Sublime Subliminal

by Rena Priest

Genres: Poetry, School

48 pages

About the author

RENA PRIEST is a Lummi Tribal Member and a writer. Her debut book, Patriarchy Blues, garnered a 2018 American Book Award. She has been a Sustainable Arts Fellow at Mineral School Artist's Residency, and a nominee for a 2017 Pushcart Prize. Her new collection, Sublime Subliminal, will be released on Floating Bridge Press in the Fall of 2018. She has taught Comparative Cultural Studies, Native-American Studies and Special Topics in the Humanities, at Western Washington University and Fairhaven College. She holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College.

Reviews

[Julene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of poems by Rena Priest was published through the Floating Bridge Press Contest. Yeah! I loved Rena's first book and was excited to receive this one in the mail. In it, she attributes that the poems written were inspired by Jim Simmerman's invented form: "20 Little Poetry Projects." And, indeed on researching this form, I see the brilliance of this method. Rena is skilled at the nuances or instructions, one being inserting the formal name of a historical or famous person, and another, use a foreign quote. The book is a skillful mix with lots to know or look up.

One example is the name Anita Berber in her poem, No Wind Too Cold for Lovers. Anita I learned is a German dancer, actress and writer who died in 1928, she was the lover of Marlene Dietrich! This alone made me want to learn more about her! And to read her work. The title is actually from the foreign quote used in the poem, "Der Liebe is kein Wind zu kalt." The quotes all are translated on the sides of the poems, which is helpful.

Again, I look forward to more work from this gifted poet.

[Matteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inventive and profound. Gives the reader an opportunity to look at the familiar with new eyes, revealing unexpected insights.