I know something you don't know

by Amy LeBlanc

Amy LeBlanc’s debut poetry collection, I know something you don’t know, resides in the intersection of folklore and femininity. With fairy-tale lucidity and fluid voice, the poems in this collection weave through the seams between story and fact. This debut collection is alluring and noxious like hemlock, foxglove, and blooming wildflowers.

"Armed with an unusual eye for beauty, Amy LeBlanc rejects traditional notions of personhood in I Know Something You Don’t Know, and instead reworks characters from mythology and folklore to create formidable new avatars. Even if there are moments where LeBlanc “dress[es] disease / in linen gloves,” there’s no escaping the virulent impact of her narratives, or the full-force of her superb debut." - Jim Johnstone, editor of The Next Wave: An Anthology of 21st Century Canadian Poetry

“Upon first encounter with Amy LeBlanc’s work, one is transported to a world where nature, flesh, and a keen observation of quiet moments collide to create a body of work that trembles with a humble intelligence, aided by undeniably rich language. In a land of lungs, rib cages, and kidneys, strewn about flowers and surveilled by attentive birds, LeBlanc is the master puppeteer of a carefully crafted and fascinating world where luridness is tender and imagination is wild.” – Afieya Kipp, Editor in Chief of Vessel Press

"The poems in this collection are incantatory—their rhythms and themes lull readers into an alternate world where spells and potions ensnare the senses." – The Anti-Languorous Project

Genres: Poetry

100 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2020

About the author

Amy LeBlanc is a PhD candidate in English and creative writing at the University of Calgary. Amy's debut poetry collection, I know something you don’t know, was published with Gordon Hill Press in March 2020 and was long listed for the ReLit Award and selected as a finalist for the Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry. Her novella, Unlocking, was published by the University of Calgary Press in June 2021 and was a finalist for the Trade Fiction Book of the Year through the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. Amy’s first short story collection Homebodies was published in spring 2023 with Great Plains Publications in their Enfield & Wizenty imprint, and her second full-length poetry collection, I used to live here, is forthcoming with Gordon Hill Press in spring 2025. Amy’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in Room, Arc, Canadian Literature, and the Literary Review of Canada among others. She is the author of three chapbooks of poetry—most recently, Undead Juliet at the Museum, which was published with ZED Press in August 2021. Amy is a recipient of the 2020 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award and a CGS-D Award for her doctoral research into fictional representations of chronic illness and gothic spaces. She is a 2022 Killam Laureate.

Reviews

[Amy LeBlanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book, so I kind of like it.

[Alycia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is both haunting and evocative; the imagery is unexpected, visceral, darkly stunning. Though each poem is its own vignette, often centred on the woman's body, the collection invites readers into its overarching narrative, which is clarified through the book's different parts. What is immediately evident, and deftly carried through, is LeBlanc's care and play with sound -- rhythm shines through, and music is the strong cohesion between her eerie and intriguing scenes.

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous, visceral, raw read. While I've read this cover to cover, I can hardly claim to be finished with it.

Thanks, Amy.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy's poetry collection explores the natural, the feminine, and the abject in beautiful harmony. 'I know something you don't know' is an adventure of looking at the quotidian in a whole new light. An outstanding read, I would highly recommend.

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the poetry collection — it was so raw and open, but empowering and inspiring.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is stunning and will give you shivers. The words stand on the edge of fairy tale and contemporary, folklore and the feminine, history and the personal. I will continue to keep it close.

[Mate Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

LeBlanc blurs the lines between object, insect, human, and animal leaving the reader to wonder if there was ever a line at all. I know something you don’t know is a haunting journey wrapped in silk.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of dark, gothic, beautiful fairy tale type poems. I love the imagery in here. This was right up my alley.

And the book itself is beautiful. A gorgeous cover and some nice illustrations inside.

[Tyler Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this back in the spring and am now rereading it in autumn. It's such a good fall read, which must have something to do with all the imagery of bloating, decay, and overripe fruit. These poems are visceral and evocative. They have the coziness and horror of fairy tales steeped in blood and fertility: the writing is rich with smells and textures of birds, bugs, body parts, rot, and new life growing from death. Best enjoyed enjoyed outdoors among the yellowing leaves and fallen apples.

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Know Something You Don't Know is best savoured, like a rich cheesecake, in small delectable bites. Amy explores both the pride and pain of being a woman in a complex world. A wonderful read to explore again and again.

[Destiny R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sent shivers down my spine, in the best way possible. Amy entwines the feminine and the gothic artfully throughout this collection. Each poem is an enchanting tale of its own.

[Mira George-Greely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gothic ruminations on the female body, disability, nature, and history abound in this wonderful poetry collection. Amy LeBlanc’s poems are haunting and visceral, and masterfully connected throughout the entire collection. I found myself rereading these poems over and over before I could move on to the next, fully enraptured in the horror and folktale tones bound up in each one.
LeBlanc’s use of language brings the senses into her work in a delightfully effective way: one can smell the decay, feel the pain, hear the cries of the magpies and corvids that become familiar characters in this collection. These poems transport you into LeBlanc’s scenarios and feelings, as if you were Grace Poole or Mary Webster yourself. They are a masterful reflection of dark femininity, fertility, and illness and all the anxieties that can be bound up in each of them as well as the intersections between them. LeBlanc communicates these feelings with beautiful narrative in which her mastery of rhythm and cadence shine through.
Much of the imagery LeBlanc employs is evocative, bringing to mind clear and visceral images interwoven with beautiful animism and naturalism. This inspires feelings of discomfort, mysticim, and moments of resonance that feels mythical, at times frightening and at other times not. The result is a living, breathing corpus that plays to the reader’s imagination and capitalizes on their attentiveness with small details.
Rated 5/5 stars. This was a fantastic debut from LeBlanc that showcases her poetic skill extremely well. I highly recommend a copy for all your spooky poetic needs!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A uniquely haunting book of poetry that leaves you wanting more! A fantastic book that I would highly recommend. Leblanc’s poems pull you into a world of their own and yet also have a similar thread woven through all of them. I can't say enough about how amazing this book is! A must read!!!

For the full review, check out my blog (link in bio).

[Katie]

I must admit that I am biased since I know the author; however, this poetry collection is absolutely gorgeous. Amy LeBlanc has a mastery over the English language and weaves words into haunting poems that remind me of fairy tales; these are the types of stories you read again and again and again.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark, visceral, and unblinking exploration of history, story, and the female body. LeBlanc sharpens wounds into weapons.

[ainsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.95 stars.

I mean, what can I say? Sublime. Absolutely Sublime. No notes.

[Tobias · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can barely recall a poem from this

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

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