I finished and instantly wanted to read again. A narrative poem like a fable like a parable like a fairy tale like a dream. Original and magical and wow.
August 25, 2021
I can’t believe this was some impulse BookOutlet purchase I threw into my cart to get free shipping. Jesus Christ.
If you love folklore this is one to read. I’m already sad that it’s over.
If you love folklore this is one to read. I’m already sad that it’s over.
October 12, 2018
The Lumberjack's Dove, the debut book-length poem by GennaRose Nethercott, is a brilliant example of the transformational power of the form.
A lumberjack's axe severs his hand, which turns into a dove. It's a fantastical concept that Nethercott wields effortlessly in turns that are whimsical, grisly, heartfelt and passionate. The story is a shapeshifter, taking on unexpected new shapes and shades with each turn of the page.
Nethercott's skill with language is entirely her own and her phrases are finely built, sturdy things. They’re grounded in the world and objects we see every day, yet in Nethercott’s hand, things like a handkerchief, an interstate highway, or a favorite song on the radio become woven into etherial structures. This story’s strength lies in its ability to twist the familiar into something magical. This is a book for the changing seasons, the changing seasons in our lives, and so much more.
This author will be on an eight-month tour around the country, bringing her story to life with the help of a handmade visual medium called a crankie. Lovers of the genre will not want to miss this one-of-a-kind experience.
A lumberjack's axe severs his hand, which turns into a dove. It's a fantastical concept that Nethercott wields effortlessly in turns that are whimsical, grisly, heartfelt and passionate. The story is a shapeshifter, taking on unexpected new shapes and shades with each turn of the page.
Nethercott's skill with language is entirely her own and her phrases are finely built, sturdy things. They’re grounded in the world and objects we see every day, yet in Nethercott’s hand, things like a handkerchief, an interstate highway, or a favorite song on the radio become woven into etherial structures. This story’s strength lies in its ability to twist the familiar into something magical. This is a book for the changing seasons, the changing seasons in our lives, and so much more.
This author will be on an eight-month tour around the country, bringing her story to life with the help of a handmade visual medium called a crankie. Lovers of the genre will not want to miss this one-of-a-kind experience.
May 25, 2023
GennaRose Nethercott and I share a similar aesthetic dress in that we both gravitate towards the surreal and the uncanny, and are influenced by many of the same woman authors, artists, and icons, including Angela Carter, Karen Russell, Leonora Carrington, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, among others. Like her literary lineage, Nethercott’s own writing is infused with magic, myth, and a recursive beauty with a bevy of characters including Axe who “doesn’t believe in folktales,” Lumberjack, a mourning dove, and a witch doctor.
In her collection The Lumberjack’s Dove, Nethercott sagely reminds us, in one of several iterations that “there are three rules of storytelling”:
And, whether she’s telling her truths by writing collaboratively with Ben Clark for their exquisite “Dear Barn, Dear Fox” series, or composing singular poems influenced by medieval bestiaries, Nethercott is an exhilarating and atmospheric storyteller who creates pieces that sing and sting in their revelations.
In her collection The Lumberjack’s Dove, Nethercott sagely reminds us, in one of several iterations that “there are three rules of storytelling”:
1. All stories end with a beginning
2.Every character is a shapeshifter. Every object is a seed.
3.The purist way to speak truth is by lying.
And, whether she’s telling her truths by writing collaboratively with Ben Clark for their exquisite “Dear Barn, Dear Fox” series, or composing singular poems influenced by medieval bestiaries, Nethercott is an exhilarating and atmospheric storyteller who creates pieces that sing and sting in their revelations.
July 31, 2019
Posters of skeletons are far less motivational than actual skeletons. When it comes to heeding a color Xerox or heeding the dead, the dead always win.
There was a unique kind of mixing of the medical and the magical here that reminded me most closely of Miroslav Holub's Vanishing Lung Syndrome: Poems. The stuff about stories and the shape of stories didn't do it for me (I think I'm just tired of stories and their shapes and how everything about their shapes has to be profound when so many of them aren't) but boy howdy am I on board with reality being a shifting thing that fights back against being pinned down and codified.
I just plain enjoyed how uncanny everything is, even the bits you would expect to be mundane. Having a "body" is horrifying and gross and weird and it's about time poetry recognized this.
May 25, 2023
A lumberjack loses a hand to his own axe. The hand becomes a dove. The hand tries to fly away but the lumberjack catches it beneath his shoe. You know this story. The lumberjack tries ties one end of a string to the hand & the other to his belt. Then the lumberjack walks out of the forest, the airborne hand fluttering along behind.
An enchanting and vivid short story told in verse. It's magical and fairytale-like, almost a fable but with little truths scattered throughout instead of one moral at the end. There are lots of themes at play here: stories and storytelling, fiction and truth, abandonment and sacrifice.
Nethercott's poetry is lovely, evocative, and disturbing. I adored her prose in Thistlefoot, and was so happy to have stumbled upon this gem (bonus points for another creepy yet beautiful witch's house on legs).
There are three rules of storytelling:
1. All stories end with a beginning.
2. Every character is a shapeshifter. Every object is a seed.
3. The purest way to speak the truth is by lying.
An enchanting and vivid short story told in verse. It's magical and fairytale-like, almost a fable but with little truths scattered throughout instead of one moral at the end. There are lots of themes at play here: stories and storytelling, fiction and truth, abandonment and sacrifice.
Nethercott's poetry is lovely, evocative, and disturbing. I adored her prose in Thistlefoot, and was so happy to have stumbled upon this gem (bonus points for another creepy yet beautiful witch's house on legs).
There are three rules of storytelling:
1. All stories end with a beginning.
2. Every character is a shapeshifter. Every object is a seed.
3. The purest way to speak the truth is by lying.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews