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Swallowtail
Swallowtail: A deep dive into the dissection of popular culture, and how the brightness and horrors of it can be mirrors into the daily lived experiences of women in America.
96 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
December 5, 2019
Technically 4.5/5 stars, rounded up because I freaking love Button Poetry.
Surprise, surprise, another collection from Button Poetry that I absolutely adore. As many of you know, I’m a poetry geek, especially about spoken word poetry, and when it comes to spoken word, Button Poetry has some of the best talent out there. Frankly, if there’s a Button book on NetGalley, the odds are pretty high that I’m going to insist on reading it, and Swallowtail certainly did not disappoint. In her debut collection, Brenna Twohy examines topics including abusive relationships, trauma, suicide, femininity, love (or lack thereof), and healing, using metaphors ranging from the traditional (e.g. fruit) to the incredibly contemporary (e.g. Harry Potter). Her language is highly readable–seriously, I finished this entire collection in one sitting, on my lunch break–which makes me think that (a) these pieces would all be fantastic as spoken word/performance pieces, and (b) this collection will appeal to fans of contemporary poetry in general, as well as those who generally don’t like poetry because they find it “too stuffy” or “not relatable.”
As is often the case with collections, be they of short stories, poems, or some other third thing, there will be some weak links. Though the majority of her poems are incisive, with lyrical precision, especially those about her brother’s suicide, and some are brilliantly clever in their links between pop culture and deep personal reality, such as the discussion of trauma in “Draco Malfoy Looks Into the Mirror of Erised,” there are a few that veer too far into the realm of cliches and generalities. Most of these weaker ones are those that are specifically linked to a traumatic past relationship of hers, and this is understandable–grappling with a hard topic is sometimes easier in the abstract, but in this case, that meant gravitating toward less-than-original imagery or poems that seek to capture too many thoughts at once and end up less impactful.
That said, this was overall a fantastic chapbook, one I would like to reread sometime soon just to more fully absorb its contents. It is unafraid of confronting difficult subjects, and it does so with just the right mix of fragile delicacy and blunt intensity. If you are not big on non-classical poetry (and I know there are plenty of you out there), this is not likely to change your mind, but for those of you who do enjoy poetry of a more contemporary variety–especially if you are interested in the topics this collection deals with–I would definitely recommend giving this one a read. I can’t wait to read–and watch–what Twohy writes in the future.
A version of this review that also contains quotes from the chapbook can be found on my BLOG!
TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNINGS: suicide, abuse, anxiety/panic attacks
Thank you to Button Poetry for providing me with a digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Surprise, surprise, another collection from Button Poetry that I absolutely adore. As many of you know, I’m a poetry geek, especially about spoken word poetry, and when it comes to spoken word, Button Poetry has some of the best talent out there. Frankly, if there’s a Button book on NetGalley, the odds are pretty high that I’m going to insist on reading it, and Swallowtail certainly did not disappoint. In her debut collection, Brenna Twohy examines topics including abusive relationships, trauma, suicide, femininity, love (or lack thereof), and healing, using metaphors ranging from the traditional (e.g. fruit) to the incredibly contemporary (e.g. Harry Potter). Her language is highly readable–seriously, I finished this entire collection in one sitting, on my lunch break–which makes me think that (a) these pieces would all be fantastic as spoken word/performance pieces, and (b) this collection will appeal to fans of contemporary poetry in general, as well as those who generally don’t like poetry because they find it “too stuffy” or “not relatable.”
As is often the case with collections, be they of short stories, poems, or some other third thing, there will be some weak links. Though the majority of her poems are incisive, with lyrical precision, especially those about her brother’s suicide, and some are brilliantly clever in their links between pop culture and deep personal reality, such as the discussion of trauma in “Draco Malfoy Looks Into the Mirror of Erised,” there are a few that veer too far into the realm of cliches and generalities. Most of these weaker ones are those that are specifically linked to a traumatic past relationship of hers, and this is understandable–grappling with a hard topic is sometimes easier in the abstract, but in this case, that meant gravitating toward less-than-original imagery or poems that seek to capture too many thoughts at once and end up less impactful.
