VIVID COMPANION

by Irene McKinney

This fifth collection of poetry from West Virginia's poet laureate and author of Six O'Clock Mine Report is an extraordinary set of poems which reflects the complexity, the magnanimity, and the resilience of the human spirit. McKinney writes with candor, precision, and compassion; most importantly, though, her poems are accessible to all types of readers.

Genres: Poetry

98 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful collection of poetry by West Virgnia's Poet Laureate. Inherent within the whole of the poems is a beautiful understanding of place. The various locations throughout her poetry make themselves known and felt, and her poems often don't simply see the place as it is now, but rather the whole of its past and all of the meaning within stretching out into its distance, layer upon layer, all melding together. There's weight to her poetry, and I adore that.

The Oneida poems are collected in this book as well (though I don't know if perhaps she's published more?) Regardless, I recommend you read the note at the back of the book prior to digging into that section. Through poetry, she tells the story of that cult, its beliefs, and its final persecution. It's a fascinating character study through several generations and a beautiful, respectful view of a rather strange set of beliefs.

I loved this collection of poetry, and I'm really looking forward to reading more by Irene McKinney.

[Melissa Helton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard about her for years but hadn't yet read a full collection. I definitely want to read more! Her tone and style is more of what I'm drawn to in poetry (as opposed to the MFA puzzle many poets strive toward in an effort to sound serious). Enjoyed it.

[John Tipper · Rating 4 out of 5]

An impressive collection of poetry from McKinney, who was the Poet Laureate of West Virginia when she wrote it. The themes are aging, loss, and the natural world. McKinney praises feminine qualities and strong individuals. The readability is high. Some poems are conversational, while others are imagistic. It's accessible to a large group of readers. She emphasizes the human spirit. One of my favorites is "Homage to Roy Orbison." Roy's voice is described as he sings "sweet dreams baby." And there's a fascinating section on the Oneida Community, which was a group of people trying to eliminate selfishness and violence. They did away with conventional marriage. One was married to all. Men did not ejaculate during sex, so there was no unwanted pregnancies. Women had a lot of free time to work and think. Around 300 individuals lived in the community in the 19th century near a small town in New York. It's honest, clear writing with evocative passages.

[Bailey McInturff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Irene McKinney's work, and I want to read each of her collections. As an Appalachian, it is important to me that others read and appreciate Appalachian authors and their work, so I hope more people will read this and enjoy it as much as I did.

[Amy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irene is my FAVORITE contemporary poet......doesn't hurt that she is WV grown too.
I am blessed to have her work in my life.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Irene McKinney's poetry. She covers topics from what if feels like to watch your father die to different viewpoints of patrons in a sex cult. I love her imaginative and honest poetry.

[Roxytoddroxytodd]

amazing woman. WV grown.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

After saying that I wanted to read more poetry, my professor gave me this book along with a few others to peruse, and I read this one on a Saturday afternoon. McKinney writes with a sense of historicity, questioning, and honesty. I particularly enjoyed her two poems "Covering Up" and "Ironweed."

From Ironweed:

"Everything resists; there is iron in the roots
and the squared-off stem, silted into its deepest chambers,

and this weed stands on the slope above the dry creekbed
and refuses nearly everything."