Because a Woman's Heart is Like a Needle at the Bottom of the Ocean

by Sugar Magnolia Wilson

Through fun and gore, love and monsters, Sugar Magnolia Wilson’s riveting first collection takes readers inside a world where past and present, fiction and fact, author and subject collide. Playful and yet not so sunny, these poems invite you in with extravagant and surprising imagery, only to reveal the uneasy, Frankenstein world within.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction

88 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was delicious

Muddy Heart and Home Alone 2 were my favorites. coincidentally (or not) they were also the ones that hurt me the most.

[ely · Rating 4 out of 5]

the writing style was impeccable.

[Georgie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As beautiful and eclectic as the cover. I particularly enjoyed the original and unexpected similes and metaphors; like "grey clouds like quiet dogs" and "as if the wind had murmured through but it hadn't " or "how easily you eat the yolk of people's confidence! "

The writing is just so pretty and melancholic and bruised - and bruising, I have a million highlights;

"My grandmother, so many silk scarves gifted to her/...
stolen, thieved from her neck and thrown into the sea at Seatoun -- she gave up, had enough, her bones turned to dust and she blew away"
" I am myself and not myself again and again and again until you find me through the small water in my wrist the channel where the darkest fish run to the lake in my palm."
"We were both human and this seemed enough. "
"Open up your mouth and we'll press our lives together. In the future you'll stop breathing, and in a loving way we either will or will not have been kind enough to each other in this lifetime. "
"Don't forget, the world is almost still young, the elephants of the mind still roam in huge, populous hoards, the Rainbow Warrior has only just stopped floating among the confetti of floral islands, and we're angry with the French like a young woman is angry with her insouciant lover, "

"My heart belongs to mornings like this one. It was my own "

[naoual · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kind of poetry that was new to me and I fell in love with it! Complex thoughts, beautiful imagery and a lonely and almost bizarre soul deep within. Will definitely recommend this one🙌

[Ari · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 ⭐️

Less of a review and more a critique on work I’ve read that’s similar to this:

Most of the stuff I’ve read that are written in the stream of consciousness vein regardless of the author just hasn’t resonated with me. There are parts in this collection I liked but those were more like short paragraphs with pretty prose rather poems. I really want to like poetry collections like this more and stuff like Sylvia Plath’s Ariel but I guess it’s not meant to be.
In theory, it seems like I would like the stream of consciousness style but my mind prefers a more linear flow as opposed to being abstract.
The topic and content can be abstract like Otessa Moshfeghs or Sayaka Murata’s works (some staple unhinged and weird girl literary fiction) but it has to get somewhere instead of meandering and not getting anywhere the way stream of consciousness does - I wasn’t a fan of Plath’s poetry, parts in Patti Smith’s M Train, and Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own.
I’ll keep trying to read literature that’s in the stream of consciousness vein but so far the only thing I liked was Patti Smith’s M Train for the vibes, but I still didn’t like her random tangents about her weird dreams and ruminations.

[su ୨୧ · Rating 1 out of 5]

[1.5 ⭐]

[Marcus Hobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very different collection of poetry, not least because of the different sections of the book. They divide the work into three discreet parts. We start with ‘Dear Sister’, nine separate letters to a sister. Then there are a range of different poems, reflections on a relationship, moving through different stages, and out of the other side. Finally, in ‘Pen pal’, there are fifteen letters addressed to a pen pal who seems disinclined to respond to all that is being said.

All three sections are very different moods and voices within the collection.

In the ‘Dear sister’ poems, much of the symbolism is rural and pastoral. Sometimes I feel that the writer is a child and at other times she is talking adult to adult with her sister. The writer is gifted a horse, which at first she will not name. She describes the gift as follows; “I think the theory presented her by this gifted horse is; you can’t take the wild from the heart of the girl, but maybe you can put the wild girl upon a horse and teach her to master some of her own wild hysteria. I am expected to ride her and learn to hold my tongue.” Then, in the shortest of the letters, all we get is “I have named the horse. She is Lilith.” In the letter after the girl leaves the house in the night to go riding on the horse.
“The night is a strange tune. Past the hustle of elm, and there she is, Lilith, far from the Red Sea, a night creature without capacity for fear. A breeder of demons? No. She gives me strength. We ride out fast and I hear someone out there, some trickster, some two-faced she-Pan, deep in the forest luring me, daring me. Her voice appears as those of songsters; corncrakes, nightjars, the reed and sedge warbler, and it takes a different kind of listening to hear the way. And we hunt for her, furiously, Lilith and I, but we are home, stabled and in bed before the new day reminds the robin and the redstart they exist. It is secret work we do.” I love all the imagery here, and I am surprised by the choices of the birds that are named, ones that you would find in a European summer, but never in New Zealand.