That said, this was overall a fantastic chapbook, one I would like to reread sometime soon just to more fully absorb its contents. It is unafraid of confronting difficult subjects, and it does so with just the right mix of fragile delicacy and blunt intensity. If you are not big on non-classical poetry (and I know there are plenty of you out there), this is not likely to change your mind, but for those of you who do enjoy poetry of a more contemporary variety–especially if you are interested in the topics this collection deals with–I would definitely recommend giving this one a read. I can’t wait to read–and watch–what Twohy writes in the future.
A version of this review that also contains quotes from the chapbook can be found on my BLOG!
TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNINGS: suicide, abuse, anxiety/panic attacks
Thank you to Button Poetry for providing me with a digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
January 1, 2020
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"To love me
is to love a haunted house.
It's fun to visit once a year,
but no one wants to live there."
At the stroke midnight, when the year 2020 began, I started reading this poetry book by Brenna Twohy. And my-oh-my, I could not have chosen a better way to start my new year. The book features a collection of poems revolving around grief and abuse. There are so many things the poet talks about, and in so many ways, that by the time I was done with it, I was drenched in tears. The night being the New Year's, it was certainly not a good idea.
I absolutely adored the way Twohy had penned down her words. Although the themes of grief, loss and abuse are quite popular, Twohy found a way to talk about them without boring me. Her metaphors about ghost stories, and her fanfiction poems from Harry Potter—all of them spoke out to me.
One of my favourite parts was reading this:
"I get it.
I know you are tired of hearing rape poems.
I am tired of hearing rape poems,
the same way soldiers are tired
of hearing their own guns go off.
We all wish the war was over. But
you are staring out at a world on fire
complaining about how ugly
you think the ashes are.
The poems are not the problem."
This portion of a longer poem spoke out to me in a way none had spoken before. The feminist take on certain ideas didn't go unnoticed. The poems made me feel and think about what I read. They spoke to me on a new level and changed my way of thinking about certain things and ideas.
Twohy's poems reminded me a little of Sylvia Plath. I remember reading her works a couple of years ago and absolutely falling in love. Brenna Twohy's book gave me the same kind of feeling. I'm certainly happy at finding out about it.
I mean, 2020 is only just beginning and I've already found a new favourite.
"To love me
is to love a haunted house.
It's fun to visit once a year,
but no one wants to live there."
At the stroke midnight, when the year 2020 began, I started reading this poetry book by Brenna Twohy. And my-oh-my, I could not have chosen a better way to start my new year. The book features a collection of poems revolving around grief and abuse. There are so many things the poet talks about, and in so many ways, that by the time I was done with it, I was drenched in tears. The night being the New Year's, it was certainly not a good idea.
I absolutely adored the way Twohy had penned down her words. Although the themes of grief, loss and abuse are quite popular, Twohy found a way to talk about them without boring me. Her metaphors about ghost stories, and her fanfiction poems from Harry Potter—all of them spoke out to me.
One of my favourite parts was reading this:
"I get it.
I know you are tired of hearing rape poems.
I am tired of hearing rape poems,
the same way soldiers are tired
of hearing their own guns go off.
We all wish the war was over. But
you are staring out at a world on fire
complaining about how ugly
you think the ashes are.
The poems are not the problem."
This portion of a longer poem spoke out to me in a way none had spoken before. The feminist take on certain ideas didn't go unnoticed. The poems made me feel and think about what I read. They spoke to me on a new level and changed my way of thinking about certain things and ideas.
Twohy's poems reminded me a little of Sylvia Plath. I remember reading her works a couple of years ago and absolutely falling in love. Brenna Twohy's book gave me the same kind of feeling. I'm certainly happy at finding out about it.
I mean, 2020 is only just beginning and I've already found a new favourite.
November 21, 2019
I absolutely loved this new feminist poetry book that deals with topics like mental illness, sexual assault and loss. Twohy is utterly raw, honest and real in poems that are beautifully crafted. Finally, after reading so much Instagram Lite poetry lately, I am so glad to have found poetry that makes me feel and think and want to read lines of it to my husband and grown kids (who are all poets and poetry lovers too). Lines like I will never again not know the sound of my mother breaking deal with the death of her brother heartbreakingly well, while lines like how it was the gentlest of guttings tell of the pain of abuse and toxic relationships with loves that are hard to quit and harder to recover from.
