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The Grief We're Given
How are we to learn to grieve when it feels unrelenting? How are we to adore and memorialize small moments of appreciation? How are we to shape our grief into something worth celebrating, and begin to understand the grief we give?
- GenresPoetry
160 pages, Hardcover
First published February 2, 2021
17 people are currently reading
1273 people want to read
About the author
William Bortz
10 books86 followersWilliam Bortz (he/him) is a husband, poet, and editor from Des Moines, IA. His poems appear in Okay Donkey, Oxidant Engine, Empty Mirror, honey & lime, Turnpike Magazine, Back Patio Press, the Lyrical Iowa Anthology, and others. He is the author of Many Small Hungerings (Andrews McMeel, 2023) and The Grief We're Given (Central Avenue, 2021). Growing up, William spent time in foster care, in homelessness, and in shelters. His aim in writing is to explore how joy lives in uncertainty and mourning.
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October 14, 2020
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Not my usual form of reading I know. But we all have experienced grief in our lives. My daughter is struggling with lots of sudden deaths in her life so I thought I would read this to see if there were some uplifting thoughtful poems within it.
I did find some.
Some of these poems are subjective I think to every personal experience.
I personally found myself tearful too many times as it brought back emotions I’d buried. I get the hope, I get the memory has all parts to play.
I appreciate the poems. Some stronger than others.
Because every poem is based on grief then I’d say, beware some might make you cry, feel things you thought you’d dealt with.
September 30, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The words within this book melted my heart. As someone that has experienced a lot of grief, I often find it hard to find poetry that portrays exactly how I am feeling or have felt in the past... as everybody experiences grief differently. However, the poems all portrayed different elements of grief and the way it moulds you and how it almost befriends you for the rest of your life. William Bortz;s writing was so immensely powerful and I adored the entirety of the book.
Naturally, reading about something as overpowering as grief can be difficult. I found myself being able to read certain poems with ease but others with great difficulty and that's why I'm rating this 3 stars. Despite that though, this book was beautifully written
The words within this book melted my heart. As someone that has experienced a lot of grief, I often find it hard to find poetry that portrays exactly how I am feeling or have felt in the past... as everybody experiences grief differently. However, the poems all portrayed different elements of grief and the way it moulds you and how it almost befriends you for the rest of your life. William Bortz;s writing was so immensely powerful and I adored the entirety of the book.
Naturally, reading about something as overpowering as grief can be difficult. I found myself being able to read certain poems with ease but others with great difficulty and that's why I'm rating this 3 stars. Despite that though, this book was beautifully written
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March 10, 2021What I especially loved about this was both how much it interacted with other art (music, primarily) and how much it played with form. There were a number of poems that could be read in multiple ways which was fun as a reader and fun as a lover of poetry. Well done, Will!
January 5, 2022
Title:
The Grief We're Given
Author: William Bortz
Genre: Poetry
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: February 2nd 2021
I received an ARC from Central Avenue Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
T H R E E • W O R D S
Uncertain • Hopeful • Abstract
📖 S Y N O P S I S
A debut collection of poetry from William Bortz exploring the personal and collective journeys through grief. The Grief We're Given traverses the uncertainty and harsh realties of grief from the moment of loss, all while offering hopeful glimpses into subtle moments of peace.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I have mixed feelings about this one. I went in looking for something to grasp onto in my own grief journey, and perhaps my expectations were too high. I found many of the poems to be so abstract I couldn't grasp the author's intent, whereas others held me and offered a sense of solace. My inability to fully connect and understand may be more a reflection on me, than of the author's profound writing. It's definitely important to note that poetry is extremely personal as well. I understand everyone's grief journey is different, and felt the dimensions of grief reflected throughout. One of the things I really loved about this collection is the emphasis on grief being all encompassing, yet possible to live with. The inclusion of nature metaphors was also wonderful.
This collection of poetry is good for readers in between contemporary and the more abstract styles of poetry; those who love to read between the lines, enjoy short poetry, or who may be experiencing their own unique grief journey.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• poetry readers between contemporary and abstract styles
• grievers
⚠️ CW: death, grief
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
(Poem)
Control
"I don't believe there is much in this life we can control
we cannot force the clouds to part and make way for abundant light
we cannot will ourselves to someplace other than where we currently are
we cannot make people love us, and worse
we cannot make people stay
we cannot make people stay
even if the space in our palm washes so perfectly around their tender fingers
and our tongue wraps so gently around their name
it blooms into an eternity
we cannot make people stay [...]"
Author: William Bortz
Genre: Poetry
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: February 2nd 2021
I received an ARC from Central Avenue Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
T H R E E • W O R D S
Uncertain • Hopeful • Abstract
📖 S Y N O P S I S
A debut collection of poetry from William Bortz exploring the personal and collective journeys through grief. The Grief We're Given traverses the uncertainty and harsh realties of grief from the moment of loss, all while offering hopeful glimpses into subtle moments of peace.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I have mixed feelings about this one. I went in looking for something to grasp onto in my own grief journey, and perhaps my expectations were too high. I found many of the poems to be so abstract I couldn't grasp the author's intent, whereas others held me and offered a sense of solace. My inability to fully connect and understand may be more a reflection on me, than of the author's profound writing. It's definitely important to note that poetry is extremely personal as well. I understand everyone's grief journey is different, and felt the dimensions of grief reflected throughout. One of the things I really loved about this collection is the emphasis on grief being all encompassing, yet possible to live with. The inclusion of nature metaphors was also wonderful.
