Very Authentic Person

by Kat Sinclair

'Very Authentic Person announces itself as a treatise on alienation: here we have spirals of self-regard and negation, all narrated by a voice that gives each object it uses or doesn't use a shot at taking itself over. Each poem moves the self across a world of sensual particulars and geographical specificities by way of inadequate British transport infrastructure. But each journey and each dissolution of the self is made to be there for a comrade or a loved one. It's rare to read digressive verse that has such a strong sense of rhythm and purpose. This book is a love song that can outlast the rail replacement bus journey.'

– Samuel Solomon, author of Special Subcommittee

Genres: Poetry

64 pages, Paperback

Published November 13, 2019

Reviews

[Vera Nygren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection of poems so much. There is so much sincere love for people but never too glorifying - always honest, and without becoming "a tiny little private affair" (a diagnosis of a lot of modern literature from Deleuze in his A-Z interview, that I tend to agree with).

It is engaging with the world, both close and far away.

There is a part of the poem "Card-carrying" I really liked that I feel Illustrates what I mean:

"I was always a little in love with the paunch of the world / like tiny communisms / since we can't build them big these days our architecture's / all accommodating / only little barricades will do" - pg. 57

Something that I take to be a response to the violent intersection of the political and the personal making itself known.

I also really loved the poem Inter, a lot.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kat is my friend so I may a bit biased but I loved this so much! It was so clever and beautiful and brilliant <3

[Siobhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good poems: I loved the combination of personal and political and pop cultural and public transport and little references, and the thinking about poetry but not in a self indulgent way. My favourite words were "I am floppy disk years old" and "But I'm really getting there with the rainbow paintbrush / this meritocratic omelette, all the good names being taken / when all of our pets have pets" (because I am predictable about old computer stuff in poetry) and I enjoyed all the little references but also the sounds of the poems too.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

[Shreya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed - easily in my top 3 favourite collections of poetry!