You Do Not Have to Be Good

by Madeleine Barnes

Described by poet Deborah Landau as a "searing, necessary debut," You Do Not Have to Be Good is Trio House Press' 2019 Open Reading Selection. Organized around a series of absolving principals, poet Wayne Koestenbaum writes that the book "enacts a forgiveness journey, without false consolation," and instead, "speaks in praise of tenacious embroidery, steadfast retrieval, destinationless self-assemblage, and a pleasing neutrality...The book, an artfully composed act of ambiguous witness, addresses a 'you,'—a compassionate reader who will feel, as I do, grateful to Barnes for her high level of craft, wisdom, and emotional resourcefulness."

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction

127 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2020

About the author

Madeleine Barnes is the author of Women's Work (Tolsun Books, 2021), You Do Not Have to Be Good (Trio House Press, 2020), Light Experiments (Porkbelly Press, 2019), and The Mark My Body Draws in Light (Finishing Line Press, 2013). Her work has appeared in The Poetry Society of America, Pleiades, PANK, Prelude, FENCE, The Brooklyn Review, Glass Poetry, and elsewhere. She teaches creative writing and composition at Brooklyn College and New York University, where she received her MFA in 2016. She has received fellowships from the Mellon Foundation and the Vermont Studio Center.

Reviews

[Adam Dalva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this generous book of poetry, and have returned to my copy often to re-read some of my favorites. The poems are wonderfully structured. Sub-sections of two to six poems with titles like "You Do Not Have To Be Earthly or (my favorite) "You Do Not Have To Be Cured" allow us to assemble a sort of plot as we read.

Barnes deals with questions of disability, passion, redemption, body-shifts, and the beauty of things both quiet and cosmic. Forms shift in interesting ways (I loved the formal call/response of "SOME ANSWERS I WROTE ON A LONG TERM DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE.") throughout, and she has an excellent ear for the sound of words - these are meant to be read outloud.

A couple of brief segments that I loved, to give a taste:

."..I know his gentleness is often
overlooked, but the way he sees--
camera facedown on the table
lifted, aimed--is the way I see."

"There are too many sunflowers
in your wrist muscles,

he can see them opening."

[Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poems on seeing the stretch between life and death, on choosing what you can for as long as you can.

The ending of "Sleep Phase":

"I look at you,
silvery and scratched, marked by a different suffering,
the kind that stays away from new fires. Have I done
something wrong? And now, the world cleared away,
a flame expanding, tell me, will I be able
to speak in the end? Tell me. Stay calm."

Really liked the two-page spread of "New York in June" and "Night Runner": loss, followed by the reenactment of loss. Also: "The Questions We Ask of Life Return as Wolves" (on the ambivalence of a difficult relationship).

Playing off her father's love of Western movies, she writes in "The Heart Shuts":

"Defenseless, grief is a fired gun,
a showdown, a geranium; it's a form of order,

a relapse, an echo that travels
from screen to screen, star to star
while you stand at the center with the horses."

[Kristie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like a friend who is honest, warm and loving, but also direct and sometimes harsh. I bought it based on the electrifying title, without knowing anything at all about the author or her work. When I got it, I flipped to the table of contents, which further energized me. The book is arranged in chapters, each containing between 2 and 6 poems. The chapter headings are themselves a poem -- in fact, they are my favorite poem in the whole book. I've had this book by my reading chair for a couple months and turn to it over and over again for perspective and fresh insight into what it means to be alive, and especially what it means to be a woman. It has added much to my life.

[Sebastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous collection of poems—and a debut, no less! The masterful imagery implies a careful and considerate examination of the poet's subject, exalting the ordinary and everyday with exquisite thought, and realizing the enormity of other subjects with a language that engages all readers. Barnes's talent and hard work will propel her in the long haul—hers is a voice that lasts. Exceptional. I highly recommend.

[Janet D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting and powerful debut from a promising author. I love the subdivisions within the book and how they guide the reader's experience of each poem. There are several poems in this collection that I have dog-eared and returned to numerous times; this is definitely worth reading multiple times.

[Ariel Francisco · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible debut! Absolutely love this book.

[Dan Kraines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. From deep places of pain come these poems of startling beauty. Their language is so inventive and affirming. The book's clear structure makes it accessible, which attests to the empathy it constantly emits. This is for anyone who longs to cut through grief, physical pain, and the difficult intensities of love. I felt held by Barnes, through this collection, as her poems quickly became my favorites

[Slow Culture Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection did not inspire beyond reason, but I read it in its entirety and some of the poems are not to be missed.

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deep, vivid, so honest it bleeds. I loved it.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these poems so much--a perfect balance of the specific and the numinous.