This collection of poetry is good for readers in between contemporary and the more abstract styles of poetry; those who love to read between the lines, enjoy short poetry, or who may be experiencing their own unique grief journey.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• poetry readers between contemporary and abstract styles
• grievers
⚠️ CW: death, grief
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
(Poem)
Control
"I don't believe there is much in this life we can control
we cannot force the clouds to part and make way for abundant light
we cannot will ourselves to someplace other than where we currently are
we cannot make people love us, and worse
we cannot make people stay
we cannot make people stay
even if the space in our palm washes so perfectly around their tender fingers
and our tongue wraps so gently around their name
it blooms into an eternity
we cannot make people stay [...]"
February 4, 2021
2.5 to this collection. Which is so disappointing because the beginning was really strong!
At first I was completely struck by the visceral and evocative images in the poems. Some of them were so original and unique they hit me with a literal force.
Examples:
Birthday “have you ever felt inspiration for something ceasing / once, I saw a bird collapse out of the blueness is was once kept in / it plummeted, in silence, and I thought how nice it would be to find rest on this afternoon”
Blade of Grass “the movement of intimacy being not where a blade of grass could be placed between our bodies but how far away [we] are from everything else”
“Intimacy- / delicate and hungry like a gun beneath a pillow”
Paramount “in a dark sea profoundly large something like the love of a parent”
War Paint “everything can be / quiet and pretty / with the right amount of / disbelief”
Unfortunately, it went down hill quickly and never came back up.
I much preferred his poems that were more narrative. That had concrete details and told stories. Maybe this my is preference for prose showing, or maybe those were the ones I was able to connect with because they gave me something to hold onto. Some poems were so abstract I had no thread to grasp. I can’t picture holding light, or what stardust is. Not only are they weak word/image/metaphor choices, they’re cliche AND overused. Stardust was mentioned 8 times in various poems, variations of hold/held 38 times and light 68 times. On the one hand, continuity and reoccurring images and themes can make a collection stronger than its individual parts. And there were a few places it was done well. However, the repetition was way, way too much. Especially for a 125 page book. And it was of basic “poetic” words. Bone (25 mentions), body (28), name (42), breath (43), hand or parts of it (87) Why was pith used 6 times!? Face (32), tongue (23), sun (42 times!), moon (21), and more words (like echo, smoke, and shadow) that were used over a dozen times each. This to say, the poems became very repetitive and cliche. I was ready to be done about 35% of the way through.
I wonder if it was this abstractness that made me sometimes feel a little “eye-roll” about the book as it went on. I hate to say that about a collection centering on grief, especially because I consider empathy so important. But believing in emotions as a person is different than believing in them as a reader. As a reader, you as the author have essentially promised to prove your credibility to me. As a human I would NEVER ask that. But writing needs to do so in order to avoid sentimentality and cliche and a whole host of things. Its the essential of answering that dreaded question “so what?”
Basically, I was mostly not convinced. It felt over-dramatic, sensationalized. It feels like the grief was used for artistic gain, rather than the art being used for emotional gain or coping. If that makes sense. There were poems that made him feel “credible,” these being the narrative ones I mentioned that endeavored to tell stories.
Inversely, I took issue with the short poems. The ones that were essentially haiku length. Its hard to make an impact in that amount if space and Bortz failed to do so. The poems felt less like finished works and more like ideas you’d scribble on a notepad at night or in your phone in the middle of a grocery store. Ideas you then need to sit with and develop. That step seemed skipped.
Examples:
In the Dark, in a Room of Still Bodies
“Grief is a communion we take separately / but eat and drink together”
Thats it, thats the poem. Similarly:
Today, the Sunrise Looks Like it Can Hold Me
“One day I decided to take a step / and it hurt less than standing still”
This feels like tumblr poetry.
I do have to say his titles are very strong. And I actually appreciated his structure as well. I liked the lack of punctuation (big deal comin’ from a prose gal!) and line breaks that didn’t follow sentence or phrase rhythm. It made me really have to invest in the poems to comprehend them, and it allowed Bortz to use phrases and images in multiple ways based on what they preceded and were preceded by. The overall affect was languid and pleasant.
Stand out poems for me:
October and Everything is Breathing
Birthday
Paramount
Lavender Lining
Concerning the Existence of Guardian Angels
Farewell Language
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy! Despite the review, I’m glad to have read it.
At first I was completely struck by the visceral and evocative images in the poems. Some of them were so original and unique they hit me with a literal force.
Examples:
Birthday “have you ever felt inspiration for something ceasing / once, I saw a bird collapse out of the blueness is was once kept in / it plummeted, in silence, and I thought how nice it would be to find rest on this afternoon”
Blade of Grass “the movement of intimacy being not where a blade of grass could be placed between our bodies but how far away [we] are from everything else”
“Intimacy- / delicate and hungry like a gun beneath a pillow”
Paramount “in a dark sea profoundly large something like the love of a parent”
War Paint “everything can be / quiet and pretty / with the right amount of / disbelief”
Unfortunately, it went down hill quickly and never came back up.