An excerpt from WHEN THE CRAZY CAME BACK
this body knows fear like a front porch
knows welcome--it is always coming home.
& you cannot pull the crazy out of me
the way you cannot put a flower back to bed,
but this body knows withstand, knows
what the morning looks like when she says stay.
Twohy is a bit of a modern Anne Sexton or Sylvia Plath, writing woman-centered poetry that deals with topics like mental illness and brutal self reflection, but with 21st century references to Harry Potter, Xanax and Facebook. Don't pick it up if you want cheerful, rhyming or easy poems.
I'll be buying a copy of this one. This is by far my favorite book of poems in quite a long time.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
An excerpt from WHEN THE CRAZY CAME BACK
this body knows fear like a front porch
knows welcome--it is always coming home.
& you cannot pull the crazy out of me
the way you cannot put a flower back to bed,
but this body knows withstand, knows
what the morning looks like when she says stay.
Twohy is a bit of a modern Anne Sexton or Sylvia Plath, writing woman-centered poetry that deals with topics like mental illness and brutal self reflection, but with 21st century references to Harry Potter, Xanax and Facebook. Don't pick it up if you want cheerful, rhyming or easy poems.
I'll be buying a copy of this one. This is by far my favorite book of poems in quite a long time.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
December 7, 2019
Swallowtail, a collection of poems by Brenna Twohy, delves deeply into the topics of loss and grief. I found the poems to be not only quite profound, but highly accessible, and I was pulled into a stream of consciousness from which I could not look away. I anxiously anticipate reading more of Ms Twohy's work. Hers is a fresh, relevant voice that needs to be heard.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Button Poetry for this ARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Button Poetry for this ARC.
December 8, 2020
There were less poems that I like than I don't like.
December 16, 2020
When I came across "Today I Am Tired of Being a Woman" on Tumblr, I immediately reblogged it and went looking for Twohy's book.
Her poems are personal with conversational language about hard and upsetting topics. I found many of them to be excellent, but I couldn't get over the feeling that this book could have benefited from a little more editing. There's an unusual clash about 2/3 of the way through where a bunch of poems that reference popular culture like Harry Potter, X-Men, and Batman pop up and then subside. There's also some repetition in ideas and phrasing, throughout, giving several poems a predictable sameness that makes me wish only the best of those had been included, and in some poems I felt that the language could be tighter. I only say this because when Twohy is good, she's amazing, and I felt like this collection could have been exceptional if it had cooked just a little longer.
Favorites include the aforementioned "I am Tired of Being a Woman," as well as "I Guess I'll Tell It Like This," "What I've Learned About Trauma," "I Am Not Clinically Crazy Anymore," "When the Crazy Came Back," and this little thing, short and powerful, and living in the liminal space between the verso and the table of contents:
When I Say I Forgive You, Know This
I did not bury the hatchet.
I have the hatchet in my hands.
I am building myself a new house.
Poems contain themes of sexual assault, rape, domestic abuse, intimate partner violence, trauma, anxiety, suicide, death of a family member, and grief.
Her poems are personal with conversational language about hard and upsetting topics. I found many of them to be excellent, but I couldn't get over the feeling that this book could have benefited from a little more editing. There's an unusual clash about 2/3 of the way through where a bunch of poems that reference popular culture like Harry Potter, X-Men, and Batman pop up and then subside. There's also some repetition in ideas and phrasing, throughout, giving several poems a predictable sameness that makes me wish only the best of those had been included, and in some poems I felt that the language could be tighter. I only say this because when Twohy is good, she's amazing, and I felt like this collection could have been exceptional if it had cooked just a little longer.
Favorites include the aforementioned "I am Tired of Being a Woman," as well as "I Guess I'll Tell It Like This," "What I've Learned About Trauma," "I Am Not Clinically Crazy Anymore," "When the Crazy Came Back," and this little thing, short and powerful, and living in the liminal space between the verso and the table of contents:
When I Say I Forgive You, Know This
I did not bury the hatchet.
I have the hatchet in my hands.
I am building myself a new house.
Poems contain themes of sexual assault, rape, domestic abuse, intimate partner violence, trauma, anxiety, suicide, death of a family member, and grief.
