Women in the Waiting Room

by Kirun Kapur

Poetry. Women's Studies. Unsparing, un-selfpitying, these poems make an imaginative whole from Hindu mythology, confessions from a hotline for sexual abuse, meditations on a friend's mortal illness, and the poet's private pain.

Genres: Poetry

85 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2020

Reviews

[Rita Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god, this book! Painful, beautiful, furious, glittering. I found this so compelling and heart-stopping. Formally, it's a virtuoso performance (from ghazals to fragment forms to riffs on sonnets), but it contains so many unforgettable voices and stories. It's deeply moving. Aimee Nezhukumatathil called it a "must-read for these times and beyond" and that's just how it feels. Read it and give it to all the women you know.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

crushing. Review forthcoming in Glass: a Journal of Poetry.

[Claudia Cortese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning

[disco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hotline

If what
he did to me has made me who i am
must I love him as I love me I will cut off my own
before I love the arms that—

[Violeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kirun Kapur’s Women in the Waiting Room works so well as a cohesive collection! These poems are brutal and haunting; taken together they make a powerful testimony about women’s suffering and capacity for survival.

Truly, the collection works so well as a whole, but standouts for me were: “Steubenville Ghazal”, “Women in the Waiting Room”, “Pelvis with Distance”, and “Reincarnation Ghazal.”

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lyrical intimacy to Kapur's writing that instantly captures your attention. This is a collection that reflects on beauty as well as tragedy, with a clear voice that guides the reader. Some of the topics and (triggering) themes within this poetry book include: sexual abuse/assault, mortal illness, and psychological distress.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in progress....

[Cherese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm was torn between a 4 and 5 then rounded up my 4.5 because while I didn't understand it all the parts that resonated, did so deeply. She's made me a lover and craver of poetry.

[Aumaine Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subtle, precise, and poignant. I’m most affected by how the use of research/personas can produce poems that still feel so personal and alive in voice and tone

[Kashiana Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I became the woman in the waiting room with Kiran Kapur
That is the only thing necessary to say as this book engaged me fully, and in many circumstances

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book of poems about women, goddesses, survivors, and friends is painfully gorgeous. They are my favorite kind of poem, both deftly crafted and deeply felt.

[Kali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A painfully honest book written by a strong woman and excellent poet. It is a whole book, not a collection of disparate poems (though on their own, many are also terrific), and should be read from cover to cover by every woman alive. Take yourselves seriously, read this!