I much preferred his poems that were more narrative. That had concrete details and told stories. Maybe this my is preference for prose showing, or maybe those were the ones I was able to connect with because they gave me something to hold onto. Some poems were so abstract I had no thread to grasp. I can’t picture holding light, or what stardust is. Not only are they weak word/image/metaphor choices, they’re cliche AND overused. Stardust was mentioned 8 times in various poems, variations of hold/held 38 times and light 68 times. On the one hand, continuity and reoccurring images and themes can make a collection stronger than its individual parts. And there were a few places it was done well. However, the repetition was way, way too much. Especially for a 125 page book. And it was of basic “poetic” words. Bone (25 mentions), body (28), name (42), breath (43), hand or parts of it (87) Why was pith used 6 times!? Face (32), tongue (23), sun (42 times!), moon (21), and more words (like echo, smoke, and shadow) that were used over a dozen times each. This to say, the poems became very repetitive and cliche. I was ready to be done about 35% of the way through.
I wonder if it was this abstractness that made me sometimes feel a little “eye-roll” about the book as it went on. I hate to say that about a collection centering on grief, especially because I consider empathy so important. But believing in emotions as a person is different than believing in them as a reader. As a reader, you as the author have essentially promised to prove your credibility to me. As a human I would NEVER ask that. But writing needs to do so in order to avoid sentimentality and cliche and a whole host of things. Its the essential of answering that dreaded question “so what?”
Basically, I was mostly not convinced. It felt over-dramatic, sensationalized. It feels like the grief was used for artistic gain, rather than the art being used for emotional gain or coping. If that makes sense. There were poems that made him feel “credible,” these being the narrative ones I mentioned that endeavored to tell stories.
Inversely, I took issue with the short poems. The ones that were essentially haiku length. Its hard to make an impact in that amount if space and Bortz failed to do so. The poems felt less like finished works and more like ideas you’d scribble on a notepad at night or in your phone in the middle of a grocery store. Ideas you then need to sit with and develop. That step seemed skipped.
Examples:
In the Dark, in a Room of Still Bodies
“Grief is a communion we take separately / but eat and drink together”
Thats it, thats the poem. Similarly:
Today, the Sunrise Looks Like it Can Hold Me
“One day I decided to take a step / and it hurt less than standing still”
This feels like tumblr poetry.
I do have to say his titles are very strong. And I actually appreciated his structure as well. I liked the lack of punctuation (big deal comin’ from a prose gal!) and line breaks that didn’t follow sentence or phrase rhythm. It made me really have to invest in the poems to comprehend them, and it allowed Bortz to use phrases and images in multiple ways based on what they preceded and were preceded by. The overall affect was languid and pleasant.
Stand out poems for me:
October and Everything is Breathing
Birthday
Paramount
Lavender Lining
Concerning the Existence of Guardian Angels
Farewell Language
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy! Despite the review, I’m glad to have read it.
January 17, 2021
This is a review of the phenomenal poetry collection, The Grief We're Given by William Bortz, which I gave 5/5 stars.
Overview
"all which I haven't known is all I ever feel"
As the title suggests, this collection all revolves around a theme of grief. The poems all touch on different aspects of the same emotion but truly emphasize how the feeling is all-encompassing, but yet possible to live and thrive with.
General Thoughts and Writing
"what is hope if it isn't worth losing everything for"
Filled with raw emotion and tender longings, these poems were spectacularly crafted to break your heart, but also help you put it back together. These poems took me on a journey of discovery and acknowledgment. They felt both otherworldly and familiar in a sense. One of my favorite aspects of these poems was the cosmic and nature-themed imagery. They created such a bewitching and captivating vibe, they truly furthered the essence of the poems.
The collection was written in a few different styles, and while some worked better with Bortz's writing than others, none felt lacking in importance or emotion. Each poem felt complete and strong on its own.
Final Thoughts
"one day I decided to take a step and it hurt less than standing still"
This collection was absolutely mesmerizing! Bortz's writing was both comforting and heart wrenching in the best possible way. I was drawn in from the first line and couldn't put it down until I finished the whole book. I will surely be on the lookout for more work by Bortz and would highly recommend checking out this collection once it's released!
Disclosure: I received a download of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Overview
"all which I haven't known is all I ever feel"
As the title suggests, this collection all revolves around a theme of grief. The poems all touch on different aspects of the same emotion but truly emphasize how the feeling is all-encompassing, but yet possible to live and thrive with.
General Thoughts and Writing
"what is hope if it isn't worth losing everything for"
Filled with raw emotion and tender longings, these poems were spectacularly crafted to break your heart, but also help you put it back together. These poems took me on a journey of discovery and acknowledgment. They felt both otherworldly and familiar in a sense. One of my favorite aspects of these poems was the cosmic and nature-themed imagery. They created such a bewitching and captivating vibe, they truly furthered the essence of the poems.
The collection was written in a few different styles, and while some worked better with Bortz's writing than others, none felt lacking in importance or emotion. Each poem felt complete and strong on its own.
Final Thoughts
"one day I decided to take a step and it hurt less than standing still"
This collection was absolutely mesmerizing! Bortz's writing was both comforting and heart wrenching in the best possible way. I was drawn in from the first line and couldn't put it down until I finished the whole book. I will surely be on the lookout for more work by Bortz and would highly recommend checking out this collection once it's released!