May 9, 2021
Perhaps because I'm accustomed to consuming Twohy's poetry in small chunks, individual poems listened to on a Button Poetry playlist, but I never noticed how religiously she adheres to her subject matter: personal trauma, family trauma, Harry Potter. Almost every poem in this collection can be sorted into those categories, or a combination of the three.
And she gets excellent mileage out of them. Twohy waxes poetic about wine poured down a sink and Potterotica and falling knives in beautiful and devastating ways, but there is an inescapable drive in her concentrated subject matter. A drive that is admirable, applaudable, but inescapable nonetheless.
I don't know if her other works showcase a wider range in subject matter, or if this is her wheelhouse and she's staying in it. No shame either way, like I said, she obviously knows the kinds of poetry she writes and she writes them well. Whatever the answer, there can be know doubt that Swallowtail is a truly powerful collection, and one I'll be happy to return to again and again.
And she gets excellent mileage out of them. Twohy waxes poetic about wine poured down a sink and Potterotica and falling knives in beautiful and devastating ways, but there is an inescapable drive in her concentrated subject matter. A drive that is admirable, applaudable, but inescapable nonetheless.
I don't know if her other works showcase a wider range in subject matter, or if this is her wheelhouse and she's staying in it. No shame either way, like I said, she obviously knows the kinds of poetry she writes and she writes them well. Whatever the answer, there can be know doubt that Swallowtail is a truly powerful collection, and one I'll be happy to return to again and again.
December 22, 2019
This book of poetry was very touching to read! Coming from a domestic violence survivor myself who went through some of the stuff the narrator of the poetry went through I felt like I was walking every step of the way with them. It’s definitely worth the read if you are able to handle such a tough topic!
March 4, 2020
i’ve love brenna twohy fr a long time and shes one of the poets who inspired me to start writing spoken word but reading this i just wanted more from her. i think her poetry has lost a lot of its power for me the older i get and it doesn’t feel as strong as it used to. still good and i enjoyed reading it : )
November 18, 2021
4.5
Finally I was in the mood to read poetry!
I don't think I can pick one from this collection and call it a fav. I just don't have the words to articulate how I felt reading this one. Highly recommended
Finally I was in the mood to read poetry!
I don't think I can pick one from this collection and call it a fav. I just don't have the words to articulate how I felt reading this one. Highly recommended
January 21, 2020
Absolutely gorgeous, but very sad, poetry. Three lines on forgiveness tell a lifetime story. She also has some things to say about grief that are truly remarkable.
November 27, 2019
“grief is not a feeling
but a neighborhood.
this is where I come from.
everyone I love still lives there.”
but a neighborhood.
this is where I come from.
everyone I love still lives there.”
November 12, 2019
[ I received a copy on Netgalley in return for an honest review. ]
'Swallowtail' is a poetry book that explores the challenges of grief, trauma and mental health through popular culture and the author's own personal experiences.
"To love me / is to love a haunted house. / It's fun to visit once a year, / but no one wants to live there."
There were many powerful poems, just like the one above, through out the book and what I enjoyed most about them was the fact that they weren't excessively flowery and were instead straight to the point. It helped to grab my attention, and keep it there.
The author often included references to popular culture like "Harry Potter" and "Batman", and I think that helped to give me a better understanding of the poems as a whole. They also gave a different interpretation into how these other characters may have been feeling at the time (for example, Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter), and I found that really interesting.
Although I couldn't necessarily relate to everything that the author covers through out the book, I still found it to be an enjoyable, quick read and I would love to check out more of Brenna Twohy's works in the future!
Would definitely recommend!
Rating: 3.5 / 5
'Swallowtail' is a poetry book that explores the challenges of grief, trauma and mental health through popular culture and the author's own personal experiences.
"To love me / is to love a haunted house. / It's fun to visit once a year, / but no one wants to live there."
There were many powerful poems, just like the one above, through out the book and what I enjoyed most about them was the fact that they weren't excessively flowery and were instead straight to the point. It helped to grab my attention, and keep it there.
The author often included references to popular culture like "Harry Potter" and "Batman", and I think that helped to give me a better understanding of the poems as a whole. They also gave a different interpretation into how these other characters may have been feeling at the time (for example, Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter), and I found that really interesting.
