Little What

by Jeff Oaks, McCollough Martha (Designer), Eileen Cleary (Editor)

Lyric narrative poetry that explores relationships, queer poetry, LGBQ. sapphics, sonnets.
Little What is a collection of poems focused around narratives of childhood and trauma and the subsequent labor needed to reimagine new mythology.

Genres: Poetry

74 pages, Paperback

Published September 16, 2019

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeff Oaks, who sadly passed away recently, was a writing professor at the University of Pittsburgh, including during the time at which I studied nonfiction writing there. I never took a class with him, as he taught mostly poetry (from what I remember), but after finishing this collection I really wish I had done so. From what I’ve read about him since his death, he seems like a lovely man and wonderful teacher. Although his poems aren’t always quite in the style of poetry I most prefer, there’s so much tenderness in them, and lots of beauty. I’m really grateful to have read this collection and look forward to reading more of his work soon.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Maybe love’s impossible to ask for and impossible to save, and after we’ve admitted that, we still have to live” Wow…how brilliant do you have to be to end your first poetry book with a line like that? Jeff was a teacher of mine for a few semesters at Pitt, and I’ve always admired him as a poet and person. I’m sad that it took his passing for me to finally order his two books. In this collection, Jeff captures the magnificent meaning and beauty of the “little what”s in life. Part 1 of the book is full of meditations on everyday objects and scenarios that most of us wouldn’t give a second thought to or assign a meaning toward. As this book goes on we delve more into trauma and personal history which (to me) make the little pieces of who we are and how we navigate relationships and the loss of them. Little What poeticizes the everyday, from parsnips, to a snoring partner, to a loyal black lab. For anyone looking for a digestible and poignant book of poems, this is one for you.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of Orpheus and Lot's wife. Some of my favorite lines below.

The Moon, pg 8: or rather, we keep seeing home in every mistaken turn.
Little Night Song, pg 27: so how long can I continue to name everything after him
The Song, pg 60: maybe loves impossible to ask for and impossible to save, and after we've admitted that, we still have to live.