Disclosure: I received a download of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
November 29, 2020
Firstly, I'd like to thank Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the eARC for an honest review.
I really tried to like this collection of poetry. It was formatted beautifully and having been through my own fair share of grief I thought that I would definitely be able to relate and get something from this collection. However, I felt that it was written in a way that I couldn't connect with. I feel like the author had a certain way he wanted his poetry to read but of course the readers don't know how that is which meant it didn't read very clearly for me. I completely appreciate a good metaphor when it comes to poetry but I felt like there were way too many in this collection that it made the real meaning behind the words disappear.
The bits that filtered through were heart breaking and I really feel for the author. I think it's very brave of them to write such an emotional collection. I feel like grief is the hardest emotion to understand and to digest. To be able to write about the worst parts of our lives is very commendable. Maybe other people will be able to connect with this collection but I just found it too convoluted and not really accessible for the reader.
Amy x
I really tried to like this collection of poetry. It was formatted beautifully and having been through my own fair share of grief I thought that I would definitely be able to relate and get something from this collection. However, I felt that it was written in a way that I couldn't connect with. I feel like the author had a certain way he wanted his poetry to read but of course the readers don't know how that is which meant it didn't read very clearly for me. I completely appreciate a good metaphor when it comes to poetry but I felt like there were way too many in this collection that it made the real meaning behind the words disappear.
The bits that filtered through were heart breaking and I really feel for the author. I think it's very brave of them to write such an emotional collection. I feel like grief is the hardest emotion to understand and to digest. To be able to write about the worst parts of our lives is very commendable. Maybe other people will be able to connect with this collection but I just found it too convoluted and not really accessible for the reader.
Amy x
December 1, 2020
This is a varied collection from William Bortz. With some poems more prose style, some 'classic' stanzas and some that are simply a potent line or two. I felt some formats suited Bortz's writing more, but that I enjoyed the differentiation and this felt to me a good reflection upon grief and how it doesn't always hit or get felt in the same ways, even within one person; sometimes it speaks quickly and fills your mind and sometimes it feels cerebral, raw and defined or defining.
It is a mixed collection, with some poems feeling particularly strong. Bortz has articulated a lot here and his vulnerability in this is admirable. There are some themes that recur and this again feels like the grief process is reflected, as thoughts are revisited and sometimes change minutely over time as we reflect on this. I loved the creativity here. For example, the poem 'tonight nothing's worse than this pain in my heart' is revisited later in the collection, with much of the content and even title crossed out, to become titled 'not this pain', with the lines then stripped right back to an intrinsic message. This technique is repeated once again in a later pair of poems too. There is clear creativity running throughout and whilst not always feeling fully successful, there are bold and interesting choices and it makes me want to continue to watch this poet.
Universal themes are reflected on and there is a lot of beauty:
"how do you ask for something not/ vital to your survival, but paramount/ in unknotting its brilliances" "Mother, you are the sky/ could you just hold me"
"someday I will pay for them/ with my body or yours/ and I am haunted by/ not having a choice in the/ matter."
"I am awash in temperate light and never question/ whose blood paid for these freedoms"
The lack of punctuation in many places, particularly when the poet is questioning life, does make it feel more internalised, as if hearing a direct stream from his experience and thoughts.
Grief is tangible here, sometimes weaponised, sometimes loaded, or smothering, sometimes offering a glimmer of hope. This feels a very personal reflection and so may not resonate with everyone and almost certainly won't with any reader in its entirety. It is worth a read though and some poems caused me to reflect and will no doubt be revisited.
It is a long volume of poetry, having 87 separate poems. I do feel this could have potentially been edited down, but at the same time enjoyed walking alongside the poet as his experience evolved within grieving and a progression can be seen.
There is hope in this work, despite it's heavy theme and I enjoyed having the privilege of insight into Bortz' feelings.
Thank you to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for my advance copy.
It is a mixed collection, with some poems feeling particularly strong. Bortz has articulated a lot here and his vulnerability in this is admirable. There are some themes that recur and this again feels like the grief process is reflected, as thoughts are revisited and sometimes change minutely over time as we reflect on this. I loved the creativity here. For example, the poem 'tonight nothing's worse than this pain in my heart' is revisited later in the collection, with much of the content and even title crossed out, to become titled 'not this pain', with the lines then stripped right back to an intrinsic message. This technique is repeated once again in a later pair of poems too. There is clear creativity running throughout and whilst not always feeling fully successful, there are bold and interesting choices and it makes me want to continue to watch this poet.
Universal themes are reflected on and there is a lot of beauty:
"how do you ask for something not/ vital to your survival, but paramount/ in unknotting its brilliances" "Mother, you are the sky/ could you just hold me"
"someday I will pay for them/ with my body or yours/ and I am haunted by/ not having a choice in the/ matter."
"I am awash in temperate light and never question/ whose blood paid for these freedoms"
The lack of punctuation in many places, particularly when the poet is questioning life, does make it feel more internalised, as if hearing a direct stream from his experience and thoughts.
Grief is tangible here, sometimes weaponised, sometimes loaded, or smothering, sometimes offering a glimmer of hope. This feels a very personal reflection and so may not resonate with everyone and almost certainly won't with any reader in its entirety. It is worth a read though and some poems caused me to reflect and will no doubt be revisited.