Although I couldn't necessarily relate to everything that the author covers through out the book, I still found it to be an enjoyable, quick read and I would love to check out more of Brenna Twohy's works in the future!
Would definitely recommend!
Rating: 3.5 / 5
September 13, 2022
The poems in Swallowtail speak of grief, abuse, and mental health. Raw and gritty, these poems share what it is to be an abuse survivor, to grieve a loved one, to move through the world with stones in your pockets. They reflect both perseverance and a feeling a hopelessness. Both strength and weakness. They illustrate the complexities of healing from trauma. This is a book I'm sure to return to again and again.
“As if survival
could ever be delicate.
As if we haven’t been chewing
rocks for generations.
As if we haven’t been rebuilding
our own bones.”
“As if survival
could ever be delicate.
As if we haven’t been chewing
rocks for generations.
As if we haven’t been rebuilding
our own bones.”
December 25, 2019
3.5/5 stars rounded up
I received a free e-copy of Swallowtail in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher, the author and Netgalley! Receiving a free arc has in no way influenced my opinions.
Swallowtail is bursting with feeling. It is a poem collection of abuse, heartbreak, trauma and grief, and although many of the poems hit me to my bones, many of them felt slightly repetitive.
The collection has enough material and powerful scenes to make up a beautiful collection - but I wish that the emotions were inspected from multiple perspectives. I wanted to see more, feel more, understand these heartbreaking emotions in that deeply abstract way that poems make you understand things. Instead, I feel like I received a heartbreaking but short message on repeat.
There are so many parts to this that I want to return to, and the author has an uncanny way of making it seem like everything was fine and great until KABOOM here is the hurt. The writing style is easily approachable but still hauntingly beautiful. I would have been spellbound if Swallowtail just had a tiny bit more in it.
Here is a part of a gorgeous poem from the collection, The Fisherman Takes the Fish Home & Tells her he Loves her: IV (note that I received an uncorrected proof copy and the final copy might not be identical):
This is the hardest part:
That boy is not made of fists.
That boy learned to braid my hair.
These things do not untruth themselves
when the first door slams.
I did not stop loving him
all the months I was holding my breath.
This is the hardest part:
The way a fish is still a fist
even after she's been gutted.
Even after her lip's slip clean in half
from the hook
and the hook
and the hook.
Do you think the fish blames herself?
And her own stupid, open mouth?
Do you think the fisherman apologized?
Said all he wanted was to hold her? Said,
I've touched that hook for years and it never once
pierced me,
darling, how could I have known?
Do you think the fish forgave him? Said,
I'm sorry, too.
I promise I'll try harder
to breath outside the water.
I received a free e-copy of Swallowtail in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher, the author and Netgalley! Receiving a free arc has in no way influenced my opinions.
Swallowtail is bursting with feeling. It is a poem collection of abuse, heartbreak, trauma and grief, and although many of the poems hit me to my bones, many of them felt slightly repetitive.
The collection has enough material and powerful scenes to make up a beautiful collection - but I wish that the emotions were inspected from multiple perspectives. I wanted to see more, feel more, understand these heartbreaking emotions in that deeply abstract way that poems make you understand things. Instead, I feel like I received a heartbreaking but short message on repeat.
There are so many parts to this that I want to return to, and the author has an uncanny way of making it seem like everything was fine and great until KABOOM here is the hurt. The writing style is easily approachable but still hauntingly beautiful. I would have been spellbound if Swallowtail just had a tiny bit more in it.
Here is a part of a gorgeous poem from the collection, The Fisherman Takes the Fish Home & Tells her he Loves her: IV (note that I received an uncorrected proof copy and the final copy might not be identical):
This is the hardest part:
That boy is not made of fists.
That boy learned to braid my hair.
These things do not untruth themselves
when the first door slams.
I did not stop loving him
all the months I was holding my breath.
This is the hardest part:
The way a fish is still a fist
even after she's been gutted.
Even after her lip's slip clean in half
from the hook
and the hook
and the hook.
Do you think the fish blames herself?
And her own stupid, open mouth?
Do you think the fisherman apologized?
