Holoholo: Poems

by Barbara Hamby

Holoholo is the Hawaiian word for walking out with no destination in mind. In the three sections of this book, Barbara Hamby walks out into the current American chaos with its inferno of wars, street violence, apocalyptic fantasies, and racial tension. Fueled by an American lingo that embraces slang, Yiddish, street talk, and the yearning to be able to describe her moment in time, these poems encompass the complicated past, difficult present, and unknown future. Every foray offers a glimpse of the world constructed from one woman’s collage of consciousness.

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

Published February 23, 2021

About the author

Barbara Hamby was born in New Orleans and raised in Hawai’i. She now lives in Tallahassee, Florida. She teaches creative writing in the English Department at Florida State University.

Reviews

[Renée Roehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Hamby was raised in Hawai'i. Holoholo is the Hawaiian word for walking out with no destination in mind.

This is the most packed 96 pages of poetry that I've ever read, so much so that it took me 6 weeks to finish it, and even though I've read almost all her husband, David Kirby's, work which also has a meandering & structurally similar quality. With this book, however, I needed to pause and think about these incredible odes because I would get 'full' and have to wait to read another one, or to reread the one that gave me pause.

Hamby's brilliant mind is clearly stuffed with thoughts, seemingly random facts, literary allusions, insights, observations, opinions and ideas about living & life that are accompanied with humor and a playfulness that can descend lightening quick to a serious perception that would leave me 'mind breathless.'

There is pretty much no topic Hamby doesn't touch upon and lots of those subjects seemed to be close to my experience and my heart. Like Firenze which is where most of my family lives. And food!

Here's some titles to get your juices going:

Ode on Girlfriends, the Brain, and Those Little Cookies You Dip in Wine
Ode to the Moon, Pontormo, and Losing My Mind
Ode to the Sacred Heart of Everyone, Including You and You and You
Ode to the Last Peach of Summer
Ode to Being Backwards and Inside Out and in a Wreck with Myself
Ode to the Diner
Ode to Gauguin, Russia, Arles, and Consciousness
Ode to Words for Smell
Ode to Words for Sounds

Don't miss this book! I promise you that no matter how educated and/or trivia-filled your mind is, you will learn all sorts of things as all the while your heart will be joyfully going Holoholo.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent poetry, as always!

[Ellen Gwynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A joy to read!