It is a long volume of poetry, having 87 separate poems. I do feel this could have potentially been edited down, but at the same time enjoyed walking alongside the poet as his experience evolved within grieving and a progression can be seen.
There is hope in this work, despite it's heavy theme and I enjoyed having the privilege of insight into Bortz' feelings.
Thank you to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for my advance copy.
April 7, 2021
Dieser Gedichtband handelt von Verlust und Trauer und von der Leere, die geliebte Menschen in unserem Leben hinterlassen. Es wird thematisiert, was der Tod bedeutet und was das Leben ausmacht. Der Autor verwendet eine sehr bildliche Sprache und erzeugt beim Leser das Gefühl, eine Geschichte erzählt zu bekommen. Dementsprechend sind seine Gedichte und Texte meist etwas länger, sodass man sich in sie hinein fallen lassen kann. Er hat zahlreiche persönliche Erfahrungen aus seiner Kindheit und Jugend in die Texte eingewoben, welche neben den Hauptthemen auch auf Gewalt und Traumatisierung in der Kindheit schließen lassen.
Mir hat sehr gefallen, mit welchen Worten der Autor seine Gefühle und Gedanken beschreibt. Ich war von seinen Texten nicht nur gefesselt, sondern hatte das Gefühl, seine Erlebnisse und Emotionen mit den Händen greifen zu können. Obwohl die meisten Texte von Verlust und Leere handeln, waren sie sehr abwechslungsreich aufgebaut und gestaltet. Gelegentlich hat sich der Autor von Liedern inspirieren lassen oder sich inhaltlich auf diese bezogen.
Sehr empfehlenswerte 4,5 Sterne.
In English:
This volume of poetry is about loss and grief and the emptiness that loved ones leave in our lives. Another theme is what death means and what life is all about. The author uses very pictorial language and creates for the reader the feeling of being told a story. Accordingly, his poems and texts are usually a little longer so that you can let yourself fall into them. He has woven numerous personal experiences from his childhood and youth into the texts, which, in addition to the main topics, also suggest violence and traumatization in childhood.
I really liked the words the author uses to describe his feelings and thoughts. I was not only captivated by his texts, but also had the feeling that I could grasp his experiences and emotions with my hands. Although most of the texts deal with loss and emptiness, they were structured and designed in a very varied manner. Occasionally the author was inspired by songs or related to them in terms of content.
Highly recommended 4.5 stars.
Mir hat sehr gefallen, mit welchen Worten der Autor seine Gefühle und Gedanken beschreibt. Ich war von seinen Texten nicht nur gefesselt, sondern hatte das Gefühl, seine Erlebnisse und Emotionen mit den Händen greifen zu können. Obwohl die meisten Texte von Verlust und Leere handeln, waren sie sehr abwechslungsreich aufgebaut und gestaltet. Gelegentlich hat sich der Autor von Liedern inspirieren lassen oder sich inhaltlich auf diese bezogen.
Sehr empfehlenswerte 4,5 Sterne.
In English:
This volume of poetry is about loss and grief and the emptiness that loved ones leave in our lives. Another theme is what death means and what life is all about. The author uses very pictorial language and creates for the reader the feeling of being told a story. Accordingly, his poems and texts are usually a little longer so that you can let yourself fall into them. He has woven numerous personal experiences from his childhood and youth into the texts, which, in addition to the main topics, also suggest violence and traumatization in childhood.
I really liked the words the author uses to describe his feelings and thoughts. I was not only captivated by his texts, but also had the feeling that I could grasp his experiences and emotions with my hands. Although most of the texts deal with loss and emptiness, they were structured and designed in a very varied manner. Occasionally the author was inspired by songs or related to them in terms of content.
Highly recommended 4.5 stars.
Read
September 19, 2020count it all as luck that today disease is more a word than it is a feeling
count it all as luck that things can be buried before they are named: that mourning begins at first light
count it all as luck that they found the vein on the third try and the gold is flowing
count it all as luck that time, as precious as it is, only bares its teeth when no one else is watching
count it all as luck to be born in an age in which there are so many distractions one has to remind themselves that they are wilting
count it all as luck sunbeams painted my plot in warmth and they will be the first hands to hold me without asking if it hurts
count it all as luck that yesterday was an ache still humming in today's chest
count it all as luck the sun whispered my name today as quick and soft as igniting gunpowder
count it all as luck that a breath will follow this one & this one & this one & this one & this one & this one & this one & this one & this one & this one &
William Bortz
---
The best poems here have a hopeful, redemptive quality to them. "Misgivings" and "It is late January and we are driving south" are two other examples of good poems in this collection. But then a lot of the other poems seemed, to me, to be a little too loose and lacking in structure and didn't have much rhythm. I think if Bortz can think more about form, structure and rhythm (perhaps getting away from the "prose style" of poetry a little bit), he could create some real masterpieces. The potential is there.
count it all as luck that things can be buried before they are named: that mourning begins at first light
count it all as luck that they found the vein on the third try and the gold is flowing
count it all as luck that time, as precious as it is, only bares its teeth when no one else is watching
count it all as luck to be born in an age in which there are so many distractions one has to remind themselves that they are wilting
count it all as luck sunbeams painted my plot in warmth and they will be the first hands to hold me without asking if it hurts
count it all as luck that yesterday was an ache still humming in today's chest
count it all as luck the sun whispered my name today as quick and soft as igniting gunpowder
count it all as luck that a breath will follow this one & this one & this one & this one & this one & this one & this one & this one & this one & this one &
William Bortz
---
The best poems here have a hopeful, redemptive quality to them. "Misgivings" and "It is late January and we are driving south" are two other examples of good poems in this collection. But then a lot of the other poems seemed, to me, to be a little too loose and lacking in structure and didn't have much rhythm. I think if Bortz can think more about form, structure and rhythm (perhaps getting away from the "prose style" of poetry a little bit), he could create some real masterpieces. The potential is there.