Said all he wanted was to hold her? Said,
I've touched that hook for years and it never once
pierced me,
darling, how could I have known?
Do you think the fish forgave him? Said,
I'm sorry, too.
I promise I'll try harder
to breath outside the water.
November 9, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Impressive and powerful right from the first page, this is one of those rare modern poetry books that stands out on its own merit.
I enjoyed this book, whose poems talk about grief, loss, trauma, abusive relationships, mental health, survival and more. I also loved the pop culture references e.g. Harry Potter and Batman. The Neville Longbottom one really stuck to me because it gave unique insight and a different perspective to popular opinion.
The execution and writing style are also commendable e.g. being subtle and ambivalent without being bizarre / spiteful / flowery for the sake of it. I'm not sure how to put it exactly but I just love how the author can say so much in so few words.
I will definitely be checking out the author's other works.
Impressive and powerful right from the first page, this is one of those rare modern poetry books that stands out on its own merit.
WHEN I SAY I FORGIVE YOU,
KNOW THIS
I did not bury the hatchet.
I have the hatchet in my hands.
I am building a new house.
I enjoyed this book, whose poems talk about grief, loss, trauma, abusive relationships, mental health, survival and more. I also loved the pop culture references e.g. Harry Potter and Batman. The Neville Longbottom one really stuck to me because it gave unique insight and a different perspective to popular opinion.
The execution and writing style are also commendable e.g. being subtle and ambivalent without being bizarre / spiteful / flowery for the sake of it. I'm not sure how to put it exactly but I just love how the author can say so much in so few words.
I will definitely be checking out the author's other works.
January 24, 2025
This book has a very singular focus and recurring themes, which sometimes is fun and interesting like when one poem references the one directly before it. It can also lead to a lot of repetition and make the overall collection feel a little less unique than it otherwise could have been. These issues kind of evened themselves out for me, resulting in a positive reading experience.
Some of these poems feel a little less polished than others, possibly a little too close to the author's experience to really resonate. Overall, these pieces create a brilliant and detailed portrait of the various traumas explored by the author while masterfully manipulating the language into perfectly digestible bits.
Some of these poems feel a little less polished than others, possibly a little too close to the author's experience to really resonate. Overall, these pieces create a brilliant and detailed portrait of the various traumas explored by the author while masterfully manipulating the language into perfectly digestible bits.
December 23, 2019
First and foremost, this poetry collection is not for the faint of heart. It tackles a number of difficult subjects that may be hard for some people to stomach, but that's part of the reason I really enjoy it. Poetry is such a great medium when it comes to expressing pain and trauma, it allows the words and emotions to come through in a raw way.
I really felt that Brenna Twohy attacked these subjects well and the collection in a way is a type of catharsis. While it will probably be difficult for many to read, I feel it will resonate with many people. Keep in mind we have trigger warnings for abuse, rape, grief, anxiety, death of a sibling, mental illness and more.
I really felt that Brenna Twohy attacked these subjects well and the collection in a way is a type of catharsis. While it will probably be difficult for many to read, I feel it will resonate with many people. Keep in mind we have trigger warnings for abuse, rape, grief, anxiety, death of a sibling, mental illness and more.
August 2, 2022
Oof. I fell in love with the hatchet a while back. Even bought myself a tiny hatchet to remember. It took me long enough to invest in the book but I'm so glad I did. At least 75% of these leave me sliced open, raw, bleeding, but that is often the mark of good poetry.
My only real beef with the work is the repeated references to HP which I don't have a great fondness for.
My only real beef with the work is the repeated references to HP which I don't have a great fondness for.
January 23, 2020
This book is INSANE. I absolutely love reading poetry. The descriptive words and phrases had me turning page after page. I could not get enough and was devastated when it ended. This is not just another poetry book regarding abuse. It focuses on recovery. Beauty. Pain. Emotion. So eloquently written.
May 18, 2022
No two losses are the same but somehow our losses seem to share similarities, ones that made certain poems strike me deeply. She captures the guarantee of violence that comes with being a woman, the intricacies of a toxic love, and the longing and cool anger of grief. Beautiful poetry.