In the middle section of twenty-eight poems, there are some lovely contrasts in ‘Conversations with my boyfriend’, one from English to Korean the other Korean to English, allowing both sides to interpret the same events and put their own spin on what happens, how important rice is and why the nick-name Flower-Piglet is used. In the poem ‘Heat Wave’ one short beautiful verse especially caught my attention:
“We battled our way home, valiant on our drunkenness as
men waved radishes in our faces and old women elbowed our sides
and the moon was just another grubby lamp on a
night-coloured pole.”

This is a wonderful collection. It deserves to be read many times to absorb the smells and flavours, to feel the wind and sense the different landscapes.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, nothing from this collection jumped out and made me go, “Wow, this was incredible.” Wilson has a way with descriptions, but I didn’t feel there was a particular form or style that brought the collection together to establish a strong voice.

I also can’t place my finger on what it was about a couple of these poems with this “fusion” of East/West that rubbed me the wrong way. It felt a little... white gaze-y to me, for lack of a better term.

A bit disappointing, especially with such an eye-catching cover, title, and ideas that could have been explored more in-depth.

[kae ⚢ · Rating 5 out of 5]

criminally underrated

[oriana 🎀 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
the prose wasn’t bad. not my cut of tea. i think i expected to much cause i trust beautiful covers lol, what a wasted potential

[Alex Bodnar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, because the title is simply beautiful, and I actually did! I did like it, but despite the strong, vivid imagery that made me smile, everything felt… almost repetitive? I mean style wise.

Every poem felt like a short story cut in random places to resemble a poem. Not every poem has to rhyme, but I would’ve liked to see more words rhyme. Rhythm was on point, nonetheless. I enjoyed reading every piece out loud.

Would’ve been a strong 4 star if it had more diverse styles. 3 stars it is for today.

[Dora · Rating 2 out of 5]

tbh home alone 2 is the only poem i really felt in this whole book 🤷🏻‍♀️

[z ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - my favourites were ‘spent’ and ‘moon-baller’

[Shaylee]

Rtc maybe

[Baz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this last weekend while i was at my grandparents and wow, sugar magnolia wilson’s words demands to be heard! 💌

[Şeyma Gürbüz]

I feel like this was a good poetry book but I was not the right audience for it as it was very much about Asian culture and experience.

[Majo Alas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t get it 😓

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

definitely a low 4. I think I liked it but some poems and lines just didn't hit and, while I loved the overall vibe, some parts felt a little disjointed. not a top recommendation for poetry from me, but pretty cool.

[Flor Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This poetry book is its own species of poetry, an eclectic, rambling thing that is running wild in the garden. A young bird that has known to fly before it could even leave the nest. The imagery is beautiful and the words are filled with child-like sorrow and optimism that I know a young me had, once. Sugar Magnolia Wilson sure has a way with words. I did have a few poems that really plucked at my heartstrings, though sometimes they were like an untuned guitar. Overall, I enjoyed this book for everything it was and everything it wasn’t. I’m glad to have developed my poetic readings a little, taking them to a planet far from our own where perhaps i’ll return and stay awhile when I’m feeling some type of way.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite poems in this collection were so awfully specific to the author that I couldn't help but feel as if I, too, an only child, understood what it meant to have a sister in California. Poems are so personal, I think. It's somewhat of a voyeuristic endeavour to experience someone else's loss, joy, confusion. And the wonder comes with being able to relate these specific experiences to parts of your own memory.

Sugar Magnolia Wilson (what a name) manages to combine the lyrical prose I fall too easily for with just the right beat of mundanity:

"My up-to-ears beard and reindeer jersey is
very handsome and in your winter boots
you look more like a distant, snowy mountain than
a girl who threw on my long coat -- but nonetheless
it is very cute."

I also loved that she writes narrative poetry. I have longed for stories over Instagram sentences. The Dear sister poems tell not just a story -- "maybe you can put the wild girl upon a horse and teach her to master some of her own terrible hysteria. I am expected to ride her and learn to hold my tongue" -- but contains an entire arc. Home Alone 2 (with you) also lands a punch at just the right moment.

The last poem I'll highlight is Muddy Heart . It made me think of my own father, the insurmountable absence.

[julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have many highlights and enjoyed the very unique writing in this poetry. The spells, and references to trees and nature were very well written! My favorite poems were Dear Sister, Town, The Sleep of Trees, Dear X, and 9. (from Penpal series). Though there were many poems I did not connect to, I would read again for quotes like this:

“All the flowers in the garden look like fire spirits burning out in the evening sun”

“On your back – breathe like a long canoe – let the sadness wash off your secret underside.”

“at night, like all of us – fragmented and orbiting herself like a stranger.”

I will admit that I was mostly drawn to this collection because the cover is very beautiful (!) and for the title of the book— I was looking forward to reading that poem most. I was a little disappointed by it, and the fact that the title is not an original line. However, I do feel it was an appropriate title and fit the collection.