January 26, 2021
Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this eArc in exchange for my honest review.
I absolutely love reading poetry books. There's something about them that just find a way to capture a piece of someone's soul in their words and through that, we can learn so much about them. I was very interested in this particular collection with the overall experience with grief.
I'll admit that many of the poems I struggled to understand. I had a feeling I was reading and interpreting it wrong compared to how the author would have done so, but that's also the beauty of people. The poet may try to read in a certain way but not everyone will interoperate it like that.
The poems that did get through to me absolutely destroyed me. Everyone deals with grief in a different way and through this poetry, I felt the heartache and personal connection that the poetry had with grief.
Just on a brief note of the arc itself: In some cases, I was unsure where one poem ended and others started. I'm not sure if this is how the layout was supposed to be but at times it confused me.
I absolutely love reading poetry books. There's something about them that just find a way to capture a piece of someone's soul in their words and through that, we can learn so much about them. I was very interested in this particular collection with the overall experience with grief.
I'll admit that many of the poems I struggled to understand. I had a feeling I was reading and interpreting it wrong compared to how the author would have done so, but that's also the beauty of people. The poet may try to read in a certain way but not everyone will interoperate it like that.
The poems that did get through to me absolutely destroyed me. Everyone deals with grief in a different way and through this poetry, I felt the heartache and personal connection that the poetry had with grief.
Just on a brief note of the arc itself: In some cases, I was unsure where one poem ended and others started. I'm not sure if this is how the layout was supposed to be but at times it confused me.
December 30, 2020
I would like to thank the publisher of The Grief We're Given and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy.
This is an honest review of how this collection of poems by William Bortz made me feel.
I wasn't familiar with Bortz's poetry but the title sparked my interest.
I feel grateful I read his poetry. The poems are intimate, emotional, full of metaphors and vivid imagery. It is the genre of confessional poetry I enjoy reading. I haven't experienced the loss of someone close yet but I have lost myself. I think this collection is the poet's way of making sense of the absurdity of human existence. Some of the topics here are suicide, mental health, death, existential dread, and belief in God.
A few of my favourite poems are: " There's got to be more to a human being than that", " Eulogy", " Freedom", " Control", "In piety", "Torchlight", "Today, the sunrise looks like it can hold me", "Master of nothing", "In the direction of the mountain I scream", "We are all going", "Depression machine".
This is an honest review of how this collection of poems by William Bortz made me feel.
I wasn't familiar with Bortz's poetry but the title sparked my interest.
I feel grateful I read his poetry. The poems are intimate, emotional, full of metaphors and vivid imagery. It is the genre of confessional poetry I enjoy reading. I haven't experienced the loss of someone close yet but I have lost myself. I think this collection is the poet's way of making sense of the absurdity of human existence. Some of the topics here are suicide, mental health, death, existential dread, and belief in God.
A few of my favourite poems are: " There's got to be more to a human being than that", " Eulogy", " Freedom", " Control", "In piety", "Torchlight", "Today, the sunrise looks like it can hold me", "Master of nothing", "In the direction of the mountain I scream", "We are all going", "Depression machine".
September 20, 2020
I received a free e-arc of this poetry collection on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have mixed feelings about this collection. While the writing was beautiful and the I liked the layout of the poetry, I felt like some of the poetry did not flow well. I personally did not feel like I could relate to most of the poems which is a shame but obviously personal experience. There were definitely some poems that hit me (clearsunned and control are two examples that come to mind).
Grief is something that is extremely personal and challenging to process. These poems had some very powerful lines in them and I feel like anyone who has experienced grief of any kind would be able to find something in this collection that spoke to them.
I am interested in reading more by this author in the future and enjoyed my time reading this collection of poetry overall.
I have mixed feelings about this collection. While the writing was beautiful and the I liked the layout of the poetry, I felt like some of the poetry did not flow well. I personally did not feel like I could relate to most of the poems which is a shame but obviously personal experience. There were definitely some poems that hit me (clearsunned and control are two examples that come to mind).
Grief is something that is extremely personal and challenging to process. These poems had some very powerful lines in them and I feel like anyone who has experienced grief of any kind would be able to find something in this collection that spoke to them.
I am interested in reading more by this author in the future and enjoyed my time reading this collection of poetry overall.
November 29, 2020
William Bortz has written an incredibly powerful narrative on grief. The use of language is beautiful and helps to create clear imagery in the mind. “Death will forever be the enemy because it will take” is one of the many quotes that stuck out for me during the reading of this another quote is “a wish is the bone, fractured asking to be mended/ hope is the bone never learning it can be broken”. These two lines are just a small example of the way Bortz uses language in a precise and clever way as a way of showing emotion and the way in which grief can leaving us all feel.