February 11, 2020
I don't what's wrong? or that I didn't get this book right
January 3, 2024
4.5, contains some of the strongest poems I've read lately, also the ones referencing HP lol
October 22, 2024
a wonderful tcbf prize and a emo poetry book to round out another calendar year
December 11, 2019
In this poetry collection mental health, grief and trauma are explored in ways in ways I've never read before. What makes 'Swallowtail' so unique is how honest and raw Twohy's poems are. These poems are powerful and blunt, straight to the point.
"& as long as you're there/in the back of the room,/I am going to be here,/voice made from smoulder,/because this is my story/and you cannot take this/from me."
Trigger warnings: suicide, abuse, grief, anxiety.
[I received a copy on NetGalley for a positive review]
"& as long as you're there/in the back of the room,/I am going to be here,/voice made from smoulder,/because this is my story/and you cannot take this/from me."
Trigger warnings: suicide, abuse, grief, anxiety.
[I received a copy on NetGalley for a positive review]
January 1, 2020
Oh god, this was beautiful. It was heartbreaking and enchanting and simply beautiful.
I loved all of the poems and I'm not sure if I can pick a favourite because they were all so good. How do you pick a favourite when each and every one of the pieces seem better than the others?
I loved all of the poems and I'm not sure if I can pick a favourite because they were all so good. How do you pick a favourite when each and every one of the pieces seem better than the others?
January 14, 2022
4.5 stars
i absolutely loved every single poem in this collection. i found brenna twohy's poems on youtube, and her collection did not disappoint. all the poems had its own distinct message, unimaginable metaphors and hard-hitting lines that made me question everything i've ever believed in.
my favorite poems are: the fisher man takes the fish home and tells her he loves her, in which i do not fear harvey dent, anxiety: a ghost story, i am not clinically crazy anymore, when the crazy came back.
i will definitely come back and reread this book many many times when i ever feel alone and need someone to comfort me, yet illustrate my feelings perfectly with the best choice of words.
thank you, brenna twohy for this collection.
i absolutely loved every single poem in this collection. i found brenna twohy's poems on youtube, and her collection did not disappoint. all the poems had its own distinct message, unimaginable metaphors and hard-hitting lines that made me question everything i've ever believed in.
my favorite poems are: the fisher man takes the fish home and tells her he loves her, in which i do not fear harvey dent, anxiety: a ghost story, i am not clinically crazy anymore, when the crazy came back.
i will definitely come back and reread this book many many times when i ever feel alone and need someone to comfort me, yet illustrate my feelings perfectly with the best choice of words.
thank you, brenna twohy for this collection.
August 22, 2020
2.5 stars
To be honest, I only bought this book because I loved Brenna's performance of "Fantastic Breasts and Where to Find Them" on Button Poetry.
To be honest, I wasn't expecting most of her poems to be about her trauma, but that was the case. There's nothing wrong with that, and the author is allowed to write and publish about whatever she wants.
However, I just wasn't feeling her poems, probably because I couldn't really relate to them. I could still enjoy the brilliance of the writing though and the the flow of the poems.
To be honest, I only bought this book because I loved Brenna's performance of "Fantastic Breasts and Where to Find Them" on Button Poetry.
To be honest, I wasn't expecting most of her poems to be about her trauma, but that was the case. There's nothing wrong with that, and the author is allowed to write and publish about whatever she wants.
However, I just wasn't feeling her poems, probably because I couldn't really relate to them. I could still enjoy the brilliance of the writing though and the the flow of the poems.
May 14, 2024
I think this might be my favourite poetry collection. I love it more with every reread. I have such beautiful nostalgia for it, the way it excavates grief and girlhood, all those Tumblr famous quotes, the dated references to Harry Potter, the repeated motifs of fruit and salt. Having recently discovered that Brenna Twohy has quit writing poetry, is married to a woman, and now works as a public defender, I think I love it even more. This collection is a testament to healing.