[Gala :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this in Tasmania and finished reading it after Brisbane. It was magical and special and I annotated the hell out of it. I adore it and already know I'm gonna come back to it often.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Because a Woman's Heart is Like a Needle at the Bottom of the Ocean" by Sugar Magnolia Wilson
Truly original, raw, real.
‘Spent’ page 38, ‘The Sleep of Trees’ page 54
So good! ****
Also
"grey clouds like quiet dogs"
"as if the wind had murmured through but it hadn't "
"how easily you eat the yolk of people's confidence! "
…
"My grandmother, so many silk scarves gifted to her/...
stolen, thieved from her neck and thrown into the sea at Seatoun -- she gave up, had enough, her bones turned to dust and she blew away"
" I am myself and not myself again and again and again until you find me through the small water in my wrist the channel where the darkest fish run to the lake in my palm."
"We were both human and this seemed enough. "
"Open up your mouth and we'll press our lives together. In the future you'll stop breathing, and in a loving way we either will or will not have been kind enough to each other in this lifetime. "
"Don't forget, the world is almost still young, the elephants of the mind still roam in huge, populous hoards, the Rainbow Warrior has only just stopped floating among the confetti of floral islands, and we're angry with the French like a young woman is angry with her insouciant lover, "

"My heart belongs to mornings like this one. It was my own "

[Baylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Puoi trovare questa recensione anche sul mio blog, La siepe di more

Ho incrociato Because a Woman’s Heart is Like a Needle at the Bottom of the Ocean per caso mentre girellavo svogliatamente sul catalogo di Scribd e sono rimasta folgorata dal titolo, dalla copertina e pure dal nome dell’autrice: sembrava tutto così poetico, delicato e carino che ho cercato di approfondire. In realtà non ho scoperto granché a parte che Sugar Magnolia Wilson è neozelandese: non ricordo di aver letto poesia neozelandese, quindi, complice anche la brevità della raccolta, mi ci sono lanciata.

È stato come leggere il grimorio di una strega: a dispetto del suo aspetto caruccio, infatti, si tratta di poesie che incorporano anche dell’oscurità e della pericolosità. C’è molta natura e nessuna paura di camminare alla luce del giorno o nell’oscurità della notte, come si confà a una strega. Magari non le poesie più belle che abbia letto nella mia vita, ma nondimeno una raccolta molto interessante.

[Femke de Heer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik weet niet of dit aan mijn ervaring van de Engelse taal in het algemeen ligt, maar ik vond het taalgebruik hier en daar te ontspannen en afstandelijk. Hoewel ik veel in het Engels lees, heb ik nog steeds sterk de associatie met het Engels dat via twitter gedachteloos de wereld in wordt geslingerd.
Hier en daar kreeg ik wel het idee dat haar omschrijvingen meer een duistere "aesthetic" willen opwekken dan dat ze daadwerkelijk iets met de lezer doen.
Een goede bundel, maar sloeg bij mij helaas niet aan.

[tam truong · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5* (??)

maybe my young mind in unable to comprehend the concept of this collection of essays, or my taste isn’t developed enough so that poems of this capacity seem like a foreign language that i can’t speak.
or, in another world,,,poetry isn’t my forte and this novel proved it.
and in the exception (wish it wasn’t) that this book really was that diabolically incomprehensible and felt like being a room full on grad students who, enthusiastically, are discussing philanthropy.


i concur some parts were better than others, but the bad outweigh the good and i had to come to terms with it.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains some of the best poetry I have ever read. Wilson's way of writing something incredibly gruesome and mixing it with pretty things like nature made this book very enjoyable, because most authors just go for one or the other. Her poetry is very unique, and I don't think there is anything else quite like it out there. I loved the array of themes for her poems, and I think she portrayed them all beautifully and skillfully. This book is tremendously underrated, and I highly suggest you read this book if you want to get more into poetry. Overall, I rate this book 5 stars :)))))

[Luu · Rating 4 out of 5]

“And I turn around and realise you’ve been watching me the whole time – and even though neither of us have spoken and I’ve not started to cry yet you say really quietly, Do you miss your mother? And I am so startled, and so shockingly sad that I cry in front of you for the first time. I cry on you for what seems like hours and your white top feels like home and for a while you let me be a kid again, a kid who got lost and can’t seem to find her mother anywhere, no matter how hard she looks.” Hits close home.

[Genetic Cuckoo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a strange book of poems. I think it was juxtaposing beautful and unpleasant imagery to create contrast, but it felt uncomfortable at times. Most felt so fantastical they could be a fever dream.
I liked the mix of Asian and Western, and so I would likely recommend this to someone with mixed heritage or has lived and grown up in both regions, as they might relate and connect with this book.