The flow if this book worked perfectly for me as I took in each word and kept reading. Would recommend this to book happily.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The flow if this book worked perfectly for me as I took in each word and kept reading. Would recommend this to book happily.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2021
I finished this book a couple days ago, but I needed to rest the reading, in order to know how I felt about it before writing this review.
I believe that this book was not completely to me. Maybe, it was because I love some of the poems, yet others I didn’t like a lot. I think that something that made me not enjoy some of the poems was my level of English and I am so sad about this.
I want to say that I really loved the “definitions” of some words that the author, William Bortz, made in the anthology. I had seen this before, but it is a literary device that I enjoy a lot of.
To sum up, an interesting collection of poems that I recommend to people that are native or have a high level in English.
I want to express my gratitude to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I believe that this book was not completely to me. Maybe, it was because I love some of the poems, yet others I didn’t like a lot. I think that something that made me not enjoy some of the poems was my level of English and I am so sad about this.
I want to say that I really loved the “definitions” of some words that the author, William Bortz, made in the anthology. I had seen this before, but it is a literary device that I enjoy a lot of.
To sum up, an interesting collection of poems that I recommend to people that are native or have a high level in English.
I want to express my gratitude to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2021
I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing this ARC.
I enjoyed this book. I have been dealing with my own grief journey and I find solace in reading poetry that I can relate to. There were some poems in this collection that stood out to me and truly made an impact on me. There were also some that left me without any feeling. I read plenty of poetry and typically, in every collection, there are poems that truly speak to me and there are some that do nothing for me. Just because certain poems don’t speak to me, doesn’t mean there isn’t a reader out there that will feel the opposite. Everyone’s grief journey is different and I believe this book can help comfort someone navigating their grief journey.
I enjoyed this book. I have been dealing with my own grief journey and I find solace in reading poetry that I can relate to. There were some poems in this collection that stood out to me and truly made an impact on me. There were also some that left me without any feeling. I read plenty of poetry and typically, in every collection, there are poems that truly speak to me and there are some that do nothing for me. Just because certain poems don’t speak to me, doesn’t mean there isn’t a reader out there that will feel the opposite. Everyone’s grief journey is different and I believe this book can help comfort someone navigating their grief journey.
July 12, 2023
The Grief We're Given is a lovely work and I really enjoyed reading it. It does lose a star for the very long poems separated not by line breaks or periods but instead by slashes. While I did enjoy some of Bortz's poems in that style, the majority were sort of clunky and often so difficult to read that I ended up skipping them and coming back to them later. Other than that, I really enjoyed his work and some of his more personal pieces really spoke to me; he does a good job of capturing the...absurdity of living in the Midwest. Overall, his pieces genuinely seem to come from the heart - which has always been what makes or breaks a book of poetry for me. I will be looking for his other book in the future.
My favorite poems:
The Fisher King's Holy Grail Is Filled With His Loneliness
So Many Things
Concerning The Existence Of Guardian Angels
Freedom
My favorite poems:
The Fisher King's Holy Grail Is Filled With His Loneliness
So Many Things
Concerning The Existence Of Guardian Angels
Freedom
January 5, 2021
I have gradually gotten more interested in poetry, particularly poetry that I think I might relate too. The fact that this book of poems would deal with grief and emotions drew me to it.
I enjoyed the poems overall! Most of them got me feeling emotional, whether it was sadness, heaviness, relatability, or hope. (There were a lot of emotions to process!) I always like when a book makes me feel something, and this one made me feel many somethings (which I think is important particularly with poetry!)
The shorter poems I felt drawn to the most. Many of them were a blip of a relatable thought process that made me think of my own experiences. The longer poems were very visual and painted scenes well.
Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced reader ebook copy!
I enjoyed the poems overall! Most of them got me feeling emotional, whether it was sadness, heaviness, relatability, or hope. (There were a lot of emotions to process!) I always like when a book makes me feel something, and this one made me feel many somethings (which I think is important particularly with poetry!)
The shorter poems I felt drawn to the most. Many of them were a blip of a relatable thought process that made me think of my own experiences. The longer poems were very visual and painted scenes well.
Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced reader ebook copy!
January 7, 2022
I can't recommend this book of poetry enough! It's a special gift to be able to write something that makes a reader feel heard and seen, saying yes yes that's me. Blade of Grass, NIGHT MOISTURE, Shifting Gold to Virtue, A Stray Sunbeam Finds Your Cheek, so so so many more. I found one of my all time favorite poems while reading too, A Thin Place. I've been a fan of William's writing since he started on tumblr years ago and I can see how he has grown in his craft!
Some favorite lines:
"hope is the bone
never learning
it can be broken." - Hope, Breakage, And Knowing
"sometimes the empty space is a name that has folded into past tense." - Control
"...give me back all the names / I once couldn't rinse from my mouth /" - Moonwrapped
Some favorite lines:
"hope is the bone
never learning
it can be broken." - Hope, Breakage, And Knowing
"sometimes the empty space is a name that has folded into past tense." - Control
"...give me back all the names / I once couldn't rinse from my mouth /" - Moonwrapped
January 17, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was so hard for me to rate this one. Reading about grief can be a bit difficult. Everyone deals with grief differently. There were some poems that felt powerful to me while a few feel a bit “flat”. I felt like some of the poems didn’t flow well, but there were definitely some pieces that I could relate to.