September 29, 2020
"kissing him with all my yes" (3)
"We have built cathedrals / out of spite and splintered bone, / of course they aren't pretty, / nothing holy ever is—"(5)
"but, of course, / trauma leans into the bar cart." (7)
"girlhood is growing fruit / around cyanide. / It will never be // yours for the swallowing." (9)
"The way I told my friends it's going to be better / as I fit myself back inside my shell. // I know a thing or two about legacy." (11)
"There is more than one way a heart can break." (11)
"I'm trying to be better about forgiveness. & this, too, is a slow and painful unpacking, / the shedding of so many unneeded shells." (12)
"A cage of gentle / hands is still a cage, and I know this now." (13)
"My mom asks if everything is okay, / and I say, of course. Drowning is a quiet, desperate thing." (15)
"One time in my notebook, / he loves me so much / it might shatter me. // which tastes different / now." (15)
"the way I loved him / exactly the wrong amount // just enough to wreck me / but not enough to stay" (21)
"I have a ring he did not give me / bundled in a pair of socks at the bottom of my drawer. / & when I cannot sleep I take it out & wear it. // & and it is not a promise, but a photograph / of a woman I ended up not turning into." (26)
"(believe me, I know about the word empty / and the many meanings and it can bear." (27)
"like fear is something we have any right to—" (28)
"I have a wheelbarrow mouth. // I drag your name with me / everywhere I go." (33)
"someday I hope to raise a family / in a place you could not mistake / for any home I've ever been in." (34)
" ... Spring has come so early / I must be mishearing it." (35)
Poem on page 39 'In Which I Do Not Fear Harvey Dent"
"I know how strong an ordinary human has to be." (40)
"Tell me again about the part where grief is not my name." (55)
"There is no kind way to tell this story / so I may as well tell it true: / you would not wish yourself on anyone." (57)
"Darling / this love will not cure me." (60)
"It is the kind of love / that gives me goosebumps / when you say to the ghosts, / If you'e staying, / then you better make room." (60)
"like look closely / like if I squint my eyes / couldn't it be my name in his mouth?" (63)
Poem on page 70 'I do'
"I meant I will love you / until I stop loving you / & then / I will leave gently. / I hope next good love lasts / the rest of your life. & I do. // I do." (70)
"the way crazy called herself my name / & I almost let her keep it." (75)
"We have built cathedrals / out of spite and splintered bone, / of course they aren't pretty, / nothing holy ever is—"(5)
"but, of course, / trauma leans into the bar cart." (7)
"girlhood is growing fruit / around cyanide. / It will never be // yours for the swallowing." (9)
"The way I told my friends it's going to be better / as I fit myself back inside my shell. // I know a thing or two about legacy." (11)
"There is more than one way a heart can break." (11)
"I'm trying to be better about forgiveness. & this, too, is a slow and painful unpacking, / the shedding of so many unneeded shells." (12)
"A cage of gentle / hands is still a cage, and I know this now." (13)
"My mom asks if everything is okay, / and I say, of course. Drowning is a quiet, desperate thing." (15)
"One time in my notebook, / he loves me so much / it might shatter me. // which tastes different / now." (15)
"the way I loved him / exactly the wrong amount // just enough to wreck me / but not enough to stay" (21)
"I have a ring he did not give me / bundled in a pair of socks at the bottom of my drawer. / & when I cannot sleep I take it out & wear it. // & and it is not a promise, but a photograph / of a woman I ended up not turning into." (26)
"(believe me, I know about the word empty / and the many meanings and it can bear." (27)
"like fear is something we have any right to—" (28)
"I have a wheelbarrow mouth. // I drag your name with me / everywhere I go." (33)
"someday I hope to raise a family / in a place you could not mistake / for any home I've ever been in." (34)
" ... Spring has come so early / I must be mishearing it." (35)
Poem on page 39 'In Which I Do Not Fear Harvey Dent"
"I know how strong an ordinary human has to be." (40)
"Tell me again about the part where grief is not my name." (55)
"There is no kind way to tell this story / so I may as well tell it true: / you would not wish yourself on anyone." (57)
"Darling / this love will not cure me." (60)
"It is the kind of love / that gives me goosebumps / when you say to the ghosts, / If you'e staying, / then you better make room." (60)
"like look closely / like if I squint my eyes / couldn't it be my name in his mouth?" (63)
Poem on page 70 'I do'
"I meant I will love you / until I stop loving you / & then / I will leave gently. / I hope next good love lasts / the rest of your life. & I do. // I do." (70)
"the way crazy called herself my name / & I almost let her keep it." (75)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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