I loved that some of the poems were inspired by songs. Knowing the names of the songs and lyrics can provide a glimpse of what Bortz may have been trying to communicate.
*Thank you NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.*
I loved that some of the poems were inspired by songs. Knowing the names of the songs and lyrics can provide a glimpse of what Bortz may have been trying to communicate.
*Thank you NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.*
October 8, 2020
Grief is a wild thing, simultaneously a simmering quiet and a roaring scream, and the causes for grief are as varied as the ways in which it is experienced. I have to admit being slightly let down by this book, not at all to say it is not good or worth reading, but simply that my hopes and excitement were too high. For someone like me who struggles with their mental health, especially lately, a visceral poetic portrayal of grief was appealing. I will say that I loved the variety of writing styles employed in Bortz's work; this only added to the depth of experience. While this may not be my favorite poetry collection as of late, I am going to keep watching William Bortz.
April 19, 2021
This poetry collection is phenomenal. Every single word is purposefully and beautifully chosen to create raw, powerful poetry. Every single poem is strong, and holds such depth (that is so often missing in modern poetry)!
I won’t lie, it’s not an easy read. But that’s what I love about it. This book is packed with metaphors and imagery, and plays a lot with form and structure. So if you’re looking for a quick, easy read, this probably isn’t the book for you.
This book will rip your heart open, but also hold your hand as it does so. Highly recommend!
I won’t lie, it’s not an easy read. But that’s what I love about it. This book is packed with metaphors and imagery, and plays a lot with form and structure. So if you’re looking for a quick, easy read, this probably isn’t the book for you.
This book will rip your heart open, but also hold your hand as it does so. Highly recommend!
June 2, 2021
My heart aches in the greatest amount of validated sympathy possible after reading this. Although William & I may not have experienced the same circumstances culminating our grief, he's captured it in such a way that gives a lot of satisfaction to the emotion. It's hard to put into words what grief exactly feels like, and yet I found myself many times thinking this is exactly it. I feel better in my own movement through grief after now understanding through this writing I really am not alone in feeling one of the most lonely and isolating emotions.
October 18, 2020
I’m not a big poetry reader but I found this collection hauntingly beautiful. I enjoyed the different methods used and although grief is a extremely personal subject I think there will be something here that everyone can relate to. My personal favourites were “Outcomes”, “In Coping with an empty chair”, “War Paint”, “Control”, “Depression Medicine” and “Porchlight”.
I will definitely be looking into reading more collections from Bortz.
I will definitely be looking into reading more collections from Bortz.
April 8, 2021
The Grief We’re Given by William Bortz – publishing 2 Feb 21.
I would like to extend my thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me this book in order for a fair, frank, and honest review.
The layout of this book is so incredibly bad. There are backslashes in between words, no sentence structure at all which left me unable to read it. I appreciate that it is an Arc however it was impossible to read.
2 stars.
I would like to extend my thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me this book in order for a fair, frank, and honest review.
The layout of this book is so incredibly bad. There are backslashes in between words, no sentence structure at all which left me unable to read it. I appreciate that it is an Arc however it was impossible to read.
2 stars.
January 19, 2022
Experiencing grief myself, the title of this book piqued my interest in reading it. You don't find many books of poetry just on grief. I was pleasantly surprised to read this theme wrapped around not just the loss of a person. The poems are graceful and intense; I took my time with the reading and put it down for a while as needed. I have reread and found more meaning to poems. Grief is such a deep emotion and I think Bortz poems reflects that very well.
April 2, 2023
My mentor tells me we like and dislike the poetry we read based on our plane of experience. I think that's at play here, in part. I found this volume to be an "all right" collection of mixed metaphors, punctuated by moments of brilliance. And it's true, some of the language and imagery is simply lovely. But as someone who's been exposed to crushing landslides of grief, I felt this collection fell short.
November 4, 2023
"The Grief We're Given" by William Bortz is a poignant collection of poetry that delves into the depths of loss and longing. Bortz's evocative language captures the raw emotions associated with grief, offering readers a cathartic and introspective journey. The poems resonate with a haunting beauty, painting a vivid portrait of the human experience in the face of profound loss.
I was provided an advanced copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was provided an advanced copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 17, 2020
A beautiful book of poems about grief. Each poem is touching and truly beautiful. I really enjoyed reading this and could relate to a lot of the grief in these poems. I would highly recommend this selection of poetry for anyone who enjoys poetry!
*Thank you Netgalely for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
*Thank you Netgalely for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
March 16, 2021
this is all to say
there is nothing I am
trying to get over---
just some small
calamities I am learning
to carry
This was amazing. One of my favorite poetry collections I've read this year. This collection had an amazing poetic voice with strong prose and a clear style to it. I loved every second of reading this even as my heart broke through each poem.
there is nothing I am
trying to get over---
just some small
calamities I am learning
to carry
This was amazing. One of my favorite poetry collections I've read this year. This collection had an amazing poetic voice with strong prose and a clear style to it. I loved every second of reading this even as my heart broke through